Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-04-07
AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION
REFORE 1894

AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION
BEFORE 1864
The Philadelphia P,css, in itsissuo ofthe
st inst, whether designing to avail i!sclf
of the latitudeallowed by custom, to make
April fools" of it's readers, orwhetherim-
PEELED by the Influence that "aRtoopsdaP
had over it, makes this extraordinary am
nouncoment, "BEAR ~ MIND, CITIZENS -
that the Senate bin to be voted on in the
national House eff Representatives to-day,
in referenoeto Kansas, evades auddestroys
the principle that the people Of that Ter
ri;ory can alter and amend the Lecompton
1Constitution outside of its prescribed pro-
visions, and that all propositions to reserve
this right to the people Of Kansas have
been withdrawn and voted down." 81
p, No better specimen than the above will
ful Misrepresentation Of the case as it veal
ly stands, could or need be given Of
the reckless attempts which the anti-Le-
compton papers are making to mislead
and deceive the credulous and unsuspect-
ing portion of tie community.
The Press, or rather its imnna culato edi.
tor, knew when he penned the above par
agraph, to use the mildest language we
can just now think OF, that he was stating
hs pery revese Of the truth.
The editor of the Press knew when he
made this statement, that the very rea-
son why such declaration was OBJ
objected to in the bill for the admission of
p Kansas was, that the right of sovereign
people to ''inodify, reform or abolish their
form Of government at any and all times,
when public sentiment demanded it, was
so well settled and acknowledged both by
the principles upon which our institutions
are based, and the uniform practice under
them, that it was considered not merely
superfluous, but it seemed like negativng
a doctrine, the correctness of which had
never before been called in question, to
have made an acknowledgment of such a
right in favor of the people of Kansas
And thing unknown in tho history Of
the admission ofnew States
- The editor knew further that the Pres
dent in his special message accompanying
the Lecompton Constitution distinctly de-
clared his conviction to be that: "Ifthere-
fore, the provision for changing the Kan
sas constitution, after the year one thou
sand eight hundred and sixty-four, could
by any possibility be construed into pro.
hibition to make such change previous
to that period, this prohibition would be
wholly uhavailing.p
Aud still further, he knew that the ma
jority report of the committee of the Sen
ate on Territories, expressed their belief
and recommended that it should be SC
considered by Congress, that the schedul,
accompanying the Leoompton corstitu
ton in which alone the clause in relation
to the amendment thereof is found, wa
no part Of the constitution itself, and tha
Kansas could be admitted as well withou
n AS with it. 0
And the ditor of the Press knew still
further, that the bill for the admission o
Kansas, to which he refers, in the secont
section and in the following language
enunciates the very principle which h
falsely asserts it "evades and dcstroys."-
'~Nothing in this act shall be construed to
abridge or infringe any right of the peo
pie asserted in the constitution Of Kansas
at all times to alter, reform, or abolisl
their form of government in such manne
as they may deem proper; Congress here
by disclaiming any authority to interven,
or declare the construction of the oonsti
tuition Of any State, except to see that i
is Republican in form and not in conhic
4, with the Constitution of the United States
y aud nothing IN his act shall be construed as a
sz.asset By Congress 10. at or any Of He prof
ositons or claims contained in the or{5ucs an
nered t5-'le said Constitution Of he PEOPLE Q
- hqnGsS," What must honest Democrat
% think of a journal and its editor, who
iif protesting to be the faithful defenders q
truth and justice, and the champion, pa
q, efesl'enee. Of the principles Of Democracy
sswill thus palpably and recl,lessly porver
and misrepresent such an important fact
Nothing but the most reckless disegar
of the truth, and the most malignant ha
tired Of the party and the menwho sustain
"a measure, could prompt any man to thu
'stultify himseifin the face, Of Tie country
when he-knows-hs- cannot -escape detec
g. ition and eXpostire. -. -h-4
We do not consider Of any imrortanc
whatever, the declaration made in the bi
for the admission of Kansas, that Con
gress does not "abridgc or infringe an
right of the people" of Kansas Ito altel
amend or abolish their form Of govern
M ment' at all times "and in such 'manne
as they may deem proper;" that she "dh
-. L.. .naN. D