The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-02-26
Issgs@. SPEECH Of AR. FRENCH.
or BLADEN,
0nl ~ Suffrage Question, delip<rsd February

~ ~SSS' -a w -
feel tia duty owe to my constituents md
myseii 10 express my views on this very import
ant subject; in fact in my estimation. the most
important subject we shall have or have LaS
under consideration in this Convention, - bers'
fore think it should be very carcfnllv c6nsiS
cred by every member in this House, so that he
can vote understandingly upon it. Do not let ma ma
make up our minds too hastily upon this matter.
but let US look at it in Lifts bearings and from
all sides, and see If it will be benefit to the
whole people of this State. to place that potent
but silent weapon the ballot, IN the hands of nil
those men now disfranchised Will il be pnG'
cy! VIII 1t be right2 Will it be doing Justice
to the Union men Of this State, to Mace them
again perhaps in the power of these men who 81.
the last seven years, have ground them down viii
the iron heel of tyranny? Have a majority VI
these men ever shown any signs of repen,o1ons
II they had the power would they not he a,',;.
the same blood-thirsty Unionhaiing. r.h't. again
be forgiven No; but they have taken "1 an. 10
opportunity to villify and abuse the ConprosSa
government of the United States the very nam, na
ers which in their lienency have allowed ta r'
tain their property and their lives, both of Will
they forfeited by their acts during the rcbellion
and now these same men are clamOring for ,hni,,
rights; rights indeed their rights are tho hai,. er
Are we to declare In our Constitution that tber.
Is to be no punishment for these men wbo IT. ~.
their acts nave caused rivers of blood 10 A.
across the length and breadth of our opca naao
lul ana prosperous country, who have mad hmn.
areas OF thousands of widows and orpbans who
are now crying out to US in their sorrow and
grief Tor help, who mourn to day for their former
protectors, the countless thousands of whose
0ones to-day lie bleaching on the battle.Aelds
Gan we look upon all this misery and devasta.
uon, Say, and then say to those who caused
1t, 60 and sin no more? God forbid they should.
The very earth cries out for justice. There are.
u Is true, few noble exceptions among the class
OF men now DISTINGUISHED. Men who have seen
the error of their ways and are now doing their
pest TO restore the country to its former prosper
Gus condition within he Union, and admit that
secession was wrong, and are willing to acknowl-
edge it, and are now doing their utmost to bring
the Old North State back again into the fold of
the Union. Among these men, | might mention
Governor W. W. Holden, Gen. A. DOckery, Gen.
Rufus Barringcr, Hon. John Pool, Hon. r. p.
Dick, Col. Sinclair, and many Others too numer-
Gus TO mention. These men l say, should be
but to eniranchise whole all that
are now disfranchised, God forbid that should
be party to any such scheme. II would be
placing In their hands n weapon with which to
cut our own Threats. Therefore shall oppose
with all my might and with all my strength, any
to arm and equip those who have
been, and still are the bitter enemies OF freedom
and justice and truth and honesty. There is a
command l know that says, "we shall return
good for evil, /" but there times when lOrbear-
ance ceases to be virtue, and this is one OF those
times in my estimation. / would disfranchise
every man that Is now DISTINGUISHED, but provide
that their disabilities might De removed by two.
thirds vote OF the General Assembly, and then
any deserving pardon would find no difficulty In
getting enfranchiscd.