The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-10-05
The Present Constitution. /.

Suppose there was no public debt against
North Carolina, could we live and prosper,
under the State Constitution as it IS 2 We
think not. We believe in some important
particulars it should be changed as soon as
possible. To do this, State Convention
should be called at the earliest moment.
But perhaps it would be well to have re-
stricted Convention. The conditions apon
aoltich the State aoas restored to the Union,
hoaoecer unjust those conditions aoere should not
eUery man, s0onaaz and child in the State must
remain unaEtered. No partially or injurious
distinction should be made because Of race or
color or previous condition. The colored peo-
pie of the State mag Danish all fear upon this
subject. The Democrats and Conservatives
of North Carolina are pledged to this, and
their word is their, bond. But there are
various odious and injurious provisions in
the new Constitution which must be changed
Our old Constitution in its general features,
except so far as the necessary protection to
the equal rights of the colored citizen is
concerned, is what the people want restored.
The Constitution adopted by the Convention
of 1865, which was rejected by the people,
with some amendments to conform it to the
Constitution of the United States would be
all that is needed . 3l
1. The township system.-This is very
odious and expensive. Our old county gov
ernments, simple, cheap and efficient, must
be restored, our people are too poor to sup
port so many officers. We want no pauper
officers on our hands. s-f
2. Our Court system.-With slight altera-
tions our old cheap, simple Court system,
County, Superior and Supreme Courts, with
and equity must be re-established. Our
people will understand nothing else in the
next hundred years.
8. Our Judeiary.-Our people feel the
need of returning to the old method of
electing the Judges. Under that system
every North Carolinian is proud of the his
tory of our Judiciary. The new system and
its history shames every true North Caro-
linian. Above all things, we want pure,
honest, learned and anti-partizan Judiciary.
4. Or Laws.-The people desire that they
shall be as few, plain and as simple as posi-
BILE, that the way faring man though a
fool, need not err therein" Mild enough
to avoid all cruelty, But strict and rigid
enough to be terror to evIl-doers. The
"CiYil Code procedure" offends and op-
presses all. Our people are not likely, un-
der its operation, ever to learn their rights
or their obligations under it. They say the
old wine is better than the new. la7
5. Our public charities.-We believe in
public charities, bit the idea is supremacy
ridiculous and dishonest, when State can
not pay her debts, nor pay the interest on
them, to make heavy appropriations every
year to educate every child in the State from
6 to 10 years of age, rich and poor, white
and black, in the common schools, and at
the Universities, at the public expense, and
also to educate every mute and blind person
rich or poor, and provide for every insane
person, rich and poor, at the public expense
Charity means providing for the needy and
those who cannot take care of themselvs
until they are able to do it. Every child in
the State, white and blck, rich or poor
ought to have the chance of being educated
in the rudiments and essential parts of learn
ing, between the ages of and IA or 16 al
the public expense. But youths of both sexes
and of both colors, ought to be made te
understand that when they arrive at IA OF
16 years of age, they should study that i'm
portant feature in education, to learn to soork
that they may be independent. These art
some of the important features to be chang
ed. Others will occur to the reader.-Raleigl
Sentinel Sept. %. r.