Newspapers / Carolina Watchman (Salisbury, N.C.) / July 30, 1866, edition 1 / Page 1
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vol. j. TiiiKD si-:kii To tho Pcoplo of N. Carolina. Eiccctivb Department of N, C, ) . .UaMfiliJulj 23,1800. J I publUb the following letter and order from ' Uieret Major General Uobinwo, for the Infor "mat'ion of Unjudicial officer, acd. other citi rent of tbeStaU : ' - flureap IffY, FreeJmen, A A. L. ) Kaleigh, N.C., Jul 13, 18C0- ) Hit Excellent Jonathan Worth, Governor, 4c, -JiaWigh, N 0.: Governor: I have tba bonor to acknowledge -.lie receipt of your lottor of the 1 lib iasl, call iiifl my atteution to an act of the (Jeneral A u'tnbly, paused in 18C3, aud to tba ordinanoes of the Blato Convention replinif the Hroiio M'lha Oth, oction of unid not, and eo modify mg the Uib ncctiou that " there now exists, ob-' Jer the laws of this Slato, no discrimination in tbe distribution of justice to the prejudice of free persons of color," aud desiring to be offi cially fnfonned how, in my opinion, the ques tion of jurisdiction "now stands in matters re lating to freed men. Iu reply I have tho pleasure to inform your Excellency that I have this day issuotTan, ordr ( copy of which is enclosed) directing tba ofli cers and agents of the Freedmen's Bureau to refer all cases to which freedmen are parties, to ibe proper County and Sttte CourU, will tbe i ngle exception of .claims, (or wages due under contracts approved or witnessed by officers of the Bureau. I have made this exception for the reason that 1 tbe condition of tbe freedmeo is bieved to be ucti that they cannot' be subjected to tba delay .jiuelimea incident to proceedings io civil Courts Trusting thai my action may prove satisfac tory to the civil authorities, and that there may 1,o no obstacles lothe fitir administration of jus lico to all persons, 1 have the honor to be,) Very respectfully, your ob't sorv't, X J NO. C. UOM-NSON.-.. Brevet Mj. Genl. Bureau Ilefl's., Freedmen & A. L., ) Hdqr's Ass't Com. of N. Caolii.a. J ueueral Orders No. 3. His Excellency, the Governor of North Caro official! notified the Assistant Com missioner that " there now exixls, under the laws ..f this Bute, no discrimination in the adminis tration of justice to tbe prejudice, of free persons, t" color," all officers and agents, of the Bureau vill hereafter refer a!J cases to which freedinun .e parties; to thej proper County or State au ihorities, according to the nature of the case, with tho single excepliou of claims for wage- hio under contracts appioved or witnessed by .'liken or agents of the Bureau, which, noUd :nit,ting of delay, will be adjudicated aabereto ure. .' ....' ..Incase of any failure, neglect or inabiity of 18 1 ' . . , 1. c... . I . ..ranna mho liave Iv.en or may uertmuer uu charged with the cotiinission of crknes aud of fences against officers, agents, citizens and in habitants" of the United States, irrespective of "l olor, officers'i'n cliiirge of districts are hereby directed to' arrest aud detain such persons in military confinement, until such time as a proper j'lflhttfll tribunal mar be ready and willing to try 'hem. By command of ' Urev't Mhj. Gen. RobinsOK, CL1NTO.N A. CILLE if, A. A. G. It is known that there are persons in tbe State, and out of it, who have sough, to make t )e impressioti that our judiciitl oflioers and ju, ! ;os are so inimical to persons of color awl per srms among 03 who wera soldiers inthe. United States artpy during the late civil war, or who refused' to serve ' in the Southern armies, that iijch persons cannot expect justice id our courts. Citizens of this State, who had served in the ar my of the United States, have filed petitions, addressed to the President of tba Uuitid Stated, charging ; tbat they were . persecuted by our courts, and praying for protection Upon a re ference of tbe petiouera to roe, by tba President, I have made suob investstigatioua as satisfied me, beyond a doubt, that there1 was no grounl for tbe filing of such petitions. And these in vestigations, after having been submitted, in de7 .tad, for Mamination, have in each case drawn forth a response of like eatisfaction from the na tional authorities. J Ioquisitions have been made, and tx parte itatemenla taken from persons who claim tor have been aggrieved by the action' or non action of our courts and juries. None of these, as yet, so far as I know, even if taken as true, prove any. to the prejudice of any judicial officer of the State. The ability and impartiality with which justice has always (been administered, even 1 la our Courts to assert his freedom, have never been questioned at homo ' ....... 1 1 . or abroad. Our .resent judicial corps wtU-not suffer by comparison with their predecessors at an J V. I IVU W l WU. UIU.W. j ... ...w ttioKd thlri.rn. nlu-li institV in Hl-kin?at this -t,ina fur ixcjljar dili(aBaaiuUSua oil the part-ofall Justicus of the Peace, Sheriffs .. l- . 1 1 . 1:.:. .1 I A.AVMr;..A nfTTnnM in flip 1 .1 r.-. r -. ...t.pnd n j 1 1 - - . . mri 1, tt.A -;..ui i-Voru tmtui citizen lary, uiiu mo iuu ircruucui i niino .v i . Jwiwo-Kiik lh oflicsfra.of justice in '!:'-. . ' 1 1 ' - r iL. .:,laf Tq 111 111 lirni n T FVctv Tinimor 01 ice inuiium i--" - iustii. We ran. in no other war. ejlptct a re- tTiru of the quiet and swurity which distinguish ed our Slat hftforc the war. -f. . Il ough to bv, and I hope it the wish, not hue man in lUe State, to protfcct the- lately itnancipiUed ooro ia alt the right of prroo Dd (il proporiv, to wtiiciv lie is eoiiiieu tbo laws, and thus inJace him to cenfide in our ;,Wn.l onpoura '.. him to be honest nod in- ilustnoas and lau-quire proper! r ana wtecaro of it. It Governor of Jorth Carolina. D2Dr' r ' . In fl.i Hr.:intr nn vcstcHav. f.t i P. if. ClU. Kiwa'Rj JWB-of O. 1L "ar'l M. D. XkKen'zi. peJ 4 THE LATE CONVENTION AND ITS PROPOSED CONSTITUTION. 4 Tho following letter, which wo arc per; mittcd to publish, is addressed to a mem ber of the lato Statu Convention. It dis cussoa tho proposed change in the basis of representation, and takes the gronnd that tbo Convention had no power to re vise the Constitution ; that its action in thU respect U null andjroid, nnd cannot be rendered valid by tivotaof tho poo- f'lo ratifying tho same. Although the ettcr was. Dot originally intended for publication, tho points named are dis cussed with masterly ability, and, indeed, tho wholo argument is unanswerable. Wil. Journal. July 2nd, 1800. My Dear Sir : . I need hardly as suro you, that my opinion conoiirs with yours on " tho basis of representation," and that, without any reference to tho " Statistics" as operating upon the pre ponderance of numbers Tu the represcn tation of tho different sections of the State. I was well enough satisfied with the previous provisions of our Constitu tion on this subject, in , their practical effect, and would have been content to abide by them still. But I must own that, as things have changed in regard to the negroes, thoso provisions would cot now rest on a principle sound in tho ory. Yet I think them more 6ound than the one yon adopted in Raleigh. Un der our Republican system it seems right thiit one branch of the Legislature ought to represont persons. When that is said, the questiou arises, " what' persons?'' I Bay all : because all arc equally affected by the laws that may be enacted. 1 do not mean that alt arc to" Vote for representa tives ; for my opinion is quite to the con trary. All free nrtn ought to have equal civil rights; that is, security in person aud property by the Constitution and tho laws niado under it. ' These' aie natural rights"inherciit in freedom, and such so entity is not ouly duo to all persons, as their right, but is essential to the peace mill u-oH'nio of the bodvnolitic. Jjutns to political rights or powers, which are the same things, tlie considerations are totally different. They consist, not in the rights above mentioned as held un der tho law, but of tho powers over the Constitution and laws to make or alter them which principally consists ot tho i. . f i . . 1.1 . 1 ' tt... rishta of bcinjr to make t no laws or to choose the delegates. That pnnvnnhona . and accordmsr to the sense prinvnnt-ional. and accordinsr totliesrenso of the commtiuity of tho fitness ol partic ular classes for tlio exercise thereof, re gard being had to the homogeniety of the classes, the safely of the existing go vernment, nnd security, in' person and property, of the most numerous, intelli gerftf virtuous, and valuable portion of the population These reasons have al ways excluded women and minors, of the most favored race, from the exercise . i" 1 1 I na iiAti-Ai-a Jn nil inmiti'ioC ntnl do still exclude them; it being deemed impolitic and unsafe to confide such pow ers to those persons.. 4.he si. no reasons necessarily exclude negroes now, and OUglll IO uu ey ivi a V"o lxJ v-1 " 1 ) if not forever. But the enquiry 6till pre sents itself, whether, though not voting, they are riot, properly, to be included in the estimate of population when popu lafion Is assumed as the. proper lasia of representation? It seems to me that thei ought. Iagrce, that " tho Federal jbasis," &s it was called tho enumeration at a certain population of them as fixing the'represent'ation, is gone ; that provi sion was founded on peculiar circum stances and reasons, which have ceased to bo applicable pither to the Federal or State representation. Hut what other provision ought to take its place ? Thero are but two that can be reasonably thought of, if nun)b6rs are to regulate representation' to any extent; and they are, first, the number of voters, 'or, sec ondly, the number" of. people. Your Convention, so called, has adopted nei ther,' but instead of . it, says -.the 11 umber of a certain class of tho people, namely : .. I ; " I. rl,tl .nnlU . in mi nr -renrescntatives of the j h making white women, ... u i,..r,,l hv tbo laws that mav, be hv tho laws that maw be I o uiuwu uwuuu - made, and, therefore, as much interested ! :n floni tkft white men who did rote I a .1 I I for the delegates; andr"tTrcflho7 -the .1-1 i. tin lripn u lm hm their deleffates ought to be men who arc their neighbors, know their wants nnd conUi- llvlgwv'1) 'HI1'" iinn. nnd Kvm nnthizo" with them both in . 1 l,j-t. nn.l lindOO flirt I ineir -wains anu wis"i number of those who represent such peo- 1 . 1 " . . . . pie oti'rht to be in proportion to the peo- 1" ....wv, . . . resent tho whole people, and guard tlie interests of all. Wlietheroters or not. pie of the county, so as, in iacr, wicp nus is use priuoipiu "-v.. j reieciea tne roicra us i" vn.tuwu iv. . : -- ----- . I .i ,t --.nfntivrs. nnd took as 1 excluded also say . mclnding both vo tCn, ! members, and. and. I will not sahc , tterity of tLo 'organised go vernment ,s 'Z eiri ikeir otracW byJxing oa them a rd.lo mitiate an alteration r but ns fixing the representation in pint of numbers. Every reason for including white women and infants applies vtth equal forco to .tho blacks, and some of theni with greater force. For example : tho groat bnrdens of governments in modern times are taxation nnd military service ; In tho latter, women aro not concerned ;- in tho former, married wo irtnn 1, lit BttlA. and in nolo taxes, not at 4mr-djothccmarrLctl or;eingl..,Twr most materially, concerns uiucks, wuu polo taxes shall be levied, how they shall be appoitioned to property taxes, and to what amount they shall bo carried. Up. on theso questions surely those who live where the negroes aro most numerous who knew thoir means, their willingness and Ihcrr ability to pay this or that tax, nre best qualified to judge what revenue can bo raised from them, what they can not or will not willingly pay, or what cannot bo exacted without grievious distress nnd oppression. So with respect to military service, whether they may bo safely trusted in it now, or at a future dav; whether they shall or shall not be trained to arms, cither by compulsion hether tliey v. ' j , o" . . - 6hall bo educated, as they may bo aWe, and as tlieir owu voluntary act, or m public expense ; and from what sources the revenue, needed for the purpose, shall or ought to be drawn. These, besides ma ny other points, nse vital questions to tho negroes,'. on which those living among them must' bo hotter informed ; and the representation from the country ought to embrace as many, in proportion to o' hers, as will bring tho largest share of the re quired knowledge, guard the right of thco people, keep clear the way for their advancement, and make (hem as happy as their subordinate and dependent con dition -wilUhow. It scorns to me, llici'o fore,-that your l!ody adopted the very worst basis of representation that oiuld have been selected, both in 'roiu-ct of tlukwhite and black flases : and I think it .,f U-itAf. nn entiielv suflicient iruind r for the oojxilar rejection of the Constitu tion, so called, by all the citiz 'iis of the Slate, and especially by those who re gid(! in those portions of the Sia'e in which the. blacks tuo miuitiwi.'. ...... I sisU- tho lil ertv of exnre.-tinLr fur- ther and inoro general reasons tor the opinion. I entertain that the so' called Constitution is no Constitution a: nil. aud. for that reason, ougd to be rejected without regard to its jirovinlons, whether good or bad, approved or disapproved. I do not k'tlow youropinion on this oint, as I have not "read much Jot' your pro ceedings. . . . I will therefore, proceed to state my "views for your Consideration hoping that they will meet your approbation, or. if not, that you vvilljityor me with yours iii .opposition, that I, too, may. have botJi bide U'lorc lue.iuid be, niyelf. brought, back to the right puth'Troin which 1 may have strayed. I consider, that tin's is no Constitution, becuiirtG vour Convention was not a le- gitiiuuto Lonvenlion, and Lad no iMitver o ,k., n Constitution lbr. us. or to alter that which wo had and . have ; and that j n law, for all time, which is to be bud it cannot bo made a Constitution, even ing on .llwse who elected them for the by popular sanction. If these portions ; ends, and also onjhat large portion 0 be correct, it ought to be rejected by tbe ! the patriot and r'unpayloned people, as the easiest, si.nple,tT aud most robe -wbo were not. allowed to vote efficient method of settling the points at ! at all ? Ihc pretention is without p vral rest, and avoiding many perplexing and t lei or precedent, unti the present term . . 1 'f 1 ! !.., w.ot ivianmnfioO fit tlOWfir ill a - r v 1 1 " . l'liwrciwiiiti nnesiiona before tho Judici ary. I object to the organization of your Body as a ; Convention, because it wa3 called without the consent of the people of North Carolina, by the President of the.United lStates,r under Ids orders; an act of clear and desotic usurpation, which could not give the Dody-any au thority to .bind tho State or its inhabi tants. If it be said thorJ'residen t, or his satrap his " Govea-iior of a -Province did not call, or.rathercomgtitiite the Con vention, but the delegates were elected by the people, and thereby the body was duly constituted. I deny it directly and positively. -The delegates were not the choice of the people : for in the procla mation calling it, the qualifications of the persons who might - bo eligible and those of the persons who might, vote for them, were 6trictly presented in a man ner variant from on r fundamental law, and excludins from each class a lario arc not cntit arc noi enuueu wuvatcttvv, " be, or, at least, ought not to be- judicial-; ly, recognized. Tbe wholo proceeding, JL ii u-. ....,..: nehammriltTtrTO j? ?j . L. ... throwing all notions of popular govern - ment.and destructive of the very tirt . '. , r t 1: r 1 princiPtes-oi nepuonoau mwjiu,im when it is nut to tho people for their 1 .- 1..... . . , - , - sanction or rejection, then kt ev ei Kpl.rt n-ne ATfOiiilml from votinf Ur man who was excluded from voting for a del .- ..x1-. i t i. j in-it-i'n choosing tthc men who dld encc. In respect to a Cotfvntion, tho make it, and 1 wish not now to be dra-, words are, "No Convention of the peo gooncd into its adoption - a,d let every , lshaU ; be called by the A- t m.in vrho.c neiirnut r or iricnc was iuu3 "No! The best men" ('i,.t;i,)i;.,ii ni iinnhiMablo law im poced on them by a body in which they wcronot heard, and from which -they wcro cxpreshly excluded by irresponsible military power or its subordinate and servilo instrument:" And let every citi zen of North Carolina, toi, say : ".No! I scorn nnd reject an instrument tender ed t& mo under tho namo of a Constitu tion of North Carolina which tho pco plo of North Carolioadid not make, and which' was mad6 for them by men in tho guiso of our representatives, who were not our representatives, but thoso of a power exercising at the time tho authori ty of a. conqueror in luilitary possession of our territory, and arrogating to itselt tho'iight of superseding all our civil ollices. and. abrogating our laws.'.' Let the people cry, "We will havo tiothiTig to do with such a Convention or nny Constitution proposed by it. If tho Con stitution needs amendment (and wo Jo not .inquire into that now,) wo wjll, at the proper time, a time of quiet, and one when tho reason of every man will havo its due play nnd oflice, choose good men, at a free election, and by tho voice of all our : people, who shall revise and amend that instrument, t In othor words, we will makei ohtlittUion for ourdce9, and not another for us!'' 1'ut suppos ing that in the qmm revolutionary con dition of tho last year the military pow er of the conqueror was either according to natural mnf-niitional law, or by us'ur-. pation, competent to the power exercised on this subject, and that our people, avoiding further resistance, chose rather to submit to such usurpation and acqui esce in its behests. Vet surely, Mirely. the I'ody organized by tho conqueror, under the name of a. Convention, cannot in its acts validly transcend the authori ty conierred 011 it when it was eaueu, and a-siiil.O to perform tho very highest nil oWi-ratcd nower. that ol training a 'Constitution of governinenr, in respect of all the powers which can be conferred, and of all the' restrictions which can be impoM-d by a people on all the different departments of government. et such is the fact here. Mr. Johnson required ii Convention to perform certain specific ai'!-:;.to annul the ordinance of seces sion and tender a return to the Union, or claim iM continued existence; utuler the Constitution of the UnitoH States; to emancipate the slaves and ordain that sLivery'shail never hereafter jcxist in this ! State, and to repudiate trie . Mate "wai idebt." All these were done; tlie two f first promptly, and .in satisfactory terms ; nn the third", at the last moment, under ettojectrou nnrf' io conformity to orders, i after having oueo refused to adopt the ' tneasuro. All was done, 1 say, that was I reqiii-red, and Mr. Johnson proclaimed i that be bad got all lie wanted ; that we ! were back as a State and might choose i .mi- lenrescntatives ill Congress in con fo!Util:Jo-OUjriiifs as a State, and to our law rcgniating electuHns.' " W3s"t liSrc anv thing more for that Convention to do'J Weie they chosen for any other purpose, even by those who were allowed t,, enit for the members? How dare they, ll.cn, go on 10 iranm a vui.b u. i o, , of- Iladicat assumption of power in a dominant military or a numerical m.v joiity, without respect tor ngtus or me Constitution. , As tar a3 tuey saiory can, and whenever they can, tho people ought to resist that pretension. This they can peacefully do, when called on and allow ed to vote ; and I trust they will do eo on this occasiou without commotion, in support of the great principle of human liberty that a people have the right to make their own Constitution, and not be mado subject to one imposed 011 them, by force or fraud, any extraneous power, or by a fiactiou of their follow citizens. Yon will perceive, that I have hither to discussed this subject, as depending on th6-original and natural rights of our people, unaffected by any provision of our pro-exisiing Constitution ; andeven on that basis, I deny the authority of votir. Convention to make or propose a new or modified form of goveinpicnt for us but the tdatrsejftituir. Constitution, 7ouchmgT"itraiuenduientor the cajl for rZaventloTrtor that purpose, is so ctcar ftfifttiaeiiT -fts-t-soom s "-2" . ,- , ,tx ,1,,.,,,), Cou0tit(ffioii aro provided . One tlnoiig 1 the agency of tho General As.emoljt ,.wv,;nrr no nmendmont tor Fatincation nn on nmendmont tor Fatincation : by a vote ot the people, which need I not be considered uere; the other, by aon- iMnfinn iii a manner nresenbed in .v-uvu.v,,, t . the Cjiutitution, -which is (lie nu :.,..ur f..r nilisiioriltiotl It 13 oovi mutter obvious, , now that, in prescribing these two, or otiu ,,in.tiD nm r.vr-ln.b ii hv lrresistiolc line nlf other er- teuiuij uiv j - ------ two thirds of all the members of each government, wiucn wajiw ujuui'i Ilie sound principle laid down in the Jihodo JJaud caso, in order to avoid popular commotions, icvolutiouS, and un certainty as to what is tho Constitution. t ilirn. tlm two modes designated aro 1 1 1 . i f ii ... ... tbo only ones by which tho Constitution can bo altered, it U clear that this last so-called Convention was not a Condi- whole project. - If it be suggested, that, a. .a . f ii.nmrnpA 1iartiv-snr pxnerionce. all Conventions, since tulional Conventiont and ..thcroforo its acts are void. . t Yielding than, that Mr. Johnson sand Mr,, lloldcn's Convention, might,, by popular ftcquiesccuco, adopt for us the moasu'rea demando. by them, yet it had no existence us a Convention of tho pco plo of North Carolina under their Con 6litution, 'add could not, therefore, alter that instrtiment ia any of those points wiiicti anew Mtr internal orsramzawon n a distinct republican State; "for example,! which a fleeter internal organization as the basis 01 representation, tnoquLunca tions of tho representatives, and of the votes; tho number aud jurisdiction of Couts ; tho appointment of tho judges thereof; the tenure of their office, aud that of tho executive, er tho like. No disquisition can rcudcr these points clear er than tho Bhort and simple paragraph of tho Constitution itself. Tho conclu sion cm only be ovaded by establishing as a truth, that tho clausoof tho Consti tution was iio longer in force, and that position cannot be true, unless it bo also admitted, that uo otuer part 01 it was in 1 1 ..! torce, or, in oincr worus, uuu oy virtue of the war and its results, we were a poo- ,,Io without Constitution or law of - any 1 ., 1 , tort. It necessarily comes to that, aud that never ought to be? and never cap be, yielded, Peilrnps it would bo suffi- 1 I'l llil lb II WUIHU UH HUIU- I I cicntforour present purposes, to say, i that, even your Convention does not as- j sertsnch a doctrine, but plainly proceeds government 01 me ui.m-u -upon a contrary one, by professing to Constitution there specifies the modes of - amend" our old Constitution, as still , amendment; modes intended to protect MiUislinff. and not to make one abmi .inorities against superior tiiimbers.- ..in. ,,u d bv desionatin- the old laws t.till in force as contra distinguished from those passed, by Legislatures bitting un der tbo auspices of secession. Indeed, it is impossible under any aspect of . nny law, as understood among civilized na tions atid.in modern times, that a wholo people can be treated or considered as being without- any" law or ministers of the law, even by Conquerors. Tho se curity of person, and the rights of pro perty, and the obligation of contracts still subsist. Can it, for instance, bo-sup-p'o&ed'for a moment, that upon the death of a proprietor, thc.ro is no ruloofeno cession to his real and personal estates, aud that the first occupant may. appro pi iate theln, or that 110 body can ? )n the contraiy, 1 say, that the laws of North Carolina were still her laws, including her fundamental law, and, if so, it is then ;o bo deduced, that thero could be no Convention to abrogate or to.alter that law, unless called and chosen in the m-Minor m-fseiibcd in it. and that, as a cafoitaiyryoTir Crmrrtoirirad-Lrio pw cr m tho premises, ana its prcreuuou powers and acts ought not to bo confirm ed by tho people, if the people could confirm them, but ought to bo opposed and rejected. It would seem that that body, was .aware of the defect of its pow ers, "front tho submission of those nets to the people, thus seeking the requisite confirmation. - Hut, in truth, such con firmation cannot bo. derived from that source ; for tho 6atno provision in the Constitution, which makes the Conven tion a nullity, equally excludes the effi ciency of a popular majority to annnl 0110 Constitution and make another. As tkc act of a people living under a con stitutional Government, even the veto o? the majority is proprio vigor e ineffectu al, Wi'thout the assent of . tho subsisting Constitutional Government, and its di rections for taking the vote and ascer taining the majority. 'Without such pre vious authority and regulations, the ma jority, if physically, able, may overthrow the cxistingGovernment, but it can only do so by revolution and' not as possess ing a legitimate delegated office and power. I need not, however, dilate fur ther on this topic as tho grounds and ant thonti5S on which tho doctrine depends are, according to my recollections, set forth in the argument and opinion given by tho Supreme Court in Dorr's case Then, if a people of a State cannot, by their own direct vote, abrogate or make a Constitution, "without the previous sanction -of authority in power under the tsttng-avmmoHty-aaiui-'-case mnih ess can t lev UO it. wneu me sjuii- yuIeZiwQfothef jdi fcibiing these MMlMS 1 yd all. liyJiJi We arrive then, at theso results: that ttia fmppntion was not constitutional ; it had no power and could not mako a Constitution ; that for the same reason tho people have no powers, and that as neither th Convention nor tho people had any nowerin tho premises, by con- sequence, both together are equally des- titnte of tlie requisite power. Ibe Con vtfutron was an unautnoriz-.-a uuuj,buu, therefore, no more than a volan,ai7 co! I -:... r. f c.i nuns ninni .1 C:1UCQ8. rc- ickuvu v - - - . ' now" Eojourniiig iijuuaun. -B- -commending to the people to adopt by j ,jtej States District Court of that ilmir iL pprtAi'n instrument as ouri..! X iln rtlcfatos to the ....... - . r.iaie, is iu uuvm-v. -0 Constitution, a thing whtco the pcop.e, ,4jac. Hamilton". Convention from Ala under our Coiistntioniro not compe- ai'na J tent to. do on mat rccoramcniwuuu, uuu,, 1 therefore, the conjoint resolutions; and j. t " ' .. inoi o .r..cr tlinn that of either bv.itsi ISCU. 1 r conclude it id no Constitution, and cans not bo mado one by what has been done, or can bo done now. What, then, does it behoove the people to do' They onghv.;lt seems to me, promptly and decisively to reject the tnronr experience, all Conventions, Rinco thoso of '70 which 'formed our original Constitution, have regularly made them worse and worse, and, therefore, we had better take this than run further risks, and eppecially that, at least, those who approve of tho alterations shal? give their suffrage for adoption. 1 reply no ! The great principle of political and civil itUrt Hint n rmtnla mav. afid oti'dit to make a Constitution andGovernment for --. -- themselves that in soloing they ought ir. Konarofnl tn nrocefid in tba re?alar V VV.V.. j - - O and peaceful method which is prescribed, instead ofj an unauthorized, irregular and usurped mode, from which " uncer tainty as to tho validity of their doings, and consequent commotions arise, furnish the strongest repsons why every man should givo his voico against the instru ment now proposed, and wait for the ac lion of tho Legislature. The proposing of amendments to the people, or the da ly calling. of a Convention which would have) legitimate power to adopt them. LeJt mo here adduce a case, which I ouglit to have added to the efficiency ot "e.- . , - . th'6 popular vote per ee I adduce it, because it is level to the apprehensions lf .AI.t r,na mill f Till lot In A RtfOUl' of every one, and exhibits in a strong light tho correctness of tho argnmeut tuminst the txvoular tower a inera naa- o r r I . . . . 1. . n nnf inn .lor.iy-over u.e v . 'l"e case to which I allude, m that of the I Now, suppose, upon tins assumption, thnt the noile may do as.to them list- eth, and that the majority of the people are tho people, an nttempt1 wero made to alter tbe Federal Constitution, by a vote of the whole population of the United States, what 6ort of a Constitution should wo have wlio conld endure if, especially at the South who would' en dure it and bold it to bo aj Constitution f So it is under tho provisions of our State Constitution. Then let our people with one voice reject it. That will quiet eve rything, and we may bein anew, iu a lawful way, to make tho Constitution what we wish if. Jmt, 'it approved by the people and proclaimed by .'the Gov ernor, all the-quest ions upon the validity of the instrument and the powers of the Convention arise questions affecting tho right to all the old .and the new offi ces, and tho objections of the so called Constitution no bounds can be set to tho disquietude incident to them, nor to tho embarrassments ot -tne J uuioiary... . - I have now. Ibctieve entd all U have to say on these subjects. I owe you an apology for the desultory mode of presenting, thorn, on the spur-Jbf the occasion of receiving yonr letter, aud without premeditation, expressions, &c. ' V Your friend, &c. DR. CAMMING AND HIS PIIOPUE - CIES. . Dr. dimming lectured recently at Halifax, England, on the "Signs of the Times." The lecturer did not claim to be a prophet, but expressed his belief that these were solemn and startling times, and that the world was on. the point of great events. The great lines of prophecy, he 6aid, seem to- intersect tho year 1867. The world, he blieved, would not be destroyed, but would en dure forever in a more purified and ex; alted state. Though ho was unable to explain tho Increase of Catholicism ia England, he believed the heart of the country was still true to Protestantism. In 1792 there wero fivo thousand priests i Paris; but though tho population of tho city had doubled itself since that time, thoro wero now .nine hundred priosts only in Paris, lie believed the Saturday evening of tho world was very near, and that on' the Sabbath of one thousand years which was at hand, there would be a sunrise which would experi ence no western declension. J AClyN AMILTONUCON VENTION . -.t--:2..Z vr.ti S of tbo two bodies b.lVt) II ) Wo arc glad trTLe abTe," fTTrglTgrnmr klndness of a corre$Ki"idcht, to niform nothing " of the man) that Mr. Cyrou Laflin, who feigned the call for Jack Hamilton's Convention as a citizon of their State, .is a 2few Yorker, and re i ,-r. IlnrL-inim- - covtntv . llo went Clviv j - a xJV " " " O Marshal or something of the kind, and Q iocn vcry bnsv in proeeed- j for th(J coiiSCaion of the prppcrty Lflhc Southern people. - ' !v We have also beard tliatv tne lion, - ilichard'Uustecd of New York; who is ! ? : : AlK..mi a .Tuit f.f r--- - r ngeT is daiigerous to bapj meH. - '-? , ' - - - I' . . i I. UUl 13V IMM" I . ' Lr; J
Carolina Watchman (Salisbury, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 30, 1866, edition 1
1
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