Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-08-14

-~@~ E111CHNAAANAANS' "
We think there is ample time for the discus CT
sion OF the Constitutional Amendments by and lie
by, but our correspondents think otherwise. W
Ed. OF FREEMAN. el
Written for the Green Mountain Freeman Il
Mr. EDITOR ;-Having in two previous arti- a
Giles presented some few thoughts in relation to d
the proposed Amendments of the Constitution n
of the State, now propose to speak in relation |
TO the last Article, which provides for the call
of Convention, which, after due reflection APP
pears to me to be an assumption Of power which
tramples, not only upon the rights of the peo-
pie and all the precedents Of the State from its
organization, but upon the Constitution itself.
/ Now, if | am correct in this, it becomes the
duty of the ireemen of Vermont to set this mat
ter right
In the first place, what right have the people
dearer to them than the right of free, full, and
perfect representation of their will according to
the established rules and usages Of the State.
Now if the Honorable Council desired to have
the will Of the people the law Of the land, flor
which they loudly clamor,) why did they not
put in the Article in way to be considered by
the Convention, and let them decide whether
any subsequent Call should come up in this way
or not We say they dare not trust the people
to decide, and took, as they thought, the power
into their own hands, thus tranplng in the
dust the rights Of the people.
Onr ooonn1 roe;tinn 10 that all tt,, yvooa-
dents of the State, from its organization, are
tramplcd usdcr foot. There hare been calls,
| believe, once in seven years for like Conyen-
tons by the Honorable Councils Of those peri
DDS, and no one Of them ever (until the prasent)
, assumed the power to decide how many or in
what manner, or from what location the dele
gate shou i'd be elected All this the present
g Council have done, and why did they not carry
G out their plan by giving us the names Of the
: delegates, or why did they not reduce the num-
Der to one from each county that they had good
reason to believe would sustain their amend
f ments All this they had equal power to do
= for if they had power to direct as to the number
1 at all, they had equal power to reduce the num-
t Der to any point that could be called Il Conven.
J. ton
J. But there are other presidents worthy of no
ticc The President Of the United States ant
= same Constitutional power to call special ses
= sons of their respective Legislatures, and nom
IS Of them Since the organization Of tho Govern
ment, ever assumed to dictate in this manner -
But suppose they had would the acts Of thos
Legislatures been valid We say no and tn
;. usurpation would have been Indignantly spurn
ID Cd by an enlightened constituency
~ My third proposition is the Call 'rample
Ia upon the Constitution itself. Now is this true
/, If it is not if the Constitute actually give
+ them the power, then we are bound to comply
70 Notwithstanding the rights and precedens r,
" ferred to are trampled upon But what say
he Constitution 1t barely says, as rcgart
" the Cali of a Convention-'' The said Counc
Or of Ccnsors shall also have power to call Cor
IS vention to meet &c. Now, sir, it is plat
~ common sense, and has always been 50 construc
I'd since the organization Of the Government, thu
oil the true and whole meaning and intent of tt
as language of the Constitution is for the Counc
D to issue Call in connection witt, their propose
in amendments, SO that the s ate have time an
r. opportunity to- consider the amendments, an
- select their delegates without any dictaton fro
the Council, agreeahly to the Constitution
nc Article 7th Part End, which settles the qnestic
~ beyond controversy, gyinl each town the rigl
OF Representation Now if the Constitntit
had been designed to give to the Council tt
% power to call such number as they saw fit,
~ would have so expressed it but it not being
i, expressed, it leaves it on the general Constit
-. tional rule of Representation, which gives
~, each town its Representative Now, sir,
seems to me that it takes but half an eye to s.
that the Constitution never was designed to
y entrusted to any thirteen men, however cap
bic and well-disposed to regulate the clecti
- franchise of the State and that too, as 10 Il
40 important subject Of organic law. No, sir,
Is but the fruit of disorderod political bra
-, that aspires in its visionary anticipatons to ri
above all Constitutions, Ilumln and Diyin
iy- -,
- and is to be guarded against, lest we, Ii
N other Republics of Representative Governmel
~ loose our identity in the great slough of Dcsp
- tisn. Now then, what can be donel | C
IA see bat two practice ways to get out Of Il
dliiculty-one is to treat with due respect t
=. proposed amendments by electing our delcs
, :, to consider them in the usual way, which won
leave us with valid Constitution, whether tn
W. make any alterations or not the other is
elect according to the Call, and elect such m
as will dismiss the whole concern on this groul
-, ii go other, that if adopted under such IL Ca
1t would make the Constitution itself uncons
-, tulional, and leave US without foundation
-. stand upon. Either of these ways would b.
sufficient rebuke to regulate any subseout
Council in relation to these Calls. RI there
any better way, please inform us.
10 Yours for Free Vermont,
July, 1886. ONE OF THE PEOPLE
ex-
ned Written for the Green Mou,aiu Freeman
for To the Freemen of Vermont.
Ctl- w lille yOur minds nra Ct, intonpal,, ,,,d