Wilmington journal., 1868-04-03
SOLID OBJECTIONS TO THE PRO
POSED CONSTITUTION.
LEI ALL MEN READ AND CONSIDER THEM
WE'LL!


IT, tie PEOPLE Of NOJth Carolina:
The proposed Constitution prooides for anil
establishes tie ciri, political and social equal
ity of the achite Cnd negro races.
The most fearful, and, it now appears,
the well founded apprehension of the white
people of this State, and of the whole
South, has been, that there was, and still
is, a settled and persistent purpose of the
Radical Republican party to force and .fas-
ten upon the white people that horror of
horrors, the POLITICAL and SOCIAL equality
of the white and negro races. Whatever
may be said to the contrary by interested,
unprincipIed and designing men, this pur-
pose is openly manifested in this proposed
ORGANIC LAW, this CONSTITUTION, which these
reckless Radicals propose to our people for
popular ratification Eand by this means
they propose to make this odius, degra-
ding, degenerating, desolating and terribly
horrible purpose enduring, unalterably and
perpetualy operative.
This is not empty defamation, nor is it
political badinage on the contrary, it is
truth of the most solemn import, and chal-
lenges the present and serious cOn6ldera-
ton of every white man in the land
Let us examine, briefly, the provisions of
this new Constitution, and see if these de-
clarations are true
The principle of ABSOLUTE EQUALITY per-
meates and pervades it. The very first Sec
ton of the Decla alton of Rights (see it)
provides "that we hold it to be self-evident
that all men are created equal" This is
strong, plain language; it asserts absolute
equality in all things; not, indeed, as de-
clared in the old Declaration of Indepen
dence, for the provision in that instrument
I,o1 f0 hn &c
shown by the Constitutions of the United
States and of the several States, and the
whole legislation of the Federal and State
Governments. The provision in the Dec
laration of independence was made IN view
of, and had direct reference to, the distinc
tions among white men, under the Constl-
tuition and laws of Great Britain. But we
are not left to the plain import Of the Ian
guage used by these Radicals above quo
ted. This same idea and provision of ao
solute equality runs through every clause
of this Constitution. It provides, in Sec.
l, Article 6, (see it,, " EVERY MALE PERSON
born in the United States, and every male
person who has been naturalized, twenty.
one years old and upward, who shall have
resided in this State twelve months next
preceding the election, and thirty days in
the county in which he offers to vote, shall
absolute and without limitation; it includes
WHITES and NEGROES, and all races and col
0rs, and it defines the VOTING, RULING pop
ulation of the State those embraced by
this clause are emphatically the PEOPLE.
and neither CRIME nor any other cause dis
qualities person from VOTING, Sec. of
this same Article (see it), provides, every
voter, except as hereinafter provided shall
BE ELIGIBLE TO OFFICE" Thus, it will be
seen, that NEGRO may VOTE and may hold
ANY OFFICE under the Constitution !; he may
exercise any office or right that q white
man may; in every clause of this Constitu-
ton he is made the EXACT EQUAL of the
white man he is eligible to be made Gov
ernor, Chief Justice, Judge, Legislator,
Congressman, and to ill any Office, high or
low.
But this equality of right and privilege
is not confined to the males and to voting
and holding office; it applies to all con.
ceivable things and persons, taking benefit
under this Constitution it applies to wo-
men and children and all people it is
universal in its spirit and compass. By
virtue of this leading principle in the Con
stitution, as a matter of law, negro can
not by possibility be excluded from occu
pying any place in public church, public
school, public hotel, or assemblage +; he OF
she may claim, under this U1t0t pr1nc1ple o1
the Constitution the right to intermarry
with white person, to be educated at the
University of the State or in any public
school, without reference to any action oi
the Legislature, acting under this Consti
tuition !; any act OF such Legislature, abridg
ing the right of the negro in such matters
rs these, would be utterly null and void
for such act would violate Constitutional
right. If, under this Constitution, the
Legislature were to provide that white!
and blacks shall not intermarry, such act 0
the Legislature would be void. If it were
to provide that negro should not be edu
Gated at the University Of the State, OF tha
negro children should not go to the public
schools where white children go, such &C
would be void even if it were to provid,
separate public schools for whites ane
blacks, then IL negro would have the righ
to go to the white school, and all this grow
out of the vital principle of absolute eq~c!t
incorporated into every clause of thl
Constitution"
The Constitution was the only place ano
the proper place to provide for such dis
tinctions and limitations between the races
The Legislature, for the reasons alread
-,rovi5a for fhono and th