American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-09-02
For the American Republican,
"REFORM AND RETRENCHMENT. -

|
walked up the droarsy Editors Of tho American.
and for oace we have somelhng like an en-
preston of opinien from that usually passict
sheet. But, alas! they are only half awake
yet, and with all the Indebtedness of thought
and vision WHICH accompanies dull, spcl-bound
sleePers, they utter their prosy nonsense to
their readers Their correspondent, GA Ma
! rylander," haging ianced that he had discov-
! cred 'nnare's nest," these quiet gentlemen
set up Il most prodi9iols cacklc over the imagi-
nary eggs, ard with the solemn wisdom of that
sagacious beast that raproved the Prophet Baa-
lam, utter tleU Teprc2&to the friends of reform,
and seem to think that they have said enough
to stop forever the onward movement of the
cause. We can bWt smile at the solemn con-
ceit OF these wise pGdagogues, and think that
when they make such egregrous blunders in
quoting the Scripture, they arc very likely to
be mistaken in their understanding of the Con-
stitution. heLearned Ihebdn who can make
a mistake OF centuries in a Transaction OF the
Blble--plscing Pharoah for Northumberland,
and Joseph for Daniel-should not be relied
upon as inalbe expounders OF facts, and we
suspect will be thought by many to know about
as much of Reform aud the Constitution, as
thew have shown themselves 20 know about
the Bible. Let the Editors Of the American
raise their silly chucklc over the thought that
| tho friends OF Reform are SO ignorant that they
know not what they want, and let their cores
pendent, "a Mary lander" echo back the
cuckoo note, that they have R9 power to touch
the matter; we rather guess they will both find
out before long that we do know what we want
and also know how TO get it. The iorty-seCond
ertlcle of the bill oil rights says THAT this de-
claration OF rights, or the form of government
TO be established by this Convention, or any
part Of either of them, ought not TO be altered,
changed or abolished by tie Legislature of this
State, but in such manner as This Convention
shall prescribe and direct" Now the plain
and obvious meaning Of tkis article is, that
tie Convention considered k,Gtr pOlUerS (beinr
delegated Tor the express purpose Of forming a
COnsttuton,) superior to hat Of The LegiSLa-
tire, and therefore determined That The LegiSla-
tuTC should not alter their work except in the
,cay prescribed by themselves. But in saying
that it should not be altered bV The Legislatures
/ the Contention surely did not intend to deny to
the people (whose agents they were, and who
are the only sovereigns in this Country,) the
rigEt to meet again in convention whenever
they might deem it necessary, and to make
such alterations as they should sec proper
To suppose otherwise, is proposition SO absurd
that we think even the sto!id American would
hardly dare to repeat the sentiment. Let us
see for one moment the HlonstrouS results of
the doctrine advocated by the American and
its correspondent. The people elect delegates
&c a convention, charged with the duty of
forming Constitution. Is it to be supposed
/ that these delegates are clothed with absolute
power to bind the people forever thereafter, by
the adoption of Constitution like the laws of
the Modes and Persans' If they have the
power to forbid the people from whom they
received their authority to alter or abolish any
part of the law, except in manner prescribed
by themselves, then it is evident they have the
: power TO bind the people, their rightful sove
-elgns in letters OF iron never TO be broken.-
: New the Convention never assumed such pow
err, nor would the people then, or now, submit
to such monstrous assumption. We hold the
doctrine clearly and uncguiyocally, that when
eve- a majority Of the people desire it, they
have an inherent right above all Legislatures
to elect delegates TO Convention for the pur-
pose Of amending the OLD or making a new
Constitution, according to their sovereign plea
sure-and if 4 factious o. party Legislature,
not representing the people, refuses to sanction
the call Of a Convention, sGch Legislation can
not deprive the people of right inherent in
themselves, aud which can never be delegated
away. CONVENTIONAL HEFORMER.
! VIOLENT STORM OF RAIN AND HAIL AT CIN-
cINNk-i. There was a violent storm of wind,
hail ard rain, at and in the vicinity of Cincin-
matt, on Tuesday night last, which produced
| considerable damage to property. The total
loss is estimated at not less than $50, 900. The
I Atlas says:
I The wind blew almost a hurricane; trees
were bcwn down, and the branches broken
from othogs; cellars filed with water from the
overlooking of cutters, and the streets in vari-
Gus pars CT the city covered with sediment de-
| posted trcm entertainments where cellars had
been dug.
/ The most runous loss, however, was in the
valley OF Deer Creek, IN the north eastern part
OF the city. The culvert erected there was
stopped or checked by the deposites at its mouth,
which caused an overflow of the low grounds
I in the vicinity, raising the water from four to
six feet III some of the houses, and drowning
sheep, hogs, etc, in the slaughter houses. In
the office Of ]. w. Coleman, a man, his wife,
and sister-in-law were living; and the first in
timation they had oft the violence Of the storm,
was the bursting open Of the door, and the wa
ter two or three feet on the floor. From that
uncomfortable situation they retreated to the
| slaughter-house OF the same gentleEan-they
were driven TO take refuge on the beams from
which the beeves are suspended, and even
| there, the water came within Is or Is inches of
reaching them. A horse was also drowned in
the stable adjoining.
The lanyard of Mr.. Hepworth was COM
plete!y overfowed, with the watts containing,
as is Supposed, $4,000 worth of leather. A
large part of this will be destroyed or injured,
by the muddy water and sand mixed i n the IL
quor of the watts, and the leather already has a
dark tingo OH it, that has been exposed to
view.
Further up the creek, we understand that
the tannery Of Mr.. Richard Thornton is a CON-
plete wreck, the flood having carried away in
its progress, skins, hides, bark, and everything
that could be fioated Off We have not learnt