554 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



classes of people in the State to take part in 

 the political canvass, and exert their influence 

 for or against the new constitution. Dele- 

 gates of the Conservative or Democratic party 

 met in convention, at the call of their State 

 executive committee, 'at Raleigh, on the 7th of 

 February, and decided upon a plan of organiza- 

 tion for the party throughout the State. The 

 purpose of the convention, as expressed in the 

 preamble to its declaration of principles^ was 

 " to consider the present anomalous condition 

 of the State, and of the country, and to con- 

 sult together upon the grievances which now 

 afflict and threaten them (the Conservatives), 

 and the course of action proper to be adopted 

 in the trying circumstances which surround 

 them." After declaring their "unalterable 

 devotion to the principles of constitutional 

 liberty," and their " fealty to the Government 

 of the United States, as set forth in the Fed- 

 eral Constitution," and averring that they ac- 

 cept in good faith "the legitimate and legal 

 results of the late war," and heartily desired 

 peace and concord with their " sister States, 

 and with the entire United States," they em- 

 bodied the leading articles of their political faith 

 in the following resolutions : 



Resolved, That, regarding the Constitution of the 

 United States as the source of all power in the ad- 

 ministration of the Government, and that the powers 

 of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial depart- 

 ments are equal and coordinate, as defined by that 

 instrument, we do respectfully and solemnly protest 

 against the enforcement upon our people of the re- 

 construction Acts and policy of Congress, as uncon- 

 stitutional, unwise, and destructive to society, and 

 violative of that great principle of American politics, 

 that each State shall have the exclusive control of its 

 own internal affairs. 



Resolved, That it is the opinion of this conven- 

 tion, that the great and all absorbing issue, now- 

 soon to be presented to the people of the State, is 

 negro suffrage and negro equality, if not supremacy, 

 and whether, hereafter, in North Carolina and the 

 South, the white man is to be placed politically, 

 and, as a consequence, socially 2 upon a footing^ or 

 equality with the negro, and, in many localities, 

 subject to his government as a superior. That we 

 are utterly opposed to such change in our govern- 

 ment and in our social relations, and that we do 

 hereby earnestly recommend to the people of the 

 State to manfully meet the issue now attempted to 

 be forced upon them, and to use every proper 

 means within their power to avert the impending 

 mischief. 



Eesolved. That, while we are unalterably opposed 

 to political and social equality with the black race, 

 we yet have no unjust prejudices against that race ; 

 that we are determined, DV just laws, to protect 

 them fully in all their civil rights, and to confer 

 upon them all privileges which can be done con- 

 sistently with the safety^ and welfare of both races. 



Resolved, That the distressed and impoverished 

 condition of our people earnestly demands the 

 speediest and wisest measures of relief that the Le- 

 gislature can devise. 



Resolved, That this convention recognizes, with 

 feelings or gratitude, the heroic and patriotic efforts 

 of the President of the United States, to restore the 

 Union and harmony and good-will among the Amer- 

 ican people. 



Resolved, That this convention regards the Su- 

 preme Court of the United States as the legitimate 

 expounder, in the last resort, of the Constitution 



and believes that its rights and powers, in that re- 

 spect, should be preserved intact, as established by 

 law in the earlier and better days of the Eepublic, 

 and that any serious impairment thereof, by legis- 

 lation or otherwise, will be destructive to the best 

 interests of the country, and dangerous to the liber- 

 ties of the people. 



Resolved, That, despairing of any restoration of 

 the Southern States under the conduct of that or- 

 ganization which now controls the proceedings of 

 Congress, waiving all former party feeling and preju- 

 dice, this convention does most unhesitatingly rec- 

 ommend and invite the cooperation of all the people 

 of North Carolina with the Democrats and Conserva- 

 tive men of the North and West, who are now nobly 

 struggling for the maintenance of the Constitution 

 of the United States, and the restoration of the 

 Southern States to their rights in the Union, on the 

 solid foundation of harmony and peace. 



The Republican Convention met at Raleigh 

 on the 2d of March, and placed candidates in 

 nomination for the offices to be filled at the 

 election in April. The Republican candidate 

 for Governor was Wm. ~W. Holden, and Thomas 

 S. Ashe was nominated by the Democrats* 



The whole number of voters registered in 

 the State of North Carolina was 196,876, of 

 whom 117,431 were whites and 79,445 colored. 

 The whole vote on the constitution at the elec- 

 tion of April, 1868, was 167,127; 93,118 votes 

 were for ratification, and 74, 009 against it, giv- 

 ing a majority of 19,109 in favor of adopting 

 that instrument. The entire vote cast for 

 Governor was 179,950; Holden received 96,- 

 499, and Ashe 83,451 ; Holden's majority, 13,- 

 048. There were seven members of Congress 

 chosen, Republicans from the first, second, 

 third, fourth, and fifth districts, and Demo- 

 crats from the sixth and seventh districts. The 

 constitution of the State Legislature is as fol- 

 lows : 



Senate. House. Joint-Ballot 



Eepublicans 38 



Democrats 12 



82 



Kepublican majority. 2G 44 



120 

 50 



70 



The constitution of North Carolina met the 

 approbation of Congress, and, on the 25th of 

 June, an act passed that body to admit this, 

 among other Southern States, into the Union 

 as soon as the proposed amendment of the 

 Federal Constitution should be ratified by its 

 Legislature. In order that the vote might be 

 taken on this matter, and that such laws might 

 be passed as should be necessary in reorganiz- 

 ing the Government of the State, the General 

 Assembly was convoked, by proclamation of 

 the Governor elect, to meet at Raleigh on the 

 first day of July. Judge Pearson, who was to 

 administer the oath of office to the members of 

 the Legislature, was informed by General Can- 

 by that no oath would be required except that 

 prescribed in the constitution of the State. In 

 order to facilitate the organization of the new 

 State Government, the Governor and Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor were removed by military 

 order, and the persons appointed who had been 

 lately elected to those positions. This order 

 was to take effect on the meeting of the Legis- 



