The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09
! A

c+o+a To withdraw from he Union Tor
oroner cause. that ach State was
the sole Judge of the sufflciency OF the
,a,,se. and that the time had come to
wjthdraw 2. There were what were
called the Old Union men" They
dad bitterly opposed Secession, as a
legal right neither did they think
there was sufficient cause for disrupt
ing the Union, but they were Tor re-
sisting coercion Of a State by force
of arms. Their there was a large
number, who, not admitting that the
right Of Secession was in the consti-
tnfjon' had come to the conclusion
that it was best to throw aside 8
opinions and so with the Secessionists.
There was a fourth party-Unlon men
under all circumstances. They were
however, thoroughly ~overawed, but
they were much more numerous h
ancestors, knew only the State govern
ment and they obeyed its orders with
out question. I think there was a
small number of e Union men in
the Convention but they did not avoW
it. They voted with the second class.
Nll"n the Convention met on May
Goth, the alignment Of h first three
parties was plainly seen. BY precon-
certed arrangement, Hon. Weldon n.
Edwards, q violent SeceSsionist, was
nominated for President. Ex-Gover-
nor VIM. A. Graham, q much more
eminent man, was also
The members Of the first and third
classes above described supported Mr..
Edwards, and he was elected by a
handsome majority, IS to 4S. A sim
liar result was had in the case Of the
clerk, Hon. Walter L.. steele gaining
the victory by a still larger majority
over Mr.. James H. Moore, the nomi-
nee of the Moderates.
The next test was in the contest
over the Ordinance Of Secession. Hon.
Burton Craige had procured from the
eminent Judah 2. Benjamin, master
Of felicitous expression, a copy OF the
ordinance, which the Secesslon1sts
wished to adopt, repeating the ordIn-
ance Of 1889, by which North Caro-
lima gave in her adhesion to the I'm
ion, and declaring the State to be
sovereign and Independent. Mr.. Bad
ger on the other hand e~ndeavored to
avoid claiming the doctrine Of right
TO secede by Offering an ordinance,
accusing Lincoln and Congress of
worse crimes thar Jefferson heaped
on George Third and his Parliament.
in the Declaration Of Independence by
proposing an ordinance Of Revolution.
Accordingly rs soon as President Ed
wards and Clerk Steele were elected,
he rose and offered his ordinance. Mr..
I1CAh, III SooAIy
raised g point of order, namely, that
the organization Of n Convention
was not complete. 9TH gentleman is
mistaken" said Mr.. Badger. when:
ever there is a head to direct and a
hand to record, the body is organic
ed This view was acquiesced in.
Craige ordinance was offered as a
substitute for Mr.. Badgers.
Ex-Chief Justice Ruflin. whose
fame as a lawyer over-topped that Of
any other delegate; offered a substi-
tute to Mr.. Craige's. His proposition
the ordinance of 1889, by which North
Carolina became a member Of the I'm
ion. 1t was not adopted. The Craige
ordinance was then substituted for
that offered by Mr.. Badger by ~ to
40 and then the Old Union men
surrendered and it passed unanimous
ly, celebrated by the firing Of cannon
in Capitol Square.
However, Mr.. Badger left the Hall
before his lame was called. declaring
privately that he could not. and would
stultify himself. Friends urged
misunderstood and would injure his
friends and especially his son, Rich
ard. just then entering on his career,
and that in war time We must sWal-
low nauseous doses. So next. morning
a. he a RELUCTANT
lIiu men Oh "lIlSu - lulcST1Iy,
who had for years proclaimed that
Secession was illegal and inexpedient
brave1y swallowed the bitter pill and
signed the ordinance, consoling them
selves that il was a war measure"
The Old Union element in the
can be seen from the list
Of the 43 who voted for Ex-Governor
Graham for President. {
Among them were Thomas A. Ani-l
son. Robert F. Armie1d, Geo. e. Bad
ger, David A. Barnes. K. p. Battle,
John Berry, James Galloway Joseph.
). cannon. Samuel, H. Christian. Al
len Il. Davidson: Robert r. Dick, VIM.
J. Ellison, Dennis D. ~Ferebee, Alfred
&. Foster, John A. Gilmer, VIM. j.
Headen, w. w. Holden. Edmund ".