The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1868-02-26


convi0ff6ns6 duty. shall walk in tin
path I haV chosen with no faltering step&
Z 6aa,appeSIfhg TO God for the patf3otiGtM of
|my inten}l@ns, and for the diligence with
which / have considered this greet subject
| 4 f4rlessly trust my vindication to the nnim-
psssioned verdictof the people Of North
Carolina If lin my conclusion ON This sub
ject have erred shall have this consola-
tion,-for it will be consolation as it is
guarantee Of my good faith-that no man
will suffer more from the Consequences of
the error, than myself All have of proper
ty, of reputation. and of friends, is in North
Carolina. The dust Of my ancestors and of
my children il mingled with her soil, and
my own will be. cannot leave North Car
DINA, IL I wouid; I would not If I could I
cannot evade the least part of any doom
which my error shall bring on her people.
There are but two parties in North Caro-
lima, the Conservative, which though coop
Grating with the Democratic party of the
North, has not the courage to assume its
name or openly enlist under its flag. 1t is a
party purely obstructive, which opposes eve
ry thing, and proposes nothing, which aims
at a re-actionary revolution incapable of sue
cess; which, takes up the {" Lost Cause" after
1t is irretrieyably lost, and prolougs without
"a hope of success the animosities of rebel
lion which could never have admitted of
any justification if it had not had q reasona-
BILE chance of success. This party processes
to deprecate war of races, but the whole
defamation OF its leaders is directed to in
flame the antipathies of race, and to create
mutual animnsity which cannot be for
good I'd .ae@
Tie other party is the Republican, With
political wisdom it recognizes as " an ac-
complished fact" that the old civilization
and social system of the South has persisted,
and attempts to build up on its ruins a new,
and we would fondly hope nobler and
more enduring civilization based upon prin-
ciples, which whether IN themselves right,
or wrong, the course of events and the ire
sistable fat Of the American people, have
determined shall be those on which Amer
lean government shall be built. can have
no denunciations for the past; butt join
the party which is striving to build up the
future.
Having said what proposed to say on
that part of The subject, the giving suffrage
to colored men. l will now consider briefly
those parts of the reports of the minorities
OF the committee, which propose either to
disfranchise white men from voting, or to
disqualify. them for holding office, for past
acts. The two minority reports differ in
details in this respect, hut as they are both
open to the same general objections, shall
presently consider them together on general
principles. But before doing that, must
ask attention to the Sd exception in the mi
nority report of Messsrs Gambler anG Con
gleton. which is liable to special objection.
1t DISTINGUISHES those who have prevented
! or endeavored to prevent any voter from
the free exercise of the elective franchise. by
threats, violence or bribery" Violence and
bribery are already penal, but threats F" is
a new crime capable of wide Significance
But the objections to adding great politi-
cal punishment to these offences, are So OBJ
vious that forbear to say more on this ex
ception. The first objection to all such en-
actments is, that they are in the nature of
er post ,tacto laws, that is, they propose to
punish as crimes, acts which either had not
been declared as crimes by law when they
were committed or else to impose on them
punishments. other and additional to those
which were imposed by law when the Of
| fences were committed. Such laws are pos
itively forbidden and declared unjust by the
Constitution of the United States. And by
the very Bill of Rights which this Conven-
| ton has enacted, they are not only forbid
| den as unjust. but declared contrary to the
general and essential principles of liberty
| and free government" trust this Conven-
tion will not put one principle in the Bill of
Rights, and its contrary in the chapter on
| suffrage. t
Secondly: Such enactments are unwise
and impolitic. The Republican party is
great, strong and triumphant. 1t is bound
to be just-it can afford to be generous, but
it cannot afford to be vindictive or proscrip.
tive. There are thousands of men in North
Carolina whose anteccdents were like my
own-who have pursued independently the
| same course of reasoning which has led me
to the support of the Republican party, and
who are waiting for the action of this Con-
vention on this subject, to determine wheth.
or or not they can take their places honora-
bly, in its ranks. receive letters from them.
They are willing to accept colored suffrage (;
they are willing to defy the storm of oppro
brium to which they will expose themselves,
but they are not willing to accept the bur
den of vindictive prescription, against
those whose only fault is, in their opinion,
an honest difference of political opiuion,
courageously and honorably followed out.
We cannot afford, no party can afford, to
shut its doors against men like these. was
very glad to hear the Reverend gentleman
from Cumberland, (Hood,) in his learned
speech, express the liberal views on this
subject which he did, and think the gen
tleman from Orange and his friends, might
we'll afford to copy the example.
The gentleman from Chowan French,
says he would not disqualify for punishment
OF vengeance, but for future security only
believe he speaks sincerely. But agains
whom does he want to take security? No
against the great villains whom he de
nounced, but against the people of North
Carolina.
A few days ago the gentleman from
cleveland, (Durham) was alarmed, lest tn
people of North-Carolina should elect
colored man Governor, and proposed to pu
a clause in the Constitution, forbidding then
from ever doing so. He distrusted the PEG
ple..- Now the gentleman from Chowan j
afraid, that the people may elect some rebe
to some high Office, and proposes to put il
the Constitution clause fOrhidding then
to do so. He also distrusts the people.
90 not If the people of North-CaroIin
with large majority of white men, agains
! all the antipathies of race, and all the pre-
judces of color, should elect colored ina
Governor of North Carolina, should r,
; gard it as conclusive proof of his pre-em
nent fitness for the place. And SO. if the
shall elect to any high office one of tlos
whom the gentleman calls rebels and villain
; 7 shall hold If enuallv nr,,of of his pre EN-