Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-03-20

in less than five years not one OF You here
will have either the moral or physical cour-
age to own the record that you have made
here. You are afraid of the honest people
Of the State, and well you may be, for God
knows when they shall become we'll ac-
qualnted with your vieness, even men of
your unblushing impudence will be unable
to stand the storm of scorn that will be
shoWered down upon you. The men-I
mean the honest men-of the West will re-
pudiate and scorn this infamous action
The acceptance of such q report should
bring the blush of shame to the cheek of
every honest man. It is in perfect keep
Ing with the character of Fyour party to re-
commend low and vile men to the exclusion
of some of the best and purest men in
North Carolina. You have left out the
names OF seventy-fiye of the best men in
Cleaveland county, and raked up the names
OF the most abandoned men in the whole
county go on, and while I defy you all,
still IN the name of my people, 1 protest
against this infamous discrimination, and
the people will sustain my protest and join
me in branding this measure as q low, vile,
outrageous and Infamous party scheme,
gotten up to tie down the people, the honest
people who you know will not 'suppot you
III your fraudulent legislation. 1 brand
your course as arising from mean and
craven fear of allowing the people to Judge
freely of your actions. hold that Con.
gress has no wight to remove political disa-
bilities. Tho pardoning power belongs to
the President. The Howard amendment
is not part of tho Constitution of the
United States, and Congress has no right
to remove disabilities until the amendment
becomes part of the Constitution You
have adopted q measure by large major
hat (ao h.
shall vote and hold office. and to-day you
refuse to recommend such men as Cover
nors Graham and Vance for removal of
disabilities, because you well know that if
such men are allowed to vote and hold Of
flee the small fry Republicans cannot creep
into office. l don't object to the removal
of disabilities OF any one, but I protest
against this infamous discrimination
But as long as you bar the best men
in the country i'll order to further the
ends of the Republican party and fill
the offices, l shall continue TO brand the
measure as infamous and cowardly. 1t is q
coWardly thing to recommend such re-
port Ii exhibits contemplate and era
ven fear. protest against it in the name
of my county and [ protest against itEin the
name of the people of the State.
Messrs. Heaton, Hood (negro), and Tour
gee uGlcuuCu luC report.
MIR. Hodnett said that he had always
been Il Union man. He had never drawn q
disloyal breath. He desired to see the
Union restored; he desired peace and pros
perity. But it was wrong to disfranchise
any man, if he does not agree with you as
to the validity of law Such men as
Bedford Brown and others were as loyal as
anybody in the United States; are they to
be DISTINGUISHED? Are we here to build
up and establish friendly relations, OF are
we here to stir up strife, contention and
confusion in the land? The way to build
up is to bury the past.
Mr.. Bradley said he had said but little,
but the little he had given vent to was
enough to show clearly where he stood in
the matter, and why he had not recon-
mended names to the committee. There
were Conservative men in his county bann-
ed and there were Republicans also banned.
will never vote to keep any man under
the ban. He had his opinion about certain
matters, and he would not go for disfran-
chising anybody because they did not agree
with him and he should oppose all such
odious measures that DISTINGUISHED any cit
liens of the State on account of their po-
litical opinions.
Mr.. Ellis concurred with Mr.. Bradley
Mr. Holt said that no name had been Of
fered from his county, for he supposed that
they thought nobody needed it there, ex-
cept the new converts, along with Sheriff
Guthrie, whom they Aad recently bought
The question REQUIRED upon Mr.. Bakers
substitute.
Mr.. King, of Lenoir, moved to amend the
substitute by adding the words: ''All that
are in favor of universal suffrage to all
male persons over "a years, without dis
tinction of race or color"
Mr. Durham branded this as another
dodge to force men into the Republican
party.
Mr.. Kings amendment was put to a vote
and adopted.
The yeas and nays were demanded and
called upon Mr.. Bakers substitute as
amended by MIR. King, and resulted yeas
80, nays 3.
Mr. Durham offered the following sub
stitute:
cit is the sense of this Convention, that
political disabilities ought to De removed
from the citizens Of North Carolina, with
out regard to political opinions or their
support Of, or opposition to-, universal suf-
frage."
Mr.. Tourgee moved to strike out the
word call where it occurs.
Mr.. Durham said that NJ. King amend
ment to Mr. Bakers substitute was merely
to defeat the substitute in order to make
Conservative men support the Republican
party, by supporting negro suffrage before
they can get pardon, and this motion of
Mr.. TOurgee's was another effort to dodge
the issue. don't care whether you dodge
it or not; the people shall know it. Now,
if you want to dodge direct vote by in
cooperating Mr.. Tourgee's amendmentw with
my substitute, you can do it, but your
skulking will be exposed.
Mr.. Tourgee's amendment was voted
down.
The question REQUIRED upon Nh. Dur
hams substitute.
Mr.. Durham asked for Ike yeas and nuyS,
trhich tceye refused to AiD1, and the Substi-
tuto was voted down.
Mr.. Rodman moved an amendment, ask
lug Congress to relieve all men i'll the State
who arc dlsfranchisod by the Howard
amendment or Reconstruction acts.
Tho yeas and nays were ordered and re-
suited i'll yeas u, nays 73.
Tho question REQUIRED upon the adoption
OF the report of the Committee, and it was
accordingly adopted.
Mann q,