The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-21
BALTIMORE.
WEDNESDAY,, APRIL 81, 1853.

We alluded yesterday to the fact that on the 26th
of May next the sense of the people" of Maryland
will be taken "upon the expedency of calling
convention to frame new Constitution for the
State We spoke of the Importance of the question
thus submitted to the popular vote, but failed, it
would seem, to do full justice to its magnitude
We were not aware of the extent of the duty which
would devolve upon the Convention. We had
read, but had not fully comprehended the meaning
of the duplication, recently addressed ''to the
Hon. Thomas H. Hicks, Governor of Maryland"
by the 'Mass Convention of the Citizens of the
Counties of the Eastern Shore, held at Easton
Talbot County, April 14th and 18th, 1853" A
re-perusa of that document advises us of the fact
before unknown, that in addition to framing "a
New Constitution and Form of Government for
the State, the Convention will be called upon to
draft "a new bond of confederation between the
Eastern and the Western Shores. The gentlemen
who met in 'Nlass Convention at Easton, refer to
the proposed call for Constitutional Convention
and explicitly demand that an opportunity shall be
afforded them Ito ascertain whether their RIGHTS
can protected in Maryland before they are called
on to unite with the Western Shore in preparinq
neac bond Of confederation" That is the identical
language of the "Applicaton." The idea of the
relations which exist between two fractional parts
of the same State, entertained by these gentlemen,
though altogether erroneous, is not new. The
same crude conception of the principles of consti-
tutional law once had possession of the brain of a
certain Mayor of Baltimore, who talked of CHS
constitutional sphere" as head of municipal cor
poraton, and seemed to think that the corporate
franchises conferred upon the city by its charter,
were the sovereign attributes of an independent
people. The notion is mischievous as it is alb
surd, and while we acqut the authors of the
application" of any disposition to do more than
vndcate what they believe to be the just claims of
their section, we regret that they should have
fallen into the use of language so loose and I'M
guarded. The heresy is one, which, if suffered to
take root in the popular mind, may yet lead to
dangerous consequences, and in the hands of dema-
gogues and traitors be made the convenient cloak
OF sedition and rebellion. The principle of coned-
Grafton which applies to the Constitution of the
United States has no place whatever in the consti-
tutions of the several States. The State of Mary
land is one and indivsible. Her constitution is
not federal compact but organic law, and her
sovereignty vests in the whole people of the State
and in the people of the whole State, taken as q
unit. There is ''no bond of confederation be-
tween the different Shores or the different counties
of the State, and no rights pertaining to either
section or DIVISION other than are reserved in the
Bill OF Rights, or conferred by the Constitution
and the laws made under it. The City of Balti-
more owes its franchises not to any inherent RIGHTS
which may exist in the imagination of its ssCbief
Magistrate" but to the bounty of the State, and
to legislative enactment. I.s charter is the meas
nre OF its corporate powers, which the Legisla-
ture gave, and which the Legislature may take
away.
1t may seem strange that we should be thus par
ncular IN the refutation of palpable heresy as
that to which we have referred. When we recol
lect, however, that this is the second time within
SIX months that the heresy has been put forward as
gospel truth in State papers of the most solemn and
formal description, and has been preached on both
sides of the Chesapeake and by men in official
station, our protest against it may appear less
unnecessary. The doctrine is one which is radical
and revolutionary, and its adoption would prove
subverslve of all social ORDER and stable govern
ment If 1t holds good as between the different
shores OF the State,-why not between the differ
ent counties? If applicable to the counties-why
not to ELECTION districts and wards? Why not,
in one word, apply the principles of ''the social
compact to society at large, and view the State
as but an aggregation of sovereign individuals?
The doctrine of ''the higher law will furnish an
appropriate rule of Interpretation in doubtful cases.
and the constitutional right of secession will
afford suitable remedy in case of infraction. We
are aware that theories quite as wild have found
place in the dreams of philosophers, but we hope
the day will never come when they will be accepted
as sound constitutional law among the statesmen
of Maryland