The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-04-01

US pause q moment, and consider the Wis
dom Of the provision The only ground
upon which a constitutional disqualified
tlon Of z portion Of the citizens for any
public trust, can possibly be vIndicatcd, is
the public safety. The bc Pile the legiti
mate fountain Of power, should not be for
bldden from confiding the management of
their concerns to any whom they NAV pre-
fer unless It be those who cannot have the
ability and integrity to serve them faith
fully. Now. if the profession Of certain
lrreHglous notions, or certain heretical
religious opinions, renders man necessa-
rily unfit for the public service, hc is pc
culiary and emphatically an unfit rcposi-
tory Of the political power and controller
Of the physical strength Of the State. Yet
this Article permits unbclicvers to elect
those who shall enact laws-and permits
them, II the people 50 please, to enact laws
themselves for the government Of the whole
State, and permits them To command the
militia, By whom the laws are to be en-
forced. If it be safe to allow them TO
WELD these powers, on what pictence can t
be alleged, that it is utterly unsafe to per
nit their fellowcitizons to appoint one Of
them to Il subordinate civil employment
whatever knowledge they may have Of his
fitness for lis duties, and whatever conf
dence long and intimate acquaintance
may warrant them IN reposlng IN his tried
virtue: lie may elect rulers, or may him
self be q ruler There is no danger in his
being a member Of the Senate or House Of
Commons there is no danger in having q
command over the armed force Of the
State-but, the cOuntryS safety forhdS
however exemplary his conduct or excel
lent his character, that he should be a
Judge, OF a Sheriff, or a Clerk OF a Court,
ar q { on tai Nnn1nr.fnI II itJrf II
mirablc prudence, y congeniaity Of sen
ment sometimes betrayo men into a mis-
placed confidence but it seldom happens
that an individual, whose opinions on any
subject Of deep concern, are quite different
from those of ms ucIghbors, commands
their respect and affection unless his life
be such as to keep down and overrule the
prejudice SO naturally arising from this
dissimilarity. Bad men, belonging to OBJ
nOXious sectS, stand no chance OF obtaining
appointments; and, therefore, our Conati-
| tuition takes care that good ones shall not
be elected Profound Wisdom, This pro
vision has beeIrcalled a badge of ancient
prejudice, and no doubt it is in part the
result of prejudice. But it does not spring
from prejudice only, from q mere dull,
sullen, unreasonlng aEtipathy. 1t mani
| tests, also, the agency of another temper
| ament or passion of a more calculating
| character-a passion net unfrequently seen
| on occasions where one would least expect
1t; which may be discerned through dis
! guises most carefully put on to hide it
! from observation. When the renowned
John Gilpin was about to enter on his gal
| liant expedition to Edmonton, he was de
| lighted to perceive that his money loving
spouse, in all her preparations for the eel
ebratlon OF the happy day, still exhibited
her characteristic disposition to take care
| of the main chance
| THAT though On pleasure she was bent
| She had frugal mind
| While this restraint on the freedom of
| choice processes an affectonate solioitude,
| lest the good people or their agents may
ruin the country by employing as public
| servants, men whose faith is unsound, that
solicitude is satisfied by an exclusion from
offices or places of profit. 1t apprehends
no danger, provided the emoluments Of
office can be kept sacred. Although bent
on the preservation of religion, it has a
selfish mind-it is of the same spirit which
prompted multitudes to follow after the
| Redeemor Of mankind under the pretence
of witnessing his marvellous deeds and
listening to his holy doctrines, but, in
truth, because he had multiplied the loaves
and fishes IN the wilderness. 1t is of the
same spirit which would find belief in
the Bible or in the Koran, the rite of Bap-
tism or Circumcision, a reasonable and
useful constitutional requirement, if it but
insured a monopoly of the public service
money. 1t is the same spirit which aotu-
ates the suffers and followers of camp,
the retainers and slaves of successful pow
er, who discover in the hope or victory an
inducement for fidelity, and in its plunder,
a reward for baseness 1t is the spirit of
cupidity, cloaked but not concealed be
meath the mantle Of religious zeal, Offering
brlbe4 for oourting prejudice
and bigotry on the one side, and wooing
dissimulation and human infirmity on the
other-it is spirit which should find nc
; abiding place in the Constitution of q free
People,: