Produced by Bryan Ness and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA AND COPY OF THE ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ENTITLED AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA (CHAPTER 81, PUBLIC LAWS, EXTRA SESSION OF 1913) ISSUED FROM THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE RALEIGH BY AUTHORITY OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RALEIGH EDWARDS & BROUGHTON PRINTING COMPANY STATE PRINTERS AND BINDERS 1914 Received through the Bureau for Municipal Research By direction of the General Assembly, this pamphlet is furnished for distribution to, and the information of, citizens of the State of North Carolina. It contains the Constitution of the State of North Carolina as it now stands, and shows, on page 39 and the pages following, the proposed amendments, and a copy of the official ballot. Additional copies of this pamphlet may be had upon application to the County Clerk of Court, or to the Secretary of State, Raleigh. CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA PREAMBLE. [Sidenote: Preamble.] We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union, and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do for the more certain security thereof, and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution: ARTICLE I. DECLARATION OF RIGHTS. That the great, general and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, and that the relations of this State to the Union and Government of the United States, and those of the people of this State to the rest of the American people, may be defined and affirmed, we do declare: [Sidenote: The equality and rights of men.] SECTION 1. That we hold it to be self-evident that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, the enjoyment of the fruits of their own labor, and the pursuit of happiness. [Sidenote: Political power and government.] SEC. 2. That all political power is vested in, and derived from, the people; all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. [Sidenote: Internal government of the State.]