The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-30
BALTIMORE.
TUESDAY, MARCH 80, 1853.

Among the reports of debates in the Senate last
week, while the Kansas Bill was pending, we find
the following enlightened observations credited to
one of the Honorable Senators from Georgia.
Mr.. Iverson expressed his dissent from the sec
ond amendment offered by the Senator from Mis-
souri-Mr. Greenland although he was in his
seat when the vote was taken ON that question, he
had declined to vote, not wishing to be found in
the company of the Republicans for when a boy
he had been told that if pigeon got in among a
flock of blackbirds and sportsman fired into the
flock, the pigeon would be as likely to be killed as
any of them. He therefore, wished to keep out of
bad company"
The point to which the amendment of Mr. Green
was directed, was the right of the people of Kan
sas to change their constitution, in any mode other
than that prescribed by the instrument itself Mr..
lverson, it appears, thought that they had such
right, and after the preliminary remarks which we
have quoted, he proceeded to say so. Whether he
was right or wrong in his opinion, it is not our
present purpose to inquire. The people of Mary
land, some few years back, thought differently from
him, and accordingly abolished their old constItu-
tion without the slightest respect to the provisions
which it contained for its own alteration To be
perfectly consistent however they inserted in their
new constitution-the blessed one under which we
live at present-an express declaration that it
should not be CATERED, changed OF abolished, ex-
cept in the manner therein prescribed and direct
ed The Legislature which has lately adjourned
in order, suppose, to make the matter of con-
sistency altogether complete and satisactory-has
provided for the calling of convention to abolish
the existing constitution and get up another, in
supremest contempt of the prohibition which but
seven years ago was made so imperative. IT. there
fore, Mr. lverson had represented Maryland, he
might have had his choice of doctrines with the
certainty of being sustaned-on the one side by
the precept on the other by the practice of his
constituents. So far as that was concerned, he
might have been a pigeon ''blackbird" at
his option with chance, if shot at, of being
hit or missed
But, as we have said, this is not what the ee-
giant extract above inserted chiefly suggests to us.
Mr.. lverson is a sworn legislator grave ques-
ton of constitutional doctrine is before him to be
passed upon. He entertains a deliberate and con-
Scentious conviction, that the doctrine advanced
by the amendment is q vicious constitutional her
esy. He cannot recognise it by his vote and vet
he will not vote against it-because he does not
wish to be found in the company of the Republi-
cans y He will not do his duty, because he does
not fancy the complexion of those who are doing
the same duty at the same time He might be
treated at home as if he We're an ''abolitionist."
The sovereigns along the Chatahoochee might deal
with him as if he had gone over, bodily to CARR
son and Fred. Douglass. "Pigeon" though he
Was-the veriest ring-dove-he trembled lest if he
got in among a flock of blackbirds" he might be
what? Corrupted in his doves innocence? Not
at all. Converted actually into plunde.er of
mems cornfelds? By no means He was afraid
that somebody might ''fire into the flock - and he
the descendant of Noah's pioneer-might be
likely to be killed. In plain English, he had so
lofty an idea of his constituents and supposed
them TO have so elevated appreciation of him,
as their representative, that he thought it might
damage his prospects at home were he to degrade
himself by doing right, in company with free
soiler. And so he declined to vote his sentiments
and having thus made to himself clean record,
thought that he could pacify his selfrespect by
little twadde, which would not go into the lists of
yeas and nays Probably, tomorrow, some
Black-Repubican Senator-Mr. Seward, perhaps.
whose recent onslaught on the Supreme Court
shows that he is in no wise scrupulous about a
trlHe-will refuse to vote for what he knows to be
right, in such bad company as Mr.. VERSIONS, and
we shall have the ''blackbird" sideNf the same
pathological morality. Yet these aN Senators
Surely it is to be hoped that when the people do
fire into the 1ock,' they will give it the benefit
OF heavy CHARGE and both harralc