New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-07
REVISING rIa CONSTITUTION.


The remedy which the President proposes for
the existing political evils Of the country Is re-
vision III the Federal Constitution, aud the inser
ton of certain specific guarantees Of what the
south considers her Just rights within the Unioni
We have already shown that the amendments
which the President suggests are already Ia the
Constitution, to all intents and purposes--that the
Supreme Court has solemnly decided that they are
there. or are legitimately deducible from rights
expressly granted-and that, even were it possible
to procure the adoption of these amendments By
The Abolition States Of the North, we would have
no assurance that the Abolition party would re-
spect those rights then, any more than they have
been respecting heretofore the plain provisions Of
| the Constitution as 1t now is.
IN addition 10 tia, if the door be once opened to
amendments, as we have already SD, there IS no
telling where the thing viii stop. Black Republ
canism may take advantage of the circumstance
to foist into the Constitution the most obnoxious
provisions. They may get our implied pledge to
observe Constitution containing death and de.
struction to Southern interests, and fraught with
powers which may be used for the perpetual sub
jugation Of the South, her nfamy, dishonor and
disgrace.
TO show in what light this proposition to revise
the Constitution is viewed at the North, and to
what uses the effort would very likely be put We
extract from the New York Tribune q communea-
ton which lately appeared in that paper:
To ihe Editor Of the New York Tribune;
Sis.-Much is said about Convention to revise
the Constitution. The South and the North have
outgTown the present form of Government. The
great body of the Northern people are not willing
that any body of men shall cast three votes for
ave nj w bnN
willing that three hundred thousand men, even
though they be Shareholders, shall govern the ma
ton. Let us have arevision of the Constitution by
all MEANS Let us do away with Presidential Elect.
ors--mere middle men--and vote direct for Presi-
dent. and let the majority rule. The term of office
should be at least ten years, SO that policy
should be more settled. A bad Government is
| better than constant change. In the coming Con
vention, plain language that cannot be misinter-
preted can be used on the subject of fugitive
slaves. would suggest the following on this sub
ject:
responsible for all incidents connected with the
violation Of tile law OF God to do unto others as
we would they should do unto us. Every one SO
offending shall fight his own battles and catch his
own niggers. No Christian man shall be fined or
imprisoned for obedience to the law Of God in Civ
ing food to the hungry or clothes to the needy.
Cleveland, Ohio, Nov 2, 1850 L.
| Thus we see what we are to expect if we COM
mence tinkering the Constitution. The representa-
ton of slaves is TO be abolished which would take
away from some Of the Southern States nearly one
half Of their strength in Congress well in the
Electoral College. This is to be followed up by a
| purely democratic mode Of electing President
| the people voting directly, and mere majority
ruling absolutely. Then the President is to be
elected for ten years-the people having no oppor-
| tunity to remove him, if he should be corrupt,
incompetent or tyrannical. Lastly, no STAKEHOLDER
is to be allowed to reclaim his property, except he
fight his own battles.'
| Such is a programme Of the amendments which
this writer proposes, and we are of opinion he does
| not misrepresent the public sentiment in many
States of the North This is the feast to which the
South is TO be invited when the tables are set for
revising the Constitution This is the entertain
ment which will be provided for u.s. just so sure as
we take the advice of the President and agree to
his weak and imbecile proposition to amend the
Constitution
Mr.. Buchanan ought to know, from his long con-
nection with the public affairs of the country that
this is not d Government of force He ought to
known that under a popular form of Government
men cannot be compelled to do right where they
are determined to do wrong, and have the aid Of
the balotbox to help them to do it. Where popu-
lar suffrage prevails, and the will Of the majority
is absolute, all Objectionable laws and obligations
will be repealed, or else eyaded and practically
nnllifed- Unless the people Of the North are dis
posed to do the just thing under the present Con
stitution, they would not do it under a new one.
It is not the Constitution that wants mending, but
it is the spirit the temper, the heart of those who
refuse toobey its commands This is the real diff
Guilty; and one who has been q politician so long
that he alfeetionately styles himself Old Public
Functionary, has put his powers Of observation
and of study to but poor use, if he has not long
ago reached this inevitable conclusion
III. Fillmore told the Northern people to their
faces that the South would not submit to sec
tional Abolition rule in the Government, and
moreover. that they ought not to do it. Caleb
Cushing has recently told them the meNling. If
the Old Public Funotionary cannot elevate himself
to the same level of patriotism with Fillmore and
Cushing, but mocks us with the absnrdity of Con
sttuonal revision, he had better resign the seals
Of his Office at, once, go to Wheatland, and fulfil
his engagement to write for Bonner's Ledger. We
want no more such Old Public Functionaries as
he is.