New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-09-17
The Convention.


The Wings of ONEIDA County, at their recent
Nominating Convention, ananimonsty passed re-
ISOLATION approving Of the course OF the Wing Mem
bers OF the last Legislature ia supporting the act
recommending Convention. The Wings OF Mont
ooxrRY County held Convention at Fonda on the
9th instant TO appoint Senatorial delegates and
therein unanimousiy
Rssolred That have entire confidence In the IN
teigence and patriotism Of the people Of our state, and
In their capacity make good and wholesome laws for
their own government that experience has shown de-
fects Ia our present fundamental law. which the best
ineres;x the people demand should be remedlcd and
that wcre therefore In favor Of Convention for such
purpose and that heartily approve Of the Convention
Act Of the last Legislature
Similar Resolutions have been passed by the
Wings OF WAsHIsGTos-ihe most truly Conserva-
tive County in the Siate-and by those Of every
other County within our knowledge where the
Wings have acted on the subject Among the Wing
journals fthe State-about one hundred in number
we believe the Courier and Enquirer finds but
one ally in opposing a Convention The all but
unanimous sentiment of the Wing party, as express
ed through various channels is embodied IN the re-
solution above quoted. How idle, then, the attempt
Of the Courier to Brighten the wealthy, comfortable
and timid into opposing Convention by its bug
bears about Agrarianism, Socialism, &c! The
simple truth il that THE PEOPLE desire a revision
OF their Organic Law believing that it now enibo
dies defects injurious to their wellbeing, which
Convention, and that only, can cure After all the
noise that is made about the danger Of holding
Convention, we are confident that not one.ffk Of
the voters Of the State be rallied to oppose it
certainly not one tenth ofthe Wing voters.
The Courier rciterates its assertion that the pre-
sent constitution is violated by the act authorizing
the People to call Convention. We do not per
ceive that this cavil gathers force by the frequency
OF its repetition. The right OF the Legislature Of
each State to call directly. authorize the People
to call, a Constitutional Convention, is part of the
Common Law Of our Republican system. Ii has
been acted ON and acquiesced in by almost every
State in the Union, and nearly every existing Con
stitution would be invalidated by its overthrow
Our present Constitution exists by virtue Oft. The
Law and Order party OF Rhode Island stood upon
il throughout, in opposition to the Dor doctrine
that. since such power was expressly given 10
the Legislature by the old Charter there was no sub
sis,ing power any where to call Convention, save
in the whole body Of the People, acting through
whatever channel or organism should TO them seem
good The contrary doctrine, maintaining that the
sovereignty Of the State is embodied in its Govern
mcnt and may be exerted in any way sanctioned
by the People and not forbidden by the Organic
Law, prevailed in Rhode Island, as it has uniformly
prev allied in the other States.
Now our last Convention designated way
in which amendments might be made to the
Constitution then formed without resorting to a
Convention. Thercupon the Courier assumes that
this way has superseded and closed up the old way,
common TO all Republican States, and nexorably
forbidden the holding Of any future Convention
Mr. Abraham Van Vechtcn. an able and worthy
member of the Convention OF 1921, but an earnest
and mplacable opponent of the call of that Conven-
ton and of most of the reforms effected by il, who
we doubt not voted against the New Constitution at
the polls--is quoted as assuming in the Convention
preclude the assembling of any future Convention
a consequence which tended to reconcile him 10 the
New Constitution We cannot accept this
,hority for so radical change in the nature of our
Government as the doctrine of the Courier implies.
We believe the right Of the Legislature and People
TO authorize future Constitutional Conventions
not taken away by new Constitution, but re-
mains in full force to this day We believe more
over that it is about to be exercised for ample
perience has shown that no existing abuse by which
a dominant party is prof,ing no abuse compli-
Gated and pervading as the defects Of our Judicial
System can ever be corrected otherwise than by
Convention.