Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-05-14

putinto practice EIorace's "NH oelmirore'
they wonder at nothing. g
That the elective franchise has been
so shamefully abused as to amount to a
mere mockery; that the lives Of inno-
cent citizens have been ruthlessly sacri-
feed to the spirit of faction, or to carry
out the aims Of designing politicians ];
and finally, that an attempt has been
made to subvert the very constitution
under which they live, have failed to
produce any impression upon them.
We have long lamented the distracted
condition of our native State. We have
long lamented the patience exhibited by
her citizens under the most grieyous in
jurics. We have long lamentcd that
Ma,glander2 used politically should
be fern Of reproach in all our sister
States. But these, although great evils
such as should not have been endured
are triling, when compared with this
climax of their atrocties-this attempt
to subvert the constitution For their
offences against law and order--lor the
manifold injuries they have inflicted upon
soeiety-there was some consolation in
the idea that ''time at length sets all
things even" We knew that, in an
enlightened community, Know-nothing
domination must be Of short duration,
and that, when their ruffian sway had
given place to law and order rule, we
could set to work and remedy most of
the mischief they had done. We never
dreamed that their motley Assembly
would dare make any attack upon the
constitution. But when, by any politi-
cal CONFUSION, lawless ruffans have OBJ
tanned power, what bounds has their
madness what limit their audacity?
We do not pretend to deny that the
people have right to change or utterly
annul the present constitution, at their
sovereign will and pleasure. We hold
now, as we ever have done, the true
Democratic doctrine, that all power ema-
mates from the people; that when any
government becomes destructive of the
ends for which twas instituted, it is the
right of the people to alter or to abolish
it, and to institute new government,
laying its foundation on such principles
and organizing its powers in such form
as to them shall seem most likely to eff
feet their safety and happiness. But we
do not think the people should exert
this, their highest prerogatiyc, for light
and trivial causes. No one doubts but
that a man would have a perfect right to
demolish new and costly edice he had
Just erected but would any sane person
do this simply because he had the power
ito do it--or because some particular
apartment was not exactly according to
his taste, and go to the expense Of build
ing new one? Our present constitu-
ton is structure, belonging to the whole
people of this State--reared at great ex
pense by the best architects in it-and
we will not destroy it to crafty the GU
pidity or caprice of dissatisfied factionists
There can be no parallel drawn be-
tween this rcyolutonary-this anarchical
move on the part of the last Know-no-
thing Legislature and thl calm, dcibcra-
tive manner in which the last reform
convention was brought about Then,
the question had been discussed for years
before the people; the public mind had
been gradually led to see the necessity
of reform, and was prepared for the
change There was then, too, great
cause for reform. The constitution of
1776 had been SO frittered away by
amendments that the Office of Chancellor
was the only thing left of it; and the
bench throughout the whole State was
occupied by old broken down political
hacks. This present move operates as a
surprise upon the whole people; and the
most obtuso intellect could not fail to dis
cover its object The Know-nothiugs
having gained a temporary triumph in
this State, by the election Of Governor
Hicks, found they had grasped a compara-
lively barren sceptre. They saw no
means of getting possession Of certain
fat ofllees-which they must have at all
hazards but by efectug an entire revo-
luton in the government, and they have
attempted that. How different this mar
row, mean, selfish policy from the mag
nanimity exhibited by the Democrats in
the last reform conventions When they
took all the most important Offices from
the Governor aud gave them to the people,
the gubernatorial chair was filed BY a
Democrat
Viii the sovereign people Of this State
surrender the patronage they now enjoy
to such selfish tricksters? or will they,
by voting against this revolutionary move
ment, avoid the expense of Convention.
which We have shown to be far worse
than useless, and retain the Offices in
their own safe keeping?
But there would be worse eonse-
quence than all these attending the sue
cess Of their plans. Should they succeed
in undoing all that was done by the late
Democratic Convention, and thereby gain
an increase Of patronage would not the
Democracy, as soon as they got into
power-not very remote contingency
undo all that they had done And this
would be the case at every change Of
administration, until the people lost all
respect for their institutions of every
kind, and anarchy would reign supreme
A -Four WITH GRAssnopprRs. Tho
Gonzales ('roxas) Inquirer has IN anu
sing account Of the invasion of that city
by grasshoppers, and the attempt Of the
citizens to repell the invaders:
Everybody turned out--men, wo
men, and children. white and black
everybody, with Gre and sword, brush
es and brooms, blankets, and buckets
nnr....l A.. ~ Anual.- ..n.nni..A l..,A - :.