The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-08-19
eo before the nsools in ridieuious light With

|
Mr.. Hinclair asked leave OF absence for Mr..
Short until Wednesday. Leave granted.
SPECIAL oRpEa.
The special order was the bill TO provide for
| the organization Of the militia.
Mr.. Durham said this substitute by the
| Senate for the one that passed the House d few
| DAYS since. He WAS sorry that he could not sup
| port the bill, which waS looked upon by MANY
| members do q measure Of importance; but from
the outset he bad regarded ii a vol in Sleeps
clothing He thought he should be able To show
that II was an offensive measure and dangerous
10 the peace Of the State.
The provision that the regulations OF the army
o. the United States should be adhered TO as lar
as practicable, WAS very objectionable feature.
He objectei to the section authorizing the
Governor to sppoint and commission all
officers. This substitute did not authorize
the Governor to accept troops that might
be rendered from any portion Of the State,
but II authorized him to accept such men as
he might choose and no other He asked every
candid man. whether Radical or Democrat, If he
would accept those organizations OF his own
party, Differed by partizans. when the plain,
simple consequence would be that one parry
would be armed IN opposition TO the other.
That WAS the effect Of this bill, TO give the Coy
ernOr power TO arm and equip one political par
ty against the other. The Governor boldly an
nounccd in bis inaugural address, ard the Re-
publican party announced, that TIE Governor
would appoint DO man who was not in favor OF
the Republican party: therefore everybody knew
that this bill meant 10 organize six regiments Of
Republicans 10 0yerawe Conservatism.
Arguing this subject as legislator, II men
who desired The peace Of the country were dis
posed to vote for this measure, when the Cover
nor dcclaie ed that no man should be appointed to
any ofiie under the disposal Of the Executive,
who was not Republican, there WAS every rca7,
to believe that il would end In disaster. Ii
might not this year, it might not next year; but
frat fr.d xyt fIfse (.ny9rumenk shall
have tunibled into ruin, men, who to-day sit In
this hall and vote for this measure will look back
upon ii with horror and with shame
The other day, in the Senate Chamber, he heard
Republican Senators say that there was no com
promise between tie policy OF civil government
and military government, he felt that, although
this State was under the control OF the Republi-
can party there not patriotism enough TO save
the country from the consequences OF this bill.
As partisan he would wish the Radicals to pass
this bill, but he was opposed TO its passage, and
he could say that he would resign his seat to-day
to 20 home and oppose this bill, which was tine
destruction of every interest OF the State and
OF the whole country. He believed it would in
augurafe war sooner or later, because it would
be taken by the people of the State of all parties
rs a declaration Of war by one party against the
other. He called upon all men to Use all means in
their power aud put down this measure, which
was opposed TO the peace OF the whole country.
There were enough widows, orphans, and men
this measure would result in driving the voters
from the polls and for the peace and prosperity,
for the aged, the infrm, and the orphans Of this
country, he protested against the measure which
would result in desOlation to the county; and he
believed that the gamers in this contest would
be the everlasting losers in the end.
Mr. Argo confessed that he took his place with
reluctance, because he had spoken so often on
this matter that he feared that gentlemen would
consider him obstinate in his opposition to the
4 Eal@ s= 1t,f., tats..
of the people of North-CarOlina, as an ad:ocate
of liberty of law, and OF order, to enter his pro-
test against the passage of this measure. He
opposed this bill or the reason that he APP
posed the original bill, because il vested too
much power i'll certain men, because it was
unnecessary in North Carolina, and because it
eniailed upon the people an expense that they
ought not TO incur. He said there had been a
Convention in Raleigh within the last few days
exceeding anything that had ever assembled
here before, both in respect to numbers and en-
thusiasm. There had been but one private dif-
fcuty SO far as lie had learned and yet gentle
men said We were on the eve OF q revolution
He would say to those gentlemen that if We were
on the eve Of revolution they had stirred it up,
and that they should not charge his friends with
disposition to break down the civil law in the
State. He entered his protest against the free
men OF North Carolina allowing their judgments
to be Influenced by party feeling and in the
name of law and order, in the name OF the peo-
pie and in the name OF peace he wished to re-
cord his own vote against the passage of this bill.
Mr. Sinclair said he regretted that the neeessi-
ty rose this morning oil differing IRON personal
and political friends of his own party on the
floor Of the House He did it conscicntiously,
believing that the measure was unconstitutional,
| and that ii is also mischieyous as a matter OF
| policy. He was aware that the people would
say that such objections urged on constitutional
grounds are mere Instructions but We must not
! forget that when distractions assume the form
| of guarantees, and when these are removed or
| taken away We open the way for great evils. He
| thought he spoke the sentiment of every CARROLL
| MAN in saying that there was no disposition to
| pass measure that would be opposed to the
principles that were carried before the people and
| ratified. He wanted it distinctly understood
| that he was Grant and COlfaX man, and because
| he was Grant and Coliax man he was opposed
| to this measure We had paid a high price for
our Constitution, and We went before the people
| and told them that it was to be guardian of
| their rights and berries; bnt where was the
| first hand to strike at this Constitution. He
| wished it had come from the Conservative
| side, but it was from Republicans. He asked
| when We had ever given the Governor the
power to appoint in this State. Going
| back seven years, we all remembered when
| the secession movement was inauguated. The
secessionists were very fearful OF trusting their
| power in the hands of Union men, The first ten
regiments that were OF 9aniZed had their colonies
| appointed by the Governor. Looking over the
roster of the ten regiments, We find that every
| man commissioned as an officer was a secession
| ist. There was but one man who stood up against
it, to say that it was leading right back into
| military despotsm, and but one man that dare
| say word, and that man was w. ". Holden,
| and that paper was the Standard. 1t WAS proposed
to bring the same thing upon the people that was
| brought upon them by the secession laws in
| 1861. What was proposed to be accomplished by
this force? 1t was conceded on all hands that we
had a Radical majority in North Carolina. nd
! was not this measure an evidence of weakness !.
| As Republican, as man who loved civil liberty
dearer than life he said he would yield to no man
in ZEAL in determination, in the anxiety to elect
| Grant and Colfax; but he thought the supper
| tiers of this measure would prove to be the enc
mics of the principles which they represent, snd
! would prove to be the leak which will cause the
ship to sink. Coerce a minority! Beware, re-
| member that the minority is composed of the
wealth. of the educated classes of North Carolina
| and could it be supposed that these men could be
compelled to give up their principles because a
| bayOnet was shaken in their face! When this
was attempted it touched at once the proudest
feeling of North Carolinian: that he is going to
| be overawed.
| Mr. Harris, Of Wake, had not expected to bur-
| den the House with anything in reference to this
| bill, but he would say word explanatory of his
| vote. He had listened to nearly every argument
both in this House and the other; he had been
| in pursuit OF information in regard to this bill
ever since the introduction OF the bill he had
listened to the argument of the ablest opponent;
but he was yet to hear them assign any reason
| why we should not have an effective militia in
| North Carolina. If he regarded the hypothesis
| of these gentlemen as correct, if he supposed
the great amount OF misery and bloodshed and
want would follow upon this bill; if he believed
that their suppositions were founded upon a
shadow of reason, he would oppose the bill /;
but failing to show single valid reason why it
should not pass, and worse than all, falling to
point out a single clause, why he should not vote
| for it.
1t had been said that if this militia bill became