The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-09-12

PS@$
1899, etc.
Correspondence Of the Progressive Farmer.
Under u first State Constitution
for q period of more than half a cen
tury, all free negroes in North Caro-
lima exercised the right to vote upon a
perfect equality with free white men.
After the lapse of fifty nine years since
the adoption of the Constitution Of
1776, the Constitutional Convention Of
1885 assembled. If there is a SINCE
member Of the Convention Of 1885 now
living, the writer is not aware Of it. 1t
has been sixty-tour years since the
convention Of 1885 revised u S ate
Constitution, and the actoTsin that his
toric Assembly, most Of whom were
among the ablest men Of their time,
have passed away.
In those days stenographic reporters
Of debates in such assemblies we're IN
known, and hence the debates Of the
Convention of 1885, published in book
form in 1886, are not verbatim, but
condensed. The book itself has nov
become a rare book of North Caroline
history.
The debate on the subject of dis
tranchising free negroes and mulattoes
took place on Saturday, June Is b,
1885, and consumed less than a day,
and the printed report Of the debate
covers less than ten pages Of the octave
book Of I'D 3bates of the Convention"
Mr.. Hugh NJ, Ieen, of Chatham
county, seem to have been the chief
speaker in favor Of Acknowledgement;
for nearly four pages Of the printed re
port is devoted to his remarks on that
occasion. But there were giants in
those days." and such men as Cover
nor Morehead of GuiIford, Judge Toom.
or Of Cumberland and Judge G sston Of
Craven, participated in the debate
these three intellectual giants in debate
opposing Acknowledgement and voting
against the proposition. The ground
of Governor Morehead's position is re
corded in one single sentence of the re.
ported debate, and was based upon his
fears, which, however, turned out sub
sequently not to be we'll founded. Gov
ernor Morehead said: IF we close the
door entirely against this unfortunate
class Of u population, w mag light
up the torch Of commotion amongst
our slaves"
Mr.. Cooper, Of Martin county, ex
pressed substantially the same fear.
But free negroes and mulattoes were
disfranched under the amended Con
stitution, and if the fears of Governor
Morehead and Mr.. Cooper ever mate
rializ3d, history has not go recorded it,
nor has tradition ever handed it down
to the present generation. Taey evil
IDENTIFY did not know, as we now do,
and in fact they had not even the Op-
portunity to study the negro character
as we have been compelled to do for
the past thirty years under free sut
frage and free negro domination in the
South since 1868. We have learned by
experience that a negro is naturally a
docile animal, and easy to control
while the bit is in his mouth, and the
white man holds the reins; but if you
give him loose rein, he, like an unruly
horse, will run away with the band
wagon, kick over the traces and dump
the driver and the whole band into the
road eide ditch, be the music never SO
sweet.
The negro makes a good servant an
der proper conditions, but under any
and all conditions, he makes a bad
master. Under the command and Gis
cipline OF competent and experienced
white officers, he makes a good soldier,
as was recently illustrated by the
negro regiments in the war in Cuba;
but under the leadership Of officers Of
his W race, he cuts a poor figure,
wen as a soldier.
AS a leader in the affairs of self gov
eminent in a Republic, he has SHOW
himself to be an utter failure, IS u
W experience and observation fully
attest; and if further evidence were
needed we have only to look to the
present conditions Of the revolutionary
government Of San Domingo.
AS before stated, Mr.. Mcqueen, of
Chatham, seems to have given the sub
ject of DISTINGUISHING free negroes more
thought than did any other membzr of
the convention of 1885, and that he was
right in the main in his position, has
been fully demonstrated by the actual
experience and personal observation of
all men in u own times. 1t ia we'll
worth the space to print it, and 1 there