Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-02-21
From the Fulton Telegraph.
THE NEW CONSTITUTION.

OuT ITieuu OF tne MIsbOuTI JOurD0I taxes
Us to task, with all other editors in the
State. who oppose the New Constitution,
and reminds us of the heavy responsibility
which we incur, in reference to the posi-.
ton that we have taken on this subject.
We think that we are not ignorant of our
responsibility touching this matter, and if
with the aid of our contemporaries who
oppose it, we can induce the people of the
State to reject il, we shall congratulate our
selves through life, on having in union with
them saved the State from a disgrace
which, we verify believe will attach to her,
from the moment when she shall accept the
New Constitution. We should feel that
we were mourning most weighty respon.
sbili,y indeed, in taking such course as
would shew, that we were disposed to
trample the first great principle-the cor
ner stone of republican Government, (equal
representation under our feet, and when
standing upon its ruins we could enter into
a comparison cody and deliberately, be.
tween the merits of Constitution which
recognized the destruction of that principle,
and one from which inequality has arisen
by accident, or casualty. The editor asks,
"what we who oppose the New Constitution
propose that the people shall do? surely he
says we do not believe that the rotten bo-
rough legislatures which will be elected
under the present iniqutous apportionment,
will ever call another convention DC"
God forbid that they ever should, we say,
if the result is TO be that when the people
ask fish. such convention should. like the
former, be disposed to give them serpent.
But where are those rotten boroughs of
which the editor discourses; do they exist
under the old constitution? we never heard
of them as existing here. Representation
is unequal by the old constitution; i, has
become so by too speedy an increase Of
new counties. Under that constitution. the
power is in the hands of a minority of the
people; it was not designed by the trainers.
Does the Journal deny, that under the
New Constitution. the power is still with
the minority, and vested there by design
and with intent to wrong and tyranize over
the large counties, containing majority of
the people2 What benefit therefore, is
really derived TO the people by the supposed
Tor real if you please) nearer approach TO
tequal representation. while the power is
still vested in minority? We look upon
the tender of the New Constitution, as an
ou,ra geous insult and indignity, offered to
majority Of the people.
They demanded that representation
should be SO far equalized at least, as 10
vest in the majority the power of legisla.
ton; this was republicans; their agents ten.
der them a wholly different thing. tyranni.
cal in its character; and the Journal and all
others who favor the New Constitution
call upon the people to put on the yoke, and
to rely upon after legislatures with large
majoritses from the small counties to amend
the constitution by their easy mode. Az
easy as it is, If the same unjust feelings
govern future legislatures, which have ever
been manifested by minorities, when clothed
with the controlling power, no hope can be
entertained from that source; and we now
forewarn the people that if they accept the
New Constitution, their last hope Of equa
representation may be dismissed, for under
that instrument, some As or so new coun.
ties can still be made; and they will be
made whenever it shall become necessary
to strengthen the minority. Almost the
only reasonable hope that remains, is to
cling to the old Constitution for the pres
ent. But four more new counties can be
made, until it is amended; that amendment
will be speedily demanded by thousands
} and as the representation from the large
counties. will amount to more than one
third of the Legislature, let them as con
stantly demand that an amendment equal
zing representation be also laid before the
people. In this way we believe that jus.
tice can be coerced at no distant period
We are not of those who believe that the
New Constitution is preferable to the old
one. We not only object to it on account
of the surrender of the principle ofequality
in representation, but the change providing
for an elective judiciary. is likewise an
insurmountable objection with US; and not
less do we condemn it, on account of the
provision in reference 10 Banks and other
Corporations. Taken altogether, we verify
believe that a constitution SO grossly de-
formed and Objectionable, was never offered
to any State in the American Union.
SWAMP LANDS IN MISSOURI AND
u ARKANSAS.
i The Committee of Public Lands, 10
whom were referred the memorials from
the Legislature of Missouri concerning the
swamp lands in the southeast of Missouri
and northeast of Arkansas have made
their report These lands, it appears, com.
prise an area of about ninety townships
three-ffths of which are swamps. The
Committee think it would be impoltic in
the general government to enter upon the
work of draining them, and recommend q
transfer TO the States of Missouri and Ar.