Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1861-03-30

TPE PKoPLR NOT ALLowrD TO VorE lit
IA now settled that in neither Of the seven
seeded states will the people be allowed TO
vote on the Montgomery constitution.
The Alabama convention accepted Il for thai
state on the very day Il received an anthem.
tic copy, greatly to the disgust Of the Union
men Of the state, especially Of It's northern
section. who insist that the convention had
no right to act for the people aud that they
will not recognize their action us binding.
The Louisiana convention rejected by n vote
of 26 to "A an ordinance TO submit the con-
sn,ution to the people Of that state, and
then proceeded to ratify II, with but few
dissenting votes. The South Carolina con.
venlion is 10 reassemble on the Goth for the
same purpose, and there is prospect OF
more strenuous opposition to the constitution
than in any other Of the state conventions
not from any reaction towards the Union,
bnt because Sontb Carolina does not obtain
IN the new confederacy any Of the objects
for which she left the Union. She will
probably accept the Montgomery constitu.
lion. however, rather than go back to the
isolation of entire independence, hoping that
after the confederncy has got possession Of
the other slave states or ceased to bait them,
she can get the constitution amended to suit
her peculiar notions The Georgia, Florid
aud Mississippi conventions have yet to act
on the constitution. In the last named
state IN open and gallant fight is making
against secession, aud the Union party in,
sist earnestly on the submission Of the con.
stituton to the people. This wonld seem
to be the true policy for the sessionists, and
the fact that they do not adopt it in oil the
seeded states shows beyound doubt that
they have no confidence that the majority OF
the people are with them. In Louisiana
there was small Union majority in the
vote electing delegates to the convention
and the Union men say it would be much
larger now against the Montgomery constitu-
ton. The Union men of Mississippi arc
very confident the people Of that state would
vote down the constitution. If it seems n
present necessity, therefore, to the seces.
sion leaders TO push their movement on
without reference to the people, it is ap'
parent that the operation is n hazardous
one, and that it must greatly strengthen
the Union reaction. The southern people
are not so infatuated that they cannot see
that under the name Of liberty they are suf
fering themselves to be robbed Of the most
essential prerogative Of freedom, voice il
the adoption Of the constitution under which
they must live. The general evidences o.
this healthy reaction multiply, and there j,
reason to believe that if freedom of opinion
and speech were not suppressed and intimi
dated in Secessia as never before in any
American communities the voices of tht
patriotic aud conservative classes would b
still more loudly and decisively heard in dc
manding q return TO the Union. If thes
classes are defrauded of an opportunity t
act on the question of the new consultation
we may be sure they will make themselve
felt in the state and general elections whicl
are soon to occur under it.