Newspapers / The Durham Recorder (Durham, … / July 11, 1866, edition 1 / Page 1
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; AV' W -flX THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LA WS-TI1E GI' ARDIANS OF OUR LIBERTY? Vol. X1YVI. HILLSBOROUGH, N. C., JULY, 11, 1866; No.. 2345. ID I- hi ! c ii i ii I I Address of tho Democracy In Congress to the People of the United States. The following address' will be promul gated to-mrrow : 7 tht Peoplt of the Untied Statu : Dangers threaten the Constitution J The citadel of our liberties is directly assailed ! The future is dark unless the people will come 10 the rrsrue. In this hour of our peril National Union should be the watch word of every true man. A asentiaj tP Yation.il Un;"n, we mst maiptain untni paired ihe right, the dignity, and the equality of the States, including the right of representation in Congress, and the ex cWive right of ech State to control it own domestic concerns, subject air o the rnnuitution of the United States. After an uniform construction of the Constitu tion fr more than half a renter?, the as- aomptionnfnew and arbitrary powers in the reueral uovernmeni is auoveraive 01 our vatem. and destructive of liberty. A free interchange of opinion and kind feeKn between the citterns of all tht States is necessary to the perpetuity of the Union. At present eleveo states are excluded from the national councils. For seven long month the present Congress has persistently denied any right of represen tation to the people of theae States. Laws, aCeCing weir Mgiicii inu unreal micr rts. have been passed without their con sent, and in disregsrd of the fundamental - sriociptes of free government. This de ulal ol representation has been made to all the members liom a State, although the! State, n the laguage of the President,' prevents itself mt o.ly in an attitude ol loyalty and harmony, but in the persons of Representatives whose loyalty cari-ot be questioned under any existing cnna'ito tional or leal test. The Rfpiaentatives of oeaily one-third of the States hate nut been consulted with referrnce to the great question of lite day. There has been no nationality surrounding the present Con grrss. There has been n intercwor-e be tween tht representatives of the two ec iion, producing mutual confiderr and re aped. In the language of the distinguish ed Lieutennt General : It i to be ie. gretted that at this time there canmr be a greater commingling between .he citizen of the two sections, and paiti. ularly ol those entruited with the law-making pow- er." This atate or thng ahotitd be re moved at one and forever. Therefore, to preserve the nation! union, to vtndi cate the sufficiency of our admirable Con. a'.itulioo, to guard the Siatea fromcovrrt attempt to deprive them of their true pi lion in the Union, and to bting toethr those who are unnaturally severed, and for these great national i-urpotes only, vie cor dially approve the call lor a National Union Convention, to be held at the City of Phila delphia, on the second Twesdat, fourteenth August neit, and indorse the principle therein set forth. We, therefore, respectfully but earnest ly urge upon our fellow citizens in each Ntate, in the United Ntafes, in the inter est of union and in a spirit of harmony, and with direct referrnce to tie principles contained in said call, to art promptly in the selection ol vie, tnotlerate and con aervative men to represent the ail Con veotinn, lo the end that all the S'atea shall at once be retored to their practical rela tinns to the Union, the ConvtitutionUbe maintained, and peace bless the whole country. K. Nihlack, Anthony Thornton, Mycr Strnuse, I'has. Sitgrraves, S'K. Ancona, E. N. Hubbell, Washington, July 4, 186. F. C. LeBlond, W. E. Finck, R. S. Trimble. Michael C.Kerr. G.8. Shanklm, Garrett Davis, II. Grider, Thomas E. Noell, Samuel J. Randall, Lewis W. Rom, Stephen Taber, J. M. llamphrev. Thos. A, llefdricki, R. C. Hitter, Wm. Wrigl t, A.'Hardin, John Hngan, It. M. Hover, Tuni (i.'llergen, Charlfa (Imdvear, Chas. II. Wi'ifield, A. II. Coffroth, Lell II. Itiusseau, Philip Johnson, Cha. A KMridge, John L. Dawann, Reverdy Johnson, , James Guihrie, J. A. McDo'tgal, Wm. Radf rd, 8. S, Marshall, A.J. Glot'brfnner, E. R. V. Wright, A.J. Kogera, 11. MtCuilough, ; -hotllnorlty Report of the Committee on Reconstruction: In the Houae of Renresentatives Tues day Mr. Rogers, of New Jersey, ubnitte the views of the minority ot the Kecon struction Committee. I i a lengthy doctf ment, and is aizned by Senator Reverdy Johmon, and Representatives Grider, of Kentucky, and Kozers, of New Jersey. The minnrity ' proceed firt to consider what waa the effect of the late insurrection upon the relations of the States where it prevailed, to the General Government, and of the people collectively and indivi dually, of such States. They contend that the insurrection never legally dissolv ed the connection between thoie Xtates and the Government. In its nature the Government is formed of States possessing equal rights and privileges and powers. States oneqnal are not known to the Con stitution. In its original formation per fect equality was secured. The equality of rights was the condition of the original thirteen State before the Government was formed. In every State admitted aince the Constitution was adopted, each State is declared to be one of the United States, on sn equal footing of all the original Statea in ail respects whatever." The minority argue at length the statoa of the Statea. and miihtained that when State is oi.ee in l.c Union he u.ust abide bv t forever. She can nevr withdraw r be eip'dlrd from ii. The majoritv con ceded this bv ubtoittin a Constitutional amend ment to thee Southern States th sauie as to other Statea. A different doc trine wouM lead in a dissolution of the L?'in. The Constitution de nor rive the power to jugate the Siate. but to upjresthe insurction withm ihe State, and thereby preserve the State. The power ... - t . . . .... i onsertiir. u t 0 protect toe Mate atul not desirnv it. In referring t the lo cal govertlitrnla of the South, and the charge hat the President illegally created tnem. the minority sty t'-at, conceding for ihe argument's sake' that this was . Joe it not follow that Congress is equally unauthorized tointerfeie? Coneressnnv admit ntw Slates, but a State once ad mitted cesea to be in its control and can never again be brought within it. Who ever change hf r people mav mke in their I oniitution Congress hs nothing to do wnn ii. In al'udiog to representation, the minori ty say that the representative of the States nt in insurrection, if the others were rep resenteii, would rireedm Hie House (under the present apportionment) bv a maioritv of seventy-tw.i votes, and have a decided prepumleiance in the Senitc. What dan ger t the Government, then, cm possibly arise irntu j,ntt.ern representation f Are the Senator and representatives fearful of themselves? Arelhev apprehensive that they might be led to dc'roetitn ? The t.ea flat the country toUe kept in tur moil, .state to be reduced to bonlaze, and their rights under the Constitution itemed and fie rights of their citi.ens dis regarded, with a view to the continuance power of a mere political pirty, cannot lor a moment be entertained without imput ing giovs hishonestr of purpose and gross dereliction of duty to those who entertain it. . The minority claim that there is nathing in the evidence taken tt show that this denial of repreaentation should be made. i hey rave compu-d with very require ment of the President, and repudiated the lUbrl debt. The proposed Constitutions! amendment is looked upon by the minori ly as impolitic. The amendments sug tested have no connection with each other, and each ought to have been submitted as a seperate article. In discussing the legal status of the local Stale governments of in oouin, me minority ami, in conclusion. that the majnritf report ttatea that "they da not (or a moment impute to Prtiident Johnson any design to extend Executive power, but cheerfully conceded to him the most patriotic motives; and we cannot for bear to say, in concluding, on that point, ththe sins aiainst. light anil closes his eyes to the course of the President during the rebellion, who ventures o impeach his patriotism. His life whs constantly in peril, and he clung to the Union and 'dis eharged all the obligations it imposed upon him, even the closer because of the peril, and now that he has escaped unharmed, and by the confidence of the people has had devolved upon him the executive func tions of government, to charge him with dislnyality is either a folly or a slander folly in the fool who believes it, slander in the man of sense, if any such there be, who utters it. ' Thr work or ths State Convkntiox. A'Ualeigh correspondent gives the only concise and intelligent statement of the amendments to the Constitution that we have seen. They are aa follows: The office of Lieutenant Governor was created. , , No member of the General Assembly can be elected to any office during his term. Msgiatrites are to be elected by the people, once in every six years, by dis tricts. Two magistrates are allowed to every one thousand inhabitants; an addi tional number to shire and incorporated towns. . " Pett misdemeanors may be tried before a eirgle magistrate out of court. Police court and courts in incorporated towns inay be established. Evry man elected to the ollice of Gover nor, Lieutenant Governor, and Jo the Gen eral Av.r.nbly. must take the oath that he is cnitfttitutionally qualified. The bisis of representation has been changed ii the House of Common, from the Federal basis to the white basis alone. The Governor must be thirty years of sge, twenty years a citizen, fire years a resident immediately before the t;ay nl election, and must possess land in lee to the value of B.OOU. The Lieutenant Gov ernor the sne. The qualification are not all changes, nor are the qualification for Senate and House ol Commons, but modifications simply. A Senator must be 25 years of age, five years a continued resident before the day f election, and must pors lnd in fee to ihe vlue of f5U0, or a freehold to the valoe of one. thousand dollars. A Commoner must be twenty-one, and possess real esUte to the value of 1300. Finally, a officials must be white men and citizens. A person having one-sixteenth of necro Mood or more is a negro, or at least not a white man. A person bavin: less thao one-sixteenth ne-ru bloml is a white man in) the constitutional sense. Negroes only are excluded on account of color. A taxed Indian is eligible to any office in North Carolina. The Wilmington Jour ml remarks: These are the substance of amendments which are to be submitted to our people on the first Thursday in August. Man of ihem are important, and the time lor their dissemination and consideration i short. The change in the basis of representa tion upon a safe and satisfactory com pro iuie, should it be ratified by the people, will take out of luture State canvasses one exciting topic tf discussion and reconcile a conflict of political interests. Repudiation, which, previous to the as sembling of the Convention, began to be threatened as one ol the issues of the en suing campaign, lias been silenced, for whim, if the credit be due that bodr, we return our thanks. We do not think the people of North Carolina will ever sanc tion such a. dishonorable and disgraceful measure, but thv agitation of the question and the consideration given to it as one of tht issuei before the people would have in jured the reputation of the State Thb Heathen of London. At a recent meeting of the London Diocesan. Home Mission the Archbishop of York referred to. the heathen" population of the metro polis. Ho said : " I do notuse the word in a spirit of unkindness, but we are obliged to face that fact that while we call this a Christian country and send missionaries larand wide air over the world, we have at home an immense mass of population who, in point of education, in nnintnfmn,. ality, really need our care as much as it is possible for men to need it. Look t t. statement curtained in the report Here " vwM vi uuc u i9ii in; noi one person in a hundred attends a place of wor- amp. ui me iwo nunared and twenty-eight shops in the district, two hundred and twelve are open en Sunday.' About fifty. nowever, are ciosea on Saturday, the Jew ish Sabbath. Not ball the Gentile adults can read. Half the women cannot handle a needle. Our Mother's Meeting has seven ty members, half of whom, though living with men and haviog families, are -unmarried, and this is the perportion throughout the Gentile district. Nine families. out of ten have but one small room in which to lire, eat and sleep. Not one family in six possess a blanket or a change of clothing. Not one in four has any bedding beyond a sacking containing a little Sock or chopped straw (a miserable substitute for a mat rass.) Not oce in twenty has a clock not ne in ten a book. Many of the houses are in the most wretched condition of dirt and filth walls, ceilings, floor and staircases broken and rotten. Drunkenness, brawl ing, blasphemy and other sins are fearfully prevalent." . ; , , STRONG CHARACTERS. Strength of charscter consists of two things, ower of will and of self restraint. It requires two things, therefore, fr its existence strong feelings and strong coal man I over them. Now, it is here we make a great mistake: we mistake strong feel ings for strong character. A man who bears all before him, before whose frown domestics tremble, and whose bursts of fury make the children of the household (oake because he has his will obeyed, aod his own way in all things, we call him a strong man. The toth is that he is the weak man; it is his passions that are strong; he mastered by them, is weak. You must measure the strength of a man by the power ol the feeling he subdues, not by the power of those which subdoe him. And hence coinpousure is very often the highest result 'fstiength. Did we never see a man receive a flagrant insult and only grow a little pale, and then reply quietly ? That is spiritual ly strong. Or did we never see a roan in anguish stand, a if carved f solid rock, mastering himself? Or bearing a hopeless daily trial, remain silent, and never tell the world n hat cankered his home peace ? That is strength. He who, with strong passions, remains chaste ; he who, keenly sensitive, with mny powers of indignation in hire, can be proved, and yet restrain himself, and forgie these are the strong men, tho spiritual heroes. F. W. Rueertsox, Thb Divorce- Cask. Some surprise has been expressed that the Convention should have actrd on a petition for divorce and granted it. We Inarn that the case was a peculiar one, not cognizable by the Courta nor even the Legislature, and therefore if reliel was obtained by the injured party the Convention most grant it. The peti tion came from Mrs. Jane F. likens, pray ing to be divorced from her husband on the ground that he had deserted her for seven years, during which time she had not heard from him and did not know where he was, &c. dec. Wo learn that the lawvera in the Convention admitted that it was a case not within the jurisdiction of the Courts. If that is true, the Conven tion did right to aff'rd the woman relief and seperation from a worthless man. - " -y m. : The New Hampshire House of Represen tatives, on the SSth. ratified the Constitu tional amendment by t vote of 303 tt 107. v.
The Durham Recorder (Durham, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 11, 1866, edition 1
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