Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-09-05
From the Washington States.
VnfudiciOus Feature in Many of our
state OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Epfud5ciOus Feature fn Many of our
Saa,e COnstitutiOms-Re Reformation
A movement has recently been started in
VIRGINIA in favor of a convention to revise ana
remodel the constitution OF that State. II mas
been but a few years-some SIX or eVen-slnce
n convention of the same character was held,
which changed materially and radically the
constitution Of the State. In accordance with
that spirit of innovation and experiment which
has spread like an infection from State to State,
the people of Virginia adopted a new constltu~
ton, in which all property qualification IN re-
spect of suffrage were abrogated, and nearly
all officers made elective by the people. Anew
rule was also established in regard to the ses"
sions of the legislative body. These were
changed from annual TO biennial SESSIONS
Scarcely did the new constitution 60 into oper-
alton. before dissatisfaction began to show IT.
self Indeed, within twelve months a pretty
general opinion was Informally expressed in
favor of a new convention, to undo some things
that had been done by the last convention.
None but the people of Virginia have any
business to interfere with the constitution,
laws. and institutions of that State; but there
are certain political elements involved in a
movement of this sort, whether in Virginia or
any other State, that naturally interest all
Americans, and that all have the right to eX~
anime and comment on.
We shall proceed, therefore, not from any
oficiousness of disposition, but from the cons
sideration to which we have adVerted to make
a few remarks on the subject Of eleCting all
officers by the people.
That some officers should be elected by the
people we regard as not only proper, but abso-
u-,I ~, IT, .ahicf npon,Fi,o
! officers and members of the State Legislature.
There may be some others, but we will content
ourselves with mentioning these.
Now the theory of a popular government is,
that the people have the right to rule; bat the
difference between a conservative Republican
government and a "wild Democracy is, that in
the former, the people elect representatives to
| act for them-in the letter they act for them
selves in tumultuary primary assembiages.-
When the people elect their representatives TO
| make their laws, it is their duty to elect those
whom they can trust; and if they can trust
| them to make their laws, they can surely trust
| them to elect their officers. The elections OF
legislative representatives are frequent; and
the fact that these representatives are accounts
Bic to the people, makes them careful to con-
suit the wishes and the interest of the people.
Besides, these representatives are but the
paid agents of the people, employed to save
| trouble, and employed because of a supposed
skill in legislation, which the people do not
pretend to. Now, if the people can trust these
representatives TO make their laws, they surely
can trust them to appoint their officers. 1t the
people, after paying these representatives, are
to trouble themselves to hold elections to
choose all their officers, high and low, they
should, for the same reason, make all their
laws, important and unimportant. The prIHcI-
pIe is the same. Then there would be no use
in representative bodies. The people themsel-
yes would be a standing legislature. But to
be a standing elective body and a standing
legislature, they would have no time to work
in their shops or on their farms. All their time
would be taken up in elections and legislation,
and all without pay. This is precisely what
the people do not want. Yet ~demagogues are
constantly trying to bring them TO it. Don't
trust any body (say these de~magogues) to elect
even a constable, but yourselves; if you do,
your liberties will be betrayed. This is all
balderdash. It is through demagogue influence
that all the radical changes in our State cOnstl-
tutions have been made in late years, and it is
through these radical changes that the people
are injured.
Like the measles or the smallpox, this spirit
of innovation has spread from State to State,
until all the barriers of republican conservatism
have been either undermined or broken down;
and primary assemblages, which our republican
fathers and the founders of our political system
guarded against as great inconvenience to the
people, are now deemed the sovereign balm
for everything.
He who for the last ten years has watched
the administration of justice-notin one State.
OF in another State, but throughout the whole
country-cannot have failed to notice the bits
ter fruits of this new system. The increase Of
crime, a general turbulence, and a marked
tendency TO INSTRUMENTATION are everywhere
apparent. 1t has been said that revolutions
never move backwards; but unless there be {
retrograde movement in this matter, things
must grow even worse.
Firing Off the mmtfneers.