The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-08-20

AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION.

mr. Editor You manifest willingness
that the subject Of changing our Consti.
,u,iOn should be fully discussed, and kept
bsfore the people until the first Thursday in
september next, when you say it will disap-
near like bright exhalation in the evening
and never be heard Of more, and that it lie a
waste Of time to discuss the subject of Con-
1sption, &c. Now, / ask if that manner of
meeting question is not unfairi Is it not
IN keeping with the blatfng no chance argu.
ments that can only be tolerated when the
people are in high state of excitement p
And as to your yru,aitous remarks about
what YOU are pleased 20 term "the allusion to
rsvisinc the translation of the Bible" we
mass them over for the present, reserving to
ourself the right to have private conversa-
ton with you upon that subject at some suit.
able time. We will now say we have read
and considered the propositions contained in
Hon. Mr.. Bullock's letter to W. C. ", on the
subject Of amending our Constitution, and do
heartily concur in the same, except to that
which relates to the election of the Judiciary
and the executive officers. We are "Popu-
lar Sovereignty Inherent Rights Man" all
over. We believe that those who are ruled
ought to elect their rulers-from the lowest
to the highest officer in this government 1t
has been too recently demonstrated that the
peoples representatives in our State lin their
conservative manner, as you perhaps might
call it, erred most awfully in their selection
of an executive officer not to say officers -
When the people themselves err or make
bad choice in the selection of their officers,
thew have nobody to blame-let them correct
their own errors.
Now, Mr.. Post, will you honestly oncerin
your investigating mind what the Hon. Mi
caah Bullock says against ''private legisla-
ton" and the Banks. 1t would he well for
every voter in Tennessee to thoroughly inves-
tigate the prcpriety of sustaining the call for
a Convention. Nothing is more true than
the adage, "Remove the cause and the effect
ceases" Prohibit local legislation and you
will considerably lessen the costs of legisla-
ton. If it was done the Legislature need
not be in session longer than sixty or ninety
days. The people should not be surprised if
here and there q printe, should be found OPP
posed to the Constitution prohibiting local
legislation, for there is also another old say
ing among the people that is too true to make
joke Of: preachers may preach what's
false or true it's interest moves the wheels
along in all we say or do" 1t is the usage OF
all political parties to give the public print
ing to their special friends, which, by the by.
is fat job indeed. The people ought to
know that the printing of the private acts
and journals constitute grand item in their
taxes-by which, in general. they are not
benefited one red cent. Well, we will further
say, that the spoils in printing are sometimes
distributed 1--WE believe that's the word)
among the various presses in the State, which
you know, as the saying is. makes Emusic
easy"
The Editor of the Post seems to be well
informed about the dangers attending sea-
faring, and makes some beautiful remarks
about our ship of State--talks alarmingly |
about the storms and perils at sen, DC. DC.
But he seems to have forgotten that the sea
farer occasionally gets his vessel into the
deep broad sea, where there are no breezes
to watt the ship, but where there is an etern'
oil dead ealp,-where the heart of the hardy
seaman sickens and dies. Give me the storms
Of old ocean rather than her dead calnis.-
And as eternal vigilance is the price of ]lber-
ty, it is the right Of the people of Tennessee
to be up and doing--awake to their interests,
and make such alterations in our Constitution
asjustice imperiously demands. We particu-
larry desire that the Editor of the Post would
arouse and get out Of the dead calmn into
which his little vessel has been waited by his
antprogressve notions and show fruits meet
for repentance, by first amending and enlarg'
ing our Post, for McMinn is known to be
great wheat growing countryside Railroad
ruus through its entire Iength-there are two
Banks and one Chancery Judge within its
territory, and has a population of fifteen
thousand. She is entitled to an enlarged pa
per. Secondly, by helping the people make
such Constitution as Tennessee should have.
It is all stuff to talk about amending our
Constitution by the present indirect and te
diOus mode. The people are now taxed high
and will inevitably have to be taxed much
higher before the States Indebtedness will be
paid off Equality and uniformity in taxa
ton is what the people SO much desire, and
sooner or later they will obtain l.. And as
TO the Banks. or the Bank question, or the
vested rights question, who is brave enough
to deny the right of the people to seek a
Constitutional remedy against the wrongs of
Tennessee Banking.
am youis, as heretofore,
Vox PoPUE.