Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-12

constitutional Restrictions.

Am,ng the most able and distinguished
men who addressed the New York Lecomp'
ton meeting, was the Hon. John a. DIX, who
was a Wilmot Provisoist lev years ago eua
from whose speech We make the following
extract
THAT the constitution Of Kansas framed
by the Lee IN pton Conversion VIII he ane"o-
ed. no one doubts. 1t is true it contains
provision that it shall be nnaItered Gh"'
1861. Bm Iregayd all sHch dHempted dm'-
tationS If sorerejgn porer as entirety ""J"
torn Il is the right Of ere,y people to d''em
or uJolish at tcW tie t1rm Of gore'H"cW ~
der ,rhich they lire. No poosr ." edrht ca"
prcrem Mcn, from ercrciSiny the rtyht "heit.
erer they please. Ii lies at the foundation vi
all popular sovereignty. CONSTRUCTIONS are
in the nature of cOmpacls between the par
ties. The partie! are the people, ard they
are as free to change their cgmpacts ny
agreement, ~ the parties to private con
tract are t. amend or annul It ty mutual
CONSENT 1t Is absurd 10 assume that COM
munty can bind itself u live for eight years
or century. If it may DO one 1t Hay do
the other under any form OF government,
without the power OF altering II IN any par
ticular."
This is the doctrine of the Pugh amen4-
ment. 1T IL true" SAYS the New 1Ork Dem
ocratic orator, that the constitution OF Kan
sas CONTAINS a provision that it shall be
unalterei until 1864. But regard all such
limitation Of power as nugatory. 1t is the
right of every people TO amend Or abolish at
will the form of Government under which
they live. No power on earth can prevent
them from exercising this right whenever
they please"
The, the New York Express observes, not
on,v subverts all government OF Laws, bu'
of those fundamental laws, called con
stitutious" Tne same paper remarks, also,
that if this be sound dyctriue for Kansas, II
is lust as sound for to- whole Uuied States
aud the people Of the United States may,
therefore, at pleasure alter, reform, or abol-
! ish the Federal Constitution, without any re-
gard whatsoever to the limitations, condi-
tions, and prescriptions contained therein.
| That paper says :--Rich. Whiy.
"Wilder, or more JacobiulcIl notions have
been seldom put afl rat, even 10 the midst OF
the French Revolution. If they are correct,
/ there is not a charter in the country, or n
com pact, or vested right" so called, worth
the paper or parchment Is written on-aud,
under such doctrines whenever the Pep
! pie" who make the Laws, or the Constitu
/ tons, wish to abolish property, or gold
and silver" as the legal Constitutional
tender 10 the payment OF debts, :" the Peo-
pic" have a right t. do it. Schuyler Lly-
ingston, John J. Aston, jr, Matthew Nor
gan, Charles A. Davis, and others, Whose
| names have been used as Vice Presidents to
usher such doctrines before the people, have
no sovereign inaienable rights, even TO the
houses they live in, whenever the maj ority IN
the 9th and like Wards of the State can win
majority to alter or amend, or abolish the
State Constitution or compact, which secures
them the rights Of property.
10 the South. especially, such doctrines
as these of Mr.. Dix are lar more destructive
than his Wlimot PrOvso doctrines OF 1911
-'4S--fyr they subvert the Fed raj Constl-
tuition, which secures 70 the South, under
that Constitution, its slave property, and It's
rights, now largely in tue minority OF tnis
Union"