Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-07-10
The Suffrage Issue.

There is much discussion going on III
the Democratic and Conservative journals
of the country in regard to the great issues
of the coming Presidential canvass. Their
Importance, not less than the very great
difference of opinion in regard to what Is
the proper line of policy, renders these dis
cussions of much moment. The New York
Uorn has given rise to this conflict OF
opinion by contending that the question OF
suffrage in the Southern States would pass
from the control of the Federal Govern
ment upon the admission of their Senators
and Representatives to their seats in Con.
gress, and under the new constitutions
framed therein. That paper therefore ar
CUES that this question is dead one, for
the present, at least, and should not enter
into the issues of the campaign. This po-
sition has been vehemently assailed, find
ing support in but few papers, North or
South.
So far as it is a practical question, if this
position finds endorsement in the New
York Convention, which assemblies to-day,
then the Southern people have but little
interest in the deliberations or the election
| of its candidates. With our State and To-
cal governments in the hands of the ne
groes and their white allies, our jury-boxes
filed with tho most ignorant and corrupt
of our population, our judiciary debased,
and our Executive and police officers hos
tile in feeling and interest to every right
we hold sacred and every sentiment we
cherish, from which there is no relief, it
can matter but little to US who represents
us in the Congress of the United States or
fills the Chief Executive Chair of the coun-
try. If the Jacobins can disregard funda-
mental laws and place several States under
the control of portion of their population,
not recognized by their constitutions as
citizens, and not considered, from their
profound ignorance and long enslavement,
as competent electors, and there is no
remedy from this unconstitutional diem
ma, save with the consent of these illegally
enfranchised persons, there is then fun
damental error in our political organism,
which we believe will find correction,
from motives of justice and right, but up
on the principle of self-preservation, which
overrides laws and disregards constitu-
| tions.
We do not intend to enter into the al
gument upon the constitutionality of the
various modes proposed by the Democratic
party, should it get in power, to do away
with the illegal governments established in
the South but we are satisfied with the en-
tire practicdbility of it's peaceful accomplish
ment by means of the very precedents fur
nished by the last two Congresses, and the
powers legitimately possessed by the Legis-
lative department of the government. Let
the people of the North proclaim by their
votes that they disapprove of, and will not
enforce, universal suffrage, and the redemp-
ton of the South from their bayonet-im-
posed governments will fellow as sc night
the day."
We think that, IN practice, it is useless to
argue upon the constitutionality of these
measures and the remedy from the evils
they bring upon us. It would be difficult
for one to go back two years in our his
tory and deduce from the Constitution
any powers by which the present condition
of affairs could possibly be brought about.
Nay, we need go back but few days to
see how impossible it would be. under the
very laws adopted for the reconstruction
of North Carolina, to inaugurate the new
government until the Howard Amendment
was incorporated in the Constitution of
the United States. Yet, in practice, there
is no difficulty. A military ukase is issued
and all legal defects are cured, and from
the first of July until the State is admitted
to representation in Congressional why
not until the Fourteenth Article is officially
proclaimed as a part and parcel OF the
Federal Constitution ?)-Mr. Holden is the
Provisional Governor of the State, and the
members of the General Assembly, now in
session, compose the Provisional Legisla-
ture, by military appointment, without hav-
ing taken the required test-oath. The pro-
ceedings are justified by those In power, on
account of the anomalous situation of the
country following from the secession of the
Southern States and the results conse-
quent upon that action. "The Consti-
tuition, says leading Northern Radical
paper, IS did not anticipate or provide for
It The measures taken to quell the rebel
lion were Unconstitutional, and all steps
taken toward rehabilitation must be meas
urably So.
The decision in the Rhode Island case
by the Supreme Court of the United States,
"that the sovereignty in every State re-
sides in the people Of the State" and that
the question whether they have altered or
changed their form of government, sis to
be settled by the political power. And
when That power has decided. the Courts