The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-22
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, APRIL %, 1858.

a New Constitution On Tuesday, the Sun 'haVlng
long entertained the opinion that 1t was competent
for the people of the State acting under the law,
to change the constitution when they see proper SO
to do was content to Golfer no opposition to
the means adopted to ascertain their will. 1t
was willing to ''await an explanation of the reasons
which make the alteration in the instrument de-
sirable at this tme' On Wednesday, the San
ceases to be open to conviction. 1t pronounces
the present movement in favor of Reform, to be
simply legislative caprice, dictated by party i'm
pulses" 1t calls it "a most dangerous and mis-
chievous innovation" 1t says ere should be
false to the great conservative principles of demo-
cratic republicanism, if suffer this wrong to be
matured in action, if we connive at, or sane
ton it." 1t 'insists upon the fact that whether
the movement shall result in an amended or an
impaired State constitution shall be arrested at
the outset it is directly in conflict with the funda-
mental principles of our system of government,
arbitrary, and subversive of the popular sovereign
ty." After thus defining its position it may safely
be assumed that the San has ceased ''to await an
explanation of the reasons which make the altera-
ton in the instrument desirable.' The twenty
four hours within which, it appears such ''expla-
nation was required to be given, had elapsed,
and ''no good and sufficient cause to the contrary
having been shown" the Sun proceeds to indulge
in a wholesale denunciation of the Reform move
ment in the words which we have quoted That
the Sun should have fallen into such grievous
error, is probably owing to the very short time
which it allowed itself for reflection upon the subject
One day could scarcely afford time enough to
III oil tbo
alteration desirable" Otherwise, the Sun would
scarcely have committed the further inconsistency
of pronouncing 'the movement to be tdirectly
in conflict with the fundamental principles of our
system of government" in the face of its opinion
'long entertained that it is competent for the
people of the State, acting under the law to change
the constitution when they see proper so to do
The Sun can scarcely mean to insist that the clause
contained in the Bill of Rights, prohibiting any
change or alteration in the constitution stexcept in
the manner therein prescribed and directed" can
constitute any limitation upon 'the inalienable right
of the people, at all times to alter, reform or abolish
their form of government" since if we remember
Alright similar prohibition in the old constitution
was not thought by the Sun to be any obstacle in
the way of its abolition in 1851. The truth is the
opposition of the Radicals to any change in the
present organic law, arises from the fear that the
change contemplated by the authors of the present
movement, will not be favorable to their net theory
that the Collective principle should be applied s'to
all the relations which exist in State" not only
ITO the case of governor or of member of the
legislature but ''to the office of a Judge and n
clerk" In the face of the avowed belief of the
Radicals in the truth of this principle, their appeal
'to the great conservative principles of democratic
repubicansm," is simply absurd. Not that we
understand ourselves what is meant by ''the con-
sentative principles of democratic republicanism
or that we SUI pose for one moment, that they who
use this high-sounding phrase have any definite
idea as to its meaning-ori is simply meaningless.
Conservatism and democracy have hardly been in
the history of Maryland politics, synonymous
terms. Every radical measure of reform which
has been carried through by fair means or foul,
since the days of the 'Glorious Nineteen has
owed its success to the party which claimed to be
most democratic. Under the cover of that most
specious and much-abused term, old landmarks
have been removed, and old bulwarks thrown
down, and system of popular or rather mob-rule
introduced, the effects of which the democratic
party are now bitterly rueing. We speak thus
frankly upon the subject, because our own princi-
pies by this time must be pretty well understood
by our readers, and because are not afraid to
call things by their right names, and to say what
we think. We are thoroughly opposed to the ap-
plication of that elective principle upon which
the present constitution is based" according to the
Sun, ''to all the relations which exist in a State
Nc ara NOT 90 Oh
Stables and have been sorely exercised in canvass
ing the merits of a poll-ticket which has grown
almost to the dimensions of an Abolitonist Peti-
ton. We do not think that ''the capacity for
sound Judgment and wise selection in relation to
''the offices of judge and clerk exists in the
blackguards and street DULLES of great city, and
have had quite enough of the inestimable blessing
secured to us by the Bill of Rights, ''of free and
frequent popular elections We have found
them altogether too Gree and too 'freouent' for
our taste, and would rather be spared if possible
an unnecessary repetition of the scenes of last
October and November We are in favor of a
reform of the present Constitution, with the view
OF getting rid of some of the provisions which the
Sun thinks prudent honest and impartial" We
are disposed to 60 step farther than that Journal
which comedies that ''the present Constitution of
Maryland is possibly defective" concession,
Which, it sagely adds, may be made with regard
TO ''any human device and certainly any govern
mental institution" We hold that the present
Constitution of Maryland is radically defective, and
wish to see it reformed altogether" We are not
disposed to be very grateful to the late Legislature
or anything but the measures which they did not
hrrtx
Bill. We do not see that thereby any
wise and wholesome provision of the new Consti-
ution has been infringed,' or that sthe principle
IT popular sovereignty has been wrested from its
legitimate construction by the party action of
legislative body" The Legislature have done
lothlng more than submit the question to the
eope, whether or not they will have Convention
ito frame new Constitution and Form of Govern
nent for this State" 1t is for the people to vote
for or against a Convention and if their
ecision should be in favor of Reform, the act will
re one not of Legislative caprice" but of that
popular Sovereignty for which the San processes
UGH unbounded respect. To charge that the
Movement 'had party origin and support, and
vas sustained and carried by party votes" and to
ndeavor thereby to enlist the sympathies and pre-
ldices of any particular political faction in OPPOSE
on to Reform, is the sure way to defeat what the
I'm, in common with ourselves, comedies to be
esirable, viz ''that the people, independent of all
arty dominancy, shall have an opportunity to
eclare their sentiments upon so important
leaSure."
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
Manager STEWART opens the Front Street Thea
'e tonight with the opera of Traviata, the princ
al characters being sustained by GAzzANIGGA and