Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-07-13
new CONSTITUTION.

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NEW CONSTITUTION.
The Gazette of Saturday morning
labored with great zeal 10 show that in
the Constitutional Convention q mum.
her of Democrats voted for those
clauses which We, in common with a
large proportion Of the journals Of the
State, consider 40 decidedly objectioua-
bic that We shall deem its adoption
public calamity, and the commence
ment Of m era in the political history
Of Iowa, tending to the same spirit of
theoretical and practical notification
that has brought disgrace upon Massa-
chusetts and South Carolina, and will
lead to final results not agreeable for
the true patriots TO contemplate. We
give the Gazette most cmphatically to
understand that in our discussion Of
the merits and dement's of this instru-
ment, We are not governed by partizan
motives. but take our stand upon the
high ground of that comprehensive
democracy from which flows all true
political liberty. We care not how
many democrats in that Cony ention
were blind enough to vote for this OBJ
Jectionable document, we oppose the
thing for its dement's, and not on &C.
count Of the men who made it. II will
not avail the Gazette to endcavor to
cover up the odious features of the
instrument, by parading the names Of
those who voted for it. The document
must stand or fall upon its own charac-
ter, and not BIZ judged of by the char.
acter Of those who created it. 1t is
TOO full Of errors 10 be the sacred stan
dard Of Legislative power. 1t confers
powers upon the Legislature which
Sre inconsistent with the true interests
Of Society, antagonistic to the laws
and constitution of the United States.
and demoralizing to that national pat
riotism, without which the Union is
rope Of sand. In the features touching
the federal relations, and those having
reference only to State affairs, there is
SO much error, so much discord, and
10 much bigotry and fanaticism, that
We are surprised at its having single
honest advocate. The Gazefte cannot
add perfection 10 the instrument by
saving that Democrats in the Conven-
iion voted for it. Neither can the
Gazsfte drive us into partizan warfare
upon the subject.
Wepoint out the clause establishing
only eleven Judges and judicial districts
where We now have sixteen, which six
teen are insufficient for present wants,
and under the immense annual aug
mentation Of our population, will be-
come more and more inadequate TO
meet the needs Of the people /; and we
show clause which binds up the hands
ofState. County, and City, so that all
works of,nternal improvement arc Ct
fectually prohibited We show that
fugitives from Justice and fngitivcs
from slavery are allowed jury trial in
this State in violation Of the Constitu-
ton and laws Of the United States, and
against that comfy and good faith
which we owe to the ether States of
the Union we show that it creates a
novel Legislative body called Board
Of Education with law making powers,
which 10 TO be subordinate TO the re-
pealing power Of the other Legislature,
and liable to that conflict Of authority
incident to such novel bodies, and
which was created more for the pur-
pose Of multiplying Offices for dcma'
gogues TO fill, than for any wholesome
end. We show that there is an in.
dependent proposition tackled on the
tail Of the Constitution, in way
which covers its authors with disgrace,
for it provides that = majority Of all
the votss Polled for or against the Con-
stitution must be cast for this clause, to
make il e6ectual, but which We disre-
gard in the monstrous proposition it.
SELF which aims At nothing less than
sinking the whites to the degraded lev
Of the black race, BY creating an
equality Of citizenship similar to tina,
which in Mexico has caused the white
race to deteriorate by amalgsmation
We show that it permits Negroes,
Indiana, Idiots, Lunatics, and malofac.
tom 70 be used - competent witnesses
in any judicial proceeding, subject on
y 70 those common law rules of credi.
bility now prevailing, and thus opens
the way for the complete destruction
ofpessonal rights in courts Of law,
through the perjury Of reckless char
actsn whose testimony the Legislature
and Courts cannot exclude. When
the Gasssss will take up the clause.
We have pointed out and discussed, and
show that they are not open to jus,
such objections - We have named,
then il will have done something be-
sidss mere general talk.
WStsphsa Decatur, one Of the
sasly p:eassu q Nebraska, i out u
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