National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-14
THE NORTH CAROLINA VICTORY.
A Careful Analysis Of The Issue Of the CAM
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RALEIGH, N. O., August II, 1875.
To the Editor Of the National Republicans:
SIR The die has bcen cast, the Rubicon
passed; we have met the enemy, and they are
ours. The southern wing of the Democratic
party has not been satisfied with the condition
of affairs since tho surrender. It never has
accepted, and, in my opinion, never win accept
in good faith the results Of the war. All their
talk about reconciliation, fraternity and filling
up the bloody chasm Is nothing but trap set
by, Southern TGushers" to catch "Northern
Innocents." The rebel Generals Preston and
Gary gave expression to the real sentiment of
their party. The Democratic party in this
State has shown the bitterest hostility TO the
present constitution ever since its adoption In
1868. They have opposed 1t on the ground that
1t was the work of carpet-baggers and negroes;
that 1t was made solely in the interest of the
Republican party, and that 1t was never adopt
ed by the people, because thirty thousand of
them were at the time DISTINGUISHED for parti-
cipation in the rebellion. All these statements
are utterly false, and without foundation in
fact. There were one hundred and twenty
delegates in the convention. Fifteen of them
were negroes, eighteen were csrpet-baggers,
dnu -ecNcu WCIC udIlNC W lLC HlCu. III
stead of being made solely in the interest of
the negroes, IT was the first constitution this
State ever had that was made in the interest
of the whole people. .....-
Some of the trainers of that instrument were
men who had lived in free States, and had
been educated in the principles set forth in the
preamble of the Declaration of Independence.
Such men were needed to frame constitution
suitable to the changed condition of things in
the Southern Statcs. And such constitution
was made and adopted, guaranteeing to all
men "equality before the law" Increasing the
power Of the ballot by comforting more rights
upon the voter.
Such things as townships and township Of
fcers were unknown in this State prior to the
adoption of the present constitution. Former
ly all the judges and county magistrates were
elected by the Legislature to hold Office during
life or good behavior. The power to choose
al the officers in the State was first given to
the people by this constitution. No lover Of
his State or his fellow-citizens could find fault
with single clause in the fundamental law of
this State. Nor has any person done so. None
but the Democratic office-seekers and their
ignorant followers (whose name is legion)
could have invented an argument in favor of
changing the present constitution. Their real
AID only objection to it was that under it the
colored man had some power.
large majority of the voters in the east
ern part of the State are Republicans, most of
them negroes and many whites. In the West
ern portion of the State majority are white
Democrats. On popular vote the Republi-
can party has generally elected all its State
officers on account OF the large colored vote in
the eastern counties, but a majority of the
counties in the State are Democratic, and this
accounts for the fact that the Democratic
party has had control of the legislative branch
ofthis government since 1870. To take away the
Republican power derived from the popular vote
has been the Democrats chief aim since he first
tasted the sweets of power in 1870. But to do
this 1t was necessary to change the constitu-
ton. With too much confidence in their
strength they put the question to the people in
1871, and, by majority of fourteen to twenty
thousand, the proposition was voted down.
This unmistakable declaration Of the people
was the result Of their love for many proyi-
sions that they held sacred. This ought to
have satisfied reasonable men; but the Demo-
cratic leaders, not belonging to that class, re-
solved that since the people would not call q
convention they, the supreme lawgivers, would
call 1t for them. During their canvass for
bcdIe III INC LCSIclabWO hCLC ICQuCutlJ
asked whether or not they intended to call a
convention, and they invariably answered in
the negative. But once In their seats, with the
utmost disregard OF the wishes of their con-
stituents, they ordered the people to elect
delegates to a convention on the proposition of
the House of Representatives. They thought
that of course, since the House had q two-third
Democratic majority, the convention would
have the same. They never intended to put
the amended or new constitution before the
people for their ratification or rejection. 1t
was their intention, through their anticipated
majority In the convention, to call back the
last Democratic Legislature and have 1t ratify
their work. This was daring attempt, hut
the leaders hoped to accomplish their object at
this particular time by means of two influences,
viz: the Democratic victories In the Northern
States and the passage Of the civil rights bill.
They hoped to lull the apprehension of the
timid in their own party by referring to the
sympathy exhibited by the North in her
change of political sentiment, and to draw of
white men from the Republican party by stir
ring up their prejudices of race with the cries
of /" social equality" "negro rule" and ''negro
inferiority." There is now no doubt that the
civil rights bill, pending IN the House, was the
cause of the Democratic victory in this State
last year. They felt confident that, now q civil
rights bill had passed, it would be easy to draw
of the whites from the negroes by appealing
to their lowest passions, while their perhaps
dormant malice was still aroused. In my
opinion they would never have made this revo-
| lutionary movement had they not believed their
salvation to be sacred through the civil rights
bill.
They refused to say in what respect they In
tended to change the constitution. The truth
| would have blasted all their hopes of success
They merely said, in the language of Governor
| Graham, Zone of their candidates } "The in
tended changes are too numerous to mention"
From what has droppe5lfIom the leaders of
that party we can say, without fear OF salts
factory contradiction, that they intended
greatly to abridge the rights of the whole peo-
| pie in order to make ineffective the franchise
| of the negro.
Their battle-cry in their campaign was,
"White men of the West, come to the rescue
of the white men of the East % And they be-
lieved that the whites of the State would will
| ingly surrender their right, If, by so doing,
the negro would be deprived of his right. The
National Constitution prevented their taking
from the negro his right because of ''raee,
color or previous condition of seryitude," and
| they were then forced to strike the white man
In order to get at the colored one.
| 1t was, no doubt, the intention of the Dem
ocratic party to abolish the township and all
township officers; to re-establish the old
i County Court system, and place over each
court magistrates chosen for life by the Legis-
lature. They intended to abolish many of the
State offices and make all the rest, from the
| Governor down to the lowest magistrates,
elective by the Legislature. The Republican
judges have been especially obnoxious TO the
/ Democratic party, and their election was to be
taken from the people and given to the Legis-
lature. In fact, the Democratic Legislature
was to be made omnipotent, and through Il
the Democrats were to hold every Office in the
State save few sheriffalties and memberships
of the Legislature. They intended to abolish
the unfinished penitentiary and re-estabfsh
the barbarous whippingp post. They have
already abolished all distinction between grand
/ and petty larceny, and men for stealing
chickens (too poor to eat) have been sent to
the penitentiary for three years. These solons
would economic by abolishing the State prison,
| and make law that no man whipped at the
whipping post could afterward exercise the
right Of State citizenship. All these things
| they would have done, and more, too, In order
to abridge, in constitutional manner, the right
of the colored man.
These were the issues that the Republicans
had to meet, and they met them by simply
saying to the people, s'If you vote for Republi-
can candidates they win return the constitu.
| tion TO you untouched"
The Democratic speakers and press entered
into the discussion as to the Objectionable fea-
lures of the constitution. They merely said that
Il ia Al ~