The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-03-30

a.
teal obcrstion 10 looked into, it will be nm
derstood. Heretofore the passing over the
lands Of another has been. technical or
constructive trespass, not practically punish
able. Il was technically only civil injury,
and the damages only nominal and recov-
cradle at heavy cost This proposed act
| makes it high crime punishable by
/ heavy fine and imprisonment. q Now, what
il the object Of this proposed law The
colored man has no land. He has just
emerged from state of slavery and has
had no time to acquire real estate. The
great body of the real estate of Tennessee,
belongs to ex -Confederates, The, practical
operation of this law will be that the land
owner will permit all good Southern men
to fish in his creek, hunt in his woods or
pass over his II 1ds, but he will proclaim
| that negroes and Lincolnites will be indict-
ed for doing so. AT any rate, no good
Southern man will ever be prosecuted for
| this crime, while the colored man will find
himself in jail for treading down d blade
Of grass or.catching minnow in the near
| est creek. sss NJ i,s ksiiis5h sazfsg3b sea
Then there is bill pending which pro-
| hibits renter from selling less than, o bale
OF cotton without the consent, of the land
owner on which the cotton was grown. The
object OF the bill is palpable. The land
owner may, and scill refuse his permission |
to the poor negro to sell his little crop Of
cotton and viii take it at his own price, or
nothing. 1t amounts toa proposition to /
| give the landlord power to con6scats the Ia
Dor OF the poor colored ran. IF this bill
does not pass, 1t will be, voted down for
fear Of offending the sentiment of the, ma
jority OF the nation 1 might stand here
till the gray dawn Of morning enumerating
and explaining the oppressive acts Of this
Legislature, but time forhids and i must
| pass on. gstE,1H telusa ossslL--s5tf
bave not commented upon the propo
s:tion of the convention to annex to the right
.of suffrage the condition of the payment of
ia poll tax. have but q moment to devote
to It. Whatever may be the merits Of this
proposition, the party in power in this
State are estopped from advocating this
doctrine, For four years past they, have
| contended that suffrage was personal
| right--a natural, inalienable right-and
that no power could deprive citizen of it.
They have clamored themselves hoarse in
favor of this doctrine. Yet, sirs, when it
suits their convenience they qualify the right
of suffrage! What is the object of this
rcstr,ct'on upon suhrages1 they lntend,
SITS, ~ indlrection ana by Inc power OF
wealth ana management To render the condi'
ton OF .he negro as miserable as possible
TO WORK MN through the summer and fall
ana tnen-as some planters do mules-to
turn MIN OUT winter TO starVe. Hundreds
are now leaving the State on account OF
that kind of treatment There can be no
question that this suffrage qualification is a
Ii
blow aimed ct tue negro. Aegla4taS
Gentiemen,l propose 10 consider one
more suD)ect before conclude. We who
nave called TINS meeting have been accused
Dy tine newspapers OF consplring to have the
State placed under military government.
This subject was not thought OF by those
who signed the call at the time But am
free to confess that would prefer the rule
of a military Governor to the rule OF mask
ed and murderous mob In republic, that
power which controls elections and deies
the courts, Is surpreme-ls the Government
Disguise it t. =. we may soften, paia.s and
what thew please. No ono dares to stand
in their way Whomsoeyer thew nlease To
Kin thew hang or shoot, and have no fear of
1 / mimi Thav iaunh faf ba lo~x md
sc,,r, 'the cn,rts ~ +be Country TLor canl
Inv bloodshed and v;olence They control
tba courts NV THAR .,,resence IN tho inv hnr
Or nv their mower over nphHc on;r;cn W.
have had = severe IL W aoa;nst them far two
wears and vet there has not been a single
, Conviction under il. And now we have
what is called ..tbe masked marauder b,ll.n
and no one exnects any one ever ito belhnrt
bv n These laws are NOT worth the nam
On witch thev ara written Il i 20 bo Ia
n,en,ed Inf the fact ia % that in a rs,,ubi;c
M law can he erecnted that ia nat sustained
|, hv nuhI;c on;nion The members &c This
s:cret order ! - sfa,r tbo most mart connected
sr;.h ~. ,,.aa1t;,r a,d ;,,tiu.rt - 81
the conntrv and in two. thirds of the state
control rnbi;c nn,n;on and in phst nav
CONTROL avervfh;ng LEO NOW tub;e, 4 nref.
eral,le e,oysrnn,ent ~ tb;s lind a. . mill
t,rv goys,nmsnf9-~ - - -5s"..I; II
ETbe reaoIut;on .aa,.-.lS aav ,xnrcss
-; -rone
great con
! Ttsact bete u the yg>Fc land the citi-
{ zen and expresses confidence that the
, | general Government will afford US that pro-
! lection that is'due for our allegiance, leav-
, ing to the Government tile mode and means
of that protection 1t is true that a reso-
luton was offered, asking for Immediate
military protection tor the Unionists OF the
/ State, and It IS true that tins resolution met
/ with great favor from the oppressed Union
} lists OF Middle and West Tennessee. AS an Is.
+ olsted proposition it might have passed but
, the meeting preferied the resolutions adopt
ed as whole and passed them under the
previous question. 1t is certainly true that
republican or free Government, Is the best
Government in times of quiet and prospect
ty, when the people need but little govern
> ment. But in turbulent times minorities
: may need protection and force may have to
r be met ny force. When the strong Cypress
the weak the ballot Is not an adequate rem
o edy. AKA. .',.s .s..,s..,.g
4 sald IN my remarks to-day that the gov
e eminent would either nave to abandon the
! colored race and the white loyalists of this
a State to sad tate, or 1t would have to adopt
{ just such measures as would carry Its pro
!. tcctlng power TO the ooor OF every citizen
d however humble, and tue sentiment was
r warmly lndorsed oy the meeting. There
0 are such herce passions and bitter resent
mcnts at work IN tennessee as to render
J. tree government inadequate to the protec
r ton OF the peaceful citizen. We have two
!. widely Inherent races llving In the State
tSa, Tho ne1ro o,r,bt 10 ho ,,ronor,u and