Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-30


pretended to be the authority Of the peoplenot for call
ing convention indeed which the constitution requires
before YOU begin alter but for the instrument
proposed constitution, which is required at ALL If
you agree with that the contemplated which
is to assemble in December will have no authority
to propose constitution to the people the State than
any other number Of unauthorized and irresponsible gem
temen the utter impossibity Of altering State
Situton by the proposed viii be with YOU it is
with US, but foregone conclusion. But let take
that is likely to occur should the unconstitutional
outrage contemplated by this act of Assembly for the
present be successfully carried to its bitter end We
will suppose that the act calling Convention is sustained
and the constitution is ratified by Of the parties
in the State Two years hence the delegates Of another
and hostile party assemble at the capitol, draw up
another constitution subyerng that turning out all the
officers in the State and appointing themselves and their
friends to all the vacant places and they ratfy it,
strengthened as they would be, by all the glittering
spos Of such party victory What would then become
of your new constitution? Should those who hold Office
under attempt to set the of the
instrument which turned them Of power will not all
men scott at them, because
sEven-handed justice
Commends the ingredients Of their poisoned chalice
To their own lips
The leaders in the present onslaught on our Consttu
ton would share the fate of Act@on who torn to
pieces by his own dogs no man would pity them
suppose another The agrarian principle is
rapidly progressing in this country 1t is contemplated
now to give away the whole public domain Of the
United States amountng value MANY hundreds Of
millions Of dollars to all such as will come and take it,
The doctrine which leads division of property is the
very error of the moon, which now
g Comes nearer to the earth
Than she won't"
Isit irrational fellow-czens to suppose that the doc
trnes of Fouriersm and Socialism may become far
before another generation has passed away that
party win be organized to bring about equal distr
button of property among all classes of men, some
approxmating to that Rome, the mistress of
the world, had her agraran laws May not men, assum
ing the character of the Gracch of the ancient republic
carry agrarian measures in own country? party
organized upon such principle, the doctrines Of the
last Legislature tenabe, will sweep the State for
how many could resist the temptation ito vote them
selves farm They would only have to assemble in
Convention make their constitution and ratify it at the
next election and their purpose would be fully attained
But has been said and may again be repeated that
the doctrine against which contendng is republic
cam and commends itself favor because it exhibits
proper degree of confidence in the people; while
pance with the provisions of the constitution adm
sion that the sovereign power and will of the people
be restrained and curbed by constitution emanating
from themselves This objection is founded in utter ig
Of the true principles Of popular 1t
assumes that the people incapable of making gov
eminent for themselves any degree permanent
enduring in its character than ordinary act of egsa
ton 1t resolves at once that man is incapable of self
government because if the people have power to re-
strain themselves by constitutional covenants with
ahr off great
without which man has abiding security for lfe ber
y or property then the people, harassed and prosecuted
by constant changes in their fundamental code and living
in perpetual alarm and terror from the apprehension that
they have inalienabe rights guards to maintain
them will be driven to seek refuge from these hor
under the protection of despotism Strike out
line from your present constitution, and any Legislature
take away your farm any other property hold
Strike out the line which gives the writ Of haeas corpus
and the right your personal liberty and mere
legislative body imprson you Strike
other clauses and not only property and liberty and
individual happiness but character and life itself
gone, or have protection.
Is it necessary for the maintenance Of
character Republicans that these safeguards shall
be subject to humiliation or even partial mutation at
every returning election May not a cultivate
farm or pursue any other honest calling with the
rance that the proceeds of his labor be taken from
him by majority, however smallf Is it unwse-above
all, is it really antirepublicanto not only the
Of property, but the toing thousands among US,
that what they is theirs by constitutional right which
be destroyed in single day without the sanction
Of majority Of all their feow-ctizens? Does not the
doctrine which teaches that is incapable of protect
ing himself providing for his safety strike deep at
the foundation Of the just power of the people, and rob
them of the valuable attribute of sovereignty Fell
lowcitzen the teaching which ncucates the Jacobnica
principle that there exists power power outside
of the Constitution which overthrow all its provisions
by such popular vote, spurning its nunctOns and
contemnng its authority, proceeds from true friend
Of the people He niger est: hume Romano eaUeo We
denounce the doctrine in these strong terms because if
persisted in it may lead this peaceful and happy
nifty which has lived together without dscord for sixty
years. to anarchy and bloodshed
At the hazard ofincurrng the due repetition
we ask is it Democratic to deny the strength and power
of the people provide guards for their happiness
or safety is it Republican to refuse people
thory do that which every other State in the Union
has DONE and which the fathers of the American Govern
ment did when they framed the Constitution of the United
States The fifth article Of that Constitution provides
that Congress- when two-thirds Of both Houses shall
deem it shall propose amendments to the Con-
stution or on the application Of the Legislatures of two
thirds of the several States shall call Convention for
proposing amendments which, in either case, shall be
ratified all intents and purposes parts Of the Con-
stitution when ratified by the Legislatures Of
thereof the one or the other mode Of ratification may
be proposed by Congress. In this see the guards
G. anod fhaC ou