The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-13

into the history Of politics and the sci
ence of government.
The Tennesseean charged that the
North Carolina democrats soon after
the war absolutely refused to vote
against the fourteenth amendment
when the opportunity was offered.
Was this done with the intent TO de-
ceive his blinded followers or was IL
from stolid ignorance? Col. Morehead
says there We're no political parties in
this state at the time referred TO. He
says in 1867 or 1858 the right OF suffrage
was taken from free white men by the
federal government. republican in poll
tics by brute force, n lat the same
time without authority Of law and with
out h consen of our people, who
alone a the right to say who should
vote, the right Of suffrage was con-
ferred upon, the negro" This is true
history A well informed school boy
would know as much. Then later fol-
lowed the other dreadful amendment,
the fifteenth, the curse of this country.
Col. Morehead says:
hc d Il LIZ IEpOI leu W
said q have no doubt ne was correct
in the asSertion) that because of the
refusal of North Carolina and other
states, to ratify the fourteenth (HOw-
ard) amendment, they, the United
States imposed upon the country the
fifteenth amendment"
That was the deliberate, devilish.
malicious act of the republican party
that has lived on hate since the first
reptile was Graded. The fellowe who
did the damning deed have gone to
their places with some few exceptions.
The evil they did Lives after them"
Col. Morehead calls their acts RICH
as objectionable diabolism." Their
successors-the descendants. In the
present congress-'including Senator
Pritchard, have said by their votes in
congress-, in prescribing qualifications
for suffrage in our ne~wly-acQuired pos
sessions, including Cuba, that the ne
gro is not to be trusted with unquali-
fed right of suffrage" Well put. In
this old state thirty-odd years of trial
and experience have taught all fairly
intelligent and observing men that
Sambo as an elector is the supremst
failure, and that his continued exer-
else of the ballot would be only evil
and evil continually. Col. NJ. is o
rect in saying that today North Caro-
lima would refuse to ratify the
ard Gourteenrh) amendment. 1t has
convincing proof of the stupendous
blunder and great crime of the amend
ment when adopted. He does not think
| that a state in the Union would ratify
it eff the clause referring to the debts
of the United States and the CoRfeder-
ate States were stricken out of it
In all nineteenth century you can no
find an equal in stupidity and misfor-
tune to that abominable legislation b.
which negro suffrage was fastened
upon North Carolina and the south
1t was a vindictive measure intended
to affict and Cypress the southern
whites. 1t was satanic in inspiration
and malicious in execution. We quot
again from Col. Morehead:
Among the provisions of this amend
ment, was this, AL persons born o
naturalized in the United States an,
subject to the Jurisdiction thereof, ar
AIA6OAl vi NAAS ~ NANS SAA1 -
the state wherein they reside
This threw the door wide open, I
negroes, Chinese, Malays, Filipinos
etc, etc"
The physic they administered s
swiftly and malignly to the white peo
pie in the south they will 10 tax
themselves nor will they give it t
their %conquests in the seas. There i
SO much in the contribution of Co
Morehead hat is instructive at thi
time that we reserve some other ex
tracts for another day. We thus sho'
our appreciation of the value of wha
he has written. All who study me
know how treacherous is memory, an
how soon the people forget importan
occurrences. Some North Carolina re
publican is reported as saying that r
people do not remember longer thai
two years. Upon that Jeter Pritchar
and his co-conspirators are buidins
their plans and hopes. Ignorance is
great aid to them. Illiteracy is a pow
erful lever in their hands.