The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-24
GOVERNOR GRAHAM ON NEGRO
SUFFRAGE.

On October 18th, 1867, mass meet
ing of the conservative people of
Wake county was held in Raleigh
for the purpose of a conference in re-
gard to the policy to be pursued in re-
gard to the amendment proposed to
the Constitution, whereby the suf-
frage was to be conferred upon the
negro.
Among the speakers invited to be
present and address the meeting upon
the topics involved in the election was
Gov. w. a. Graham. Gov. Graham was
unable, by reason of engagements of
business, to be present, but he wrote
vention and from which the following
extracts are made.
In the light of recent events his
utteranceS on the negro question,
penned quarter of century ago,
read like the words of an inspired
prophet. They also, without seeking
to do so, show how North Carolina
was coerced, by all the power of Con-
gress, to give the negro that to which
he had no right and which he has
ever abused-the right to vote.
Gov. Graham's words are worth
reading in connection with the pres
ent proposed amendment, which is in
tended to remedy to some extent the
evil of the amendment adopted in
1867. Gov. Graham wrote:
Never, heretofore in America, has
the elective franchise been extended
to new classes of voters, except
through the agency of conventions
chosen by those who had enjoyed it
exclusively before. Congress, how
ever, < = has provided that in
the present election the black race :
shall vote. That was their act.
If it shall be provided that they shall
SO vote in all future time, the act will
be ours
"a Constitution of Government,
says Macauley, which will fit one
State or people may not fit another;
any more than coat by the measure
of the Apollo Belvidere may be ex-
pected to fit all the human race. And
the very idea of republican Govern
ment presupposes that the people
themselves can best judge as to the
fundamental law under which they
shall live, as well as of the enact
ments passed from time to time by
their Legislatures. This proposition
is most clearly stated by Washington
in his Farewell Address. when he de-
clares that the basis of our political
system is the right of the people to
make and to alter their CONSTITUTE
tions of Government North Caro-
lima does not seek a have voice in
the question whether the Japanese
Chinese or any Asiatic race shall eX-
ercise the elective franchise in Cali
fornia; nor does she claim the right
to interfere in the domestic regula-
tions of any sister State of the Tn
ion. On the other hand she makes her
appeal to the people of all the other
States to concede to her, within the
limits of their common Constitute
ton, the powers of control, and those
only, which those States assert for
themselves.
''But throwing out of considera-
ton the question of right of the peo-
pie of State to frame their State
Constitution according to their own
conceptions of the public good, is the
measure proposed eXpedient? Will
it promote the general welfare to con
fer the right to vote in all popular
elections on the negro race, with no
other qualifications than those in con-
temptation? Is it not perfectly man
ifest that it will not? The represen-
tative republics of this country. with
their written Constitutions. their di-
visions of power into legislative. exec
utive and judicial departments. and
their introduction of the people to
participate in and decide upon the
rights and interests of society as vo-
ters and jurors, are looked for in
vain in other countries of the world.
and are founded upon the idea of "a
certain standard of virtue and intel
lgence in the constituent body of
electors, without which they cannot
be maintained. Who among us be-
leves, that the great mass of the
blacks recently in a state of slavery
come up to the standard of virtue and
intelligence. and are fit to be made
self-reliant electors? In such their
condition as to knowledge and moral
ity, the extension of the right of sui
frage to them indiscriminately. in
stead of distributing political power
among greater number of citizens,
will in fact concentrate it in fewer
hands; as designing individuals will