Year: 1866

The Constitutional Amendment Calmly


Reviewed in the Light of Free Dis


cussiOn.


The present Congress of the United States
has proposed an amendment to the National
Constitution for ratification by three-fourths
of the Legislatures of the States, which by
that Constitution are required to ratify it in
order to make it valid as part of the same
This amendment, whether originally so pro-
posed or not, has been by manifest action of
Congress, and action of the Executive in the
case of Tennessee, regarded as the condition
precedent to immediate re-admission of q
State into the Union. 1t is still held out by
the party which controlled two-thirds of the
power of Congress-by the party which is
growing daily in numbers and influence, and
will again control the power of Congress
as the condition precedent to the re-admis
sion of North Carolina into the Union.


Ought the General Assembly of the State
to ratify this amendment as by the volunta-
ry consent of the peoples Perhaps no polit-
ical question of so transcendent Importance
and magnitude has ever before been present
ed to be determined by the people of North
Carolina. Upon its determination may de-
pend, will probably depend. whether the
State shall be re-admitted to the Union at
all; whether. certainly, the present organi-
zation of civil government shall be, as near
as may be, maintained as it is, or whether q
new organization of State government, :. Re-
publican in form,n shall be adopted to be
guaranteed as such by the United States,
and even probably whether military gov
ernment shall not take the place of the pres
ent government.


Shall there not be freedom of speech to
discuss, and freedom of the press to publish
the principles contained in this amendment,
and sought to be incorporated in the funda-
mental law of the country with view to its
restoration, and as security to the future
peace and general welfare of the people of
the United States, as well as to the progress
of American civilization If not, American
politics now foreshadow the dreadful alter
native of civil war, and thereby review of
the great questions of internal dissension
which the civilized world had looked for
hopefully to be settled in America forever by
the late war.


The question of the right of State to
"secede has been practically settled, it is
assumed, by the war. 1t has been denied
and resisted successfully by those who main
tam the right of coercion, or the right of
government to preserve ITSELF As ques-
tion, the goyernment-every government
maintained as right actually existing by
express written provision in its Constitution
or not, and will assert its right of self fpreser-
vation as above all constitutional or other
fundamental provisions of government. In
the nature of human passions, according to
all human experience and tue testimony of
international history, if not peaceably adj
justed by majority of national opinion, so
to speak, then by war, by the greater power,
these questions must be determined. But
there were great questions in American poll
tics, standing out as great causes affecting
the determination of these aforementioned
questions. The principal question in rela-
tion to the abolition of human or domestic
slavery has been settled by actual or appa-
rent consent of the people, and by force of
situation and the power of war. Still, ques-
tions incidental thereto remained to be set
tied, sooner or later, "peaceably if they can,
forcibly if they must" The main question
of these is, shall political rights be conferred
upon or granted to "persons of color" in
the United States2 This question, except
as regards citizenship, is referred or left by
the proposed constitutional amendment to
the will and determination of the people of
each State for themselves. In respect to
this question, as it relates to negro suffrage,
the proposed amendment is compromise as
between conflicting party views and opinions,
truce, if not peace proclaimed by the as
sent OF the great body of the American peo-
pie to the irrepressible conflict" of VIM.
II. Seward, the now Secretary of State, and
proclaimed for the sake of the peace and
harmonious restoration of the Union. Shall
not the people of North Carolina accept it as
such, and for the principles contained there
in, which are right and just in themselves,
and therefore ought not to be denied with
any hope of gain by any party or State; and
will they not waive objections to such parts
or principles as are not preferred, or deemed
consistent with the whole proposed meas
ure? Will not the people of the State give
attention to, read, and consider this amend
ment at once I? Will they not thrust aside
all passion and prejudice, and without the
dictation or oficious aid of bad or interested
political teachers, study and determine for
themselves the questions which SO vitality
concern them and the whole country


What is this proposed amendment, its
terms and import, SO much, so constantly
and studiously and designedly misrepresent-