Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1857-12-25

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Tho Leoompton Dsmocrof, after publish.
ing the slavery clause Of The ruhiang Con.
stitution, and part Of she Schedule, ipdui
ges in some sensible and pcrtinept rsnnrtr
which we append. II win be borne h
mind that the De,nocrat Is a slfcnr Pro
Slavery journal, but not conducted BY gqf
fans, or controlled by usurpatioHists ;---eit
There arc some singular blunders IN the
composition Of this extraordinary provisiong
First the Constitution shall be snbmiftedfe
the people 'for approval or aisspproroiF
and Afterwards it is provided tlIaf it shalf
be submitted .f6r ratification or rejsctionr
But the succeeding words, which establish
the form, and prescribe the effect of tho
vote, completely nullify these general pro
visions, and while thcyairg 40 % sBfsaos
| "Koep the word Of promise 10 the car, satefl
j They break tito the bope.r i.l siba4 1shelJ
Again, it is provided, in so many words,
that "the voting shall be by bsllotg Nos
every one knows the very essence ofaa sois
Iby ballot, is tho secrecy which il cnabissths
voter 10 maintain. The result of the vote
is to be ascertained by counting the baIlots.
In this provision, however, the President o.
the Convention is to examine the poll-booln
in order 10 ascertain the state of tho vote
Thus il is evident that the voting which is
expressly TO be by ballot, is TO have, atths
Same time, all the qualities Of vise voes
vote. This is rendered unqucstiouablo by
the further provision, that the President Of
tho Convention is to count only 1.-THE legal
votes cast at said election" If the vote be
by ballot, he could never discriminate bo-
, tween the legal and illegal votes by . mere
J, inspection Of the poll-books. Mover before
: was such mass Of bungling inconsistencies
= put together by any respectable writer or
). thinker. 1t would puzzle Philadelphia
# lawyer to reconcile these conflicting pro
o visions. t sHaa 'l5sdi
It But there is still greater difficulty. In
Q the event Of "a majority of the legal votes"
n being against slavery, the President of the
o Convention is to strike out Of the Consti-
d tuition the article providing for slavery, ssifk
t out Interfering 'Oith the rights ofpyopsyiy n
SLAVES noso in the Territory Can anybody
o tell what part of the provision on the sub
: ject above quoted, will be stricken from the
Constitutioni 1t is evident that tho whole
r. four sections cannot be stricken out, be-
n cause several Of them will be applicable 10
,f slavery, rs it vii, exist in the now State.---
Q Indeed, there is not a single section out of
v the whole four which can be said to provide
= for sldrery. Itiseven questionable whether
J. there is any article in the above instrument
n which can properly be called s'the article
d providing for slavery" What part Of this
Constitution will General Calhoun strike
# out, if that duty should be devoived upon
himi 1t would require a nice discrinlina-
/ tion'to enable him to perform this work and
i there would still be glorious uncertainty
!. in the result. eAD
8 1t is due to the people that when they
f. are called upon to perform the solemn act Of
adopting form Of Government they should
D. have plain and distinct proposition pre-
sented to them. There should be no un-
r. certainty in what they are called upon to do.
But, above all, there ought to be no trick in
Y. the alternatives presented for their decision.
l. No such trick can ever succeed; and we .eel
:. morally certain that the instrument now pre-
sented in this extraordinary manner, will
never be sanctioned by the people or ac-
cepted by Congress. 30
1t is vain to talk Of parties in references to
l. such matter as this. The subject is far
% beyond the range of party action. The APP
is peal to party fealty will have no more effect
Of than the idle wind. No respectable portion
u of the people can ever be rallied to the sup.
port of such an instrument, with such de
at vice for its ratification or rejection by the
Of people. ~ 9
ID The party that stakes itself upon suoh a
or lpolicy-so uncertain, so cquivocal, and un.
s just to the people---will be broken to pieces
is and destroyed forever, as il would well de.
y serve to be. If the rights Of Shareholder
lp in Kansas, or the political interests Of the
= slaveholding States of the Union, are TO b.
y maintained by such a stratagem, their caus.
ne is indeed weak and hopeless; but We hav'
too much respect for both, to believe, tha
q their enlightened advocates will ever b
IN willing to abide by the issue as It has beer
q made for them in Kansas, by their misguid
ID ed friends in the late Constitutional Con
We vention.
on Forney's Defence OF Douglas agafnss IN