Year: 1860

addressed of the most intelligent and attentive
audiences at this place. to-day, that ever s-w his
ten to any political discussion. Gov Ellis opened
the discussion at past il o'clock, m, and en-
chained the assemblage for hour and half, with
such a sound logical and argumentatve speech, as
to receive commentator from the most violent of his
opponents. His manner was plain but attractive,
his voice. though feeble. clear and distinct and
his arguments presented in such manner, as
to persuade and to convince the most violent-n
word his effort was noble, high.toned, and states
manlke, and greatly excelled the antlclpatiOns of
his most sanguine friends.


He thanked the people for the support they had
given him heretofore, and congratulated them upon
the present prosperous condition of the State and
especially Upon the satisfactory manner in which
the present system of public schools operated-He
came not before them now as seeker OF office, no
he was before them the humble representative Of
the Democratic party, and such would attempt to
discuss an issue which had been forced upon the
,yEople unc.sfed and un4skes the opposition par
ty of This State The Opposition Convention, which
met in Raleigh in February iast proposed to strike
out certain clause of the Constitution What was
that clause How came it there? By what authori-
ty this-to the opposition party-odious restric
ton there? And what good did it do any way
1t clause for the protection of slave property,
compromise between the east and west, passed in
solemn convention by such deliberate, wise and
patriotic heads Castor, a Macon, Daniel, and
other names within themselves sufficient argu-
ment for it's necessity. A western man had intro
duced feature into the Convention which was near


y the the present clause in the Constitution,
and went on to show by numerous arguments that
it was solemn compromise entered into and agreed
by all sides, protection to slave property and
to prevent all pickering and strife hereafter The
Opposition convention desired such change as
would tax all property alike. No man was more in
favor of equal taxation than he was. He here read
figures from the Comptroller's report, to show that
slave property bore its proportion of tax. Slave
property paid State tax to the amount of
hundred and eighteen thousand dollars county tax
$248 OOO white poll about 81 900 about % 900,
Of this paidby slaveholdng voters, which would


leave about eighty thousand voters, that paid about
S26, 900 tax and slave property paid about 800 900,
and had only twenty-five thousand votes. He cited
this proportion of the tax and did not the facts and
figures show it. There was now about $500, ,OOO,
600 worth of property in N. c., and of this about
$3.50, OOO, 600, was slave property not one fourth.
Now adopt the ad valorem system, and there would
not be much tax upon the slave property there


is now. So where the surplus to come from
From the necessares that were now exempt


Whenever the Legislature desired to make an ap-
preparation. they looked around to what they
must tax, and if they that they had to increase
the poll tax, they would stop and go n, further
Thi. clause then a protection, it a check,
and restraint, to unwse Legislation, ard it to
the benefit of ever,' to keep it there If you al
tered the Constitution how would you meet the Alb
otonists for our Constitution protected slave pro-
perty did that of the U. S. and if altered ours
could not the Abolitionsts upon the very same
ground, alter that of the U. S.. And where, then,
in Congress- which we had now Let it be chang
ed, and n c. would loose these representatives in
Congress-


He here showed that the law of Tennessee except
ed certain slaves from taxation in the manner
ours, and that Arkansas, Mississippi, and other
Southern States exempted them from taxation at
certain ages He said the slave poll in Granville paid
fifteen cents for the poor, charity which neither
the slave the slave owner would realize,
and if you would tax the slave that was unprofita-
BILE, the consequence was that you would run them
from the State, and the tax would then be lost
They also paid ten cents for the education of the
poor, run them off, and who would then supply this
charity? They paid fifty five cents for county pur
poses which they never incurred run them off, and
their tax is forever lost They also paid six cents
tax for the insane another charity which they
enjoyed. When the Constitution is altered, and
slaves are taxed od A6itu, where is your guaranty
that the State dept will not be is
your protection It certainly would b.. increased.
Slave property would be taxed higher, run out of
the State, and the tax it pays be forever lost.
This provision then check and if it was, then
keep 1T there. He here read several extracts, to
show that Abolitionists would and were making cap
ital of this discussion, and read most conclusive
argument, purporting to be from the Standard
but again examining it, found it was the Regis
ter" The Black Republican convention which met
at Wheeling few days since, to appoint delegates
to Chicago, adopted the very doctrine the
Opposition Convention in N c. He did not impute
them with Black Republicanism, but was it not
bad sign to see them adopting the ground.
He read extract from the Pet. Intelligencer,'
stating that that paper would not be surprised if the
rrepressibe conflict" should soon begin in Vir-
gina, the subject of ad valorem He offered these
things to show tendency of the discussion of these
subjects. Slaves could be run off at any thime and
would be- where they were profitable, but, land was
firm and fixed, and mortgaged for the State debt
and it was therefore impossible to shun the respon-
sibility. Did not every bank charter protect its
stockholders from excessive taxation ? Most assu-
redly they did, his competitor at least thought so,
for he voted for several during the last Legislature
Slave property needed protection-it the object
of Constitutions to protect the minority-slavery
was weak, and it the advice of the great Madi-
son. that whenever, any species of property liza
BILE to be attacked that property should be protected
He neither in favor Of taxing little negroes nor
old negroes, nor horses, and farmers utensils
once yielded nothing, and the other necessary.
Here he read the Opposition platform ad valorem,
and extracts from the different ad valorem papers,
and showed in what different and ridiculous posi-
ton each paper stoodthat every politician had his
peculir view, and it seemed his competitor the
most peculiar of all for he had never been able to
get him to say how far and farter he would go.
Read from the proceedings of the Opposition Con-
vention, showing how fatty and unceremoniously
the amendment of Mr.. Turner, to exempt such
things as tin cups, ETC., was voted down, and the
undenieble stand the Convention then took on ad
yalorem He said in his first speech at Gatesville,
and that was his position that land tax could
and ought to be reduced. The luxures of the State
now paid about $4,000 tax adopt ad valoren.,
and this amount lost; where this to
come from? who would have this to pay? The
land holder. 1t was necessary for the common
good of society," thus to check luxuries which ten
ded to diSSipatiOn: and protect neceSSafieS which