The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-02-05

who have no property to protect, and to Pc
stow the right to levy taxes upon those, who
have no taxes to pay 90
But it is said that, the proposed alteration
is demanded by Congress, and is necessary
to restore our State to constitutional rela-
tions with the Federal Government. It is
certainly singular demand that we should
extend the elective franchise to those who
are so inexperienced and little prepared for
the ordinary business of life, that the gov
eminent deems it necessary through the
Freedmen's Bureau, to exercise supervision
and tutelage over them. s
s But we deny the power of Congress to
prescribe to North Carolina who shall or
Shall not vote. This has always been re-
cognized as one of those great rights re-
served to the States; and, in fact. it is their
privilege to prescribe, who shall vote for
members of Congresses the Constitution
of the United States. Art. 1, Sec. II, pro-
vides: $ The House of Representatives shall
be composed of members chosen every sec
ond year by the people of the several States;
and the electors in each State shall haze the
qualifications requisite for electors of the most
numerous branch Of the Legislature"
Congress certainly recognized North Car
olina as State in proper constitutional re-
lations when the ratification of the Kill
Amendment by the Legislature of 1S65-'66,
was accepted, and also when the proposed
XIV Amendment was submitted to the Leg
islature of 1866-67, for ratification. We
can, then. only regard the present measures
as a punishment for our conduct on the lat
ter occasion. Such legislation strikes US as
en- post tiacto, tyrannical and unjust. We
cannot consent that our State shall be de-
graded to an inferior position to her sisters
that she shall expunge from her Constitu-
ton clauses excluding the negro from voting
and holding office, which other States have
Indignantly refused to strike from their own.
We refer especially to the Constitutions OF
Ohio. PENNSYLVANIA, Indiana, Illinois and
| New York. We do think that the require
ment would come with much better grace il
these and other States had altered their Con-
stitutions, or # it was proposed to so amend
the Constitution of the United States as to
make the application universal.
Viewing the matter in every light that
presents itself, and willing to extend to the
negro population every right that would le-
ultimately result from the late war, or that
is necessary to their security and happiness
we vet think that the welfare of both races
is best promoted by retaining our present
Constitution. We consider the whole scheme
as intended 10 advance party purposes-ln
the expectation that the States Of the South
are being AfIcanized and Radicalized may
more than counterbalance the loss of electo
raj votes that will occur in other sections OF
the Union. We advise that North-C Carolina
shall refuse to alter her Constitution under
dictation from Congress, composed of mem.
hers who have ceased to represent their con-
stituents, and " no, in defiance of the voice
of the people as expressed in recent cleo
lions, still harden their hearts and devise
new tasks for us. Let us rather trust to a
returning sense of justice on the part of the
Northern people, and that spirit of magma
nimity which will revolt at the idea of
. forcing the South to accept, in a huge
mass, that which the North rejects in min
ute quantities" Let US act upon our avn
conscientious convictions of what is best
for North Carolina, and while submitting
patiently to the present military rule. not
forget that freedom OF opinion which is our
birth right If, then, negro suffrage and ne
gro equality are forced upon u.s. We will not
have consented to our own humiliation, and
will at least, have preserved our honor and
selfrespect.
~. JOHN W. GRAHAM.
/ p DUPHAM