Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-04-17

Georgia or whether it will only be submitted TO tne
State Convention now in session at Savannah ~
is the design to submit it to the Convention only,
and not give the people q hearing on it, we must
protest. and that seriously, against any member o.
the Southern Congress again taking seat in the
State Convention.
"The Convention in electing delegates to Con
gress, took nearly all from their own body ana IL
would seem but just and proper that the acceptance
of seats in Congress ought to vacate their seats IN
the Convention 1t is mere mocksry for tho same !
men oho m ade the Constitution IN montgomery 20
come back to Georgia and ratify 1t. They are out
ratifying their own act and holding on to two ON
ceS at the same time. ',. -.
"When the people of Georgia voted for delegates
to go to the State Convention they had no idea OF
giving up their rights entirely into the hands OF an
aristocracy, with power to put such Government
over them as they Night see fit, without giving
them chance to ratify or reject The questions
which necessarily grow out Of the adoption OF
new Constitution were not before the people when
the delegates wsSe-ected to the Convention; hence
we contend that the new Constitution ought to De
submitted to vote of the people direct or it ought
to be laid before them-give them a chance to see
whatt is, and then let them have another election
for delegates and elect them upon the questions in
volved in the new Constitution. When the people
know what the new Constitution is, and either vote
directly to rafy it themselves, or elect delegates to
ratify it in State Convention, they will be satslled
and feel themselves bound by it. But, until they
have hearing and say SO as to what KIND OF
Government they shall have, discomfort and dscord
will most certainly reign to some extent among
them."-Gri6in (Ga.) Union.
A writer in the Macon (Ga) Journal and Messen-
ger, endorsed by that paper as an eminent Jurlst
enters his protest against the whole proceeding in
the following terms:
"If the new Government is to be established, it
must receive the assent of the people in some way
before it can be held to be binding on them: They
have been absolved by their State Convention from
allegiance; or, if another term is preferable, from
obedience to the Government of the United States
Can their allegiance or obedience be transferred to
another Government without their consent? lfso
by whom can the transfer be made? Who invested
any body of men with authority thus to transfer
the allegiance of the people from ono Government
to another? If the grant Of power exists any where
let it be shown. If no such grant exists then the
people have the right and privilege of deciding for
themselves under what form of government they
will live. This is an important right, it is great
and inestimable privilege and is the foundation OF
free government Indeed, without it, what is called
free government cannot exist.
"If the State Conventions which were called for
another purpose can assume that they are the peo-
pie, that they have the unlimited power of the peo-
such an assumption of power they can appoint dele
gates to General Convention without consulting
the people, and can fix upon them new Govern
ment without their consent, then principle which
has always been considered fundamental in this
country and 'prized above all price is gone Let
the people no longer deude themselves with the
notion that they have the right of selfgovernment"
From the Columbus (Ga) Inquirer Of 2stb ultI
BAD FEELING IN NORTH ALABAMA.-The telegraph
advised us on Wednesday that President Lincoln
had appointed Hon. George W. Lane Judge Of the
Federal District Court of Alabama. We are not adj
vsed whether Judge Lane was an applicant for the
appointment, whether he will accept it now that
it has been conferred upon him. But we know that
he lives in North Alabama, and that in that over
whelming Democratic region there is still strong
manifestation not only of repusnance but Of factous
opposition to the government of the Confederate
States and it is for the purpose of recognizing and
fostering this feeling that this appointment has been
made We have heretofore endeavored to ignore
this dsafection in North Alabama, but it seems to
have now taken such definite form to require no.
tice. We therefore note the aninsus of two recent
popular meetings in that section, reports of the
ton of which are now before us. At Athens, Lime
stone county, on the 18th instant an adjourned meet
ing re-assembed at which resolutions sustaining Sc
cession and the of the Confederate States
were offered and rejected, and in their stead the
meeting, by vote of 1879 to &c. passed resolutions
demanding that the Constitution of the Confederate
States then ratified by the Convention Of Alabama)
should be submitted to the people, and declaring in
favor of reconstruction whenever the non-slavehold.
Ing States give suitable guarantees &c. There may
not he anything factious in this, but the Athens
Banner of the Goth, reporting the action of the
meeting, adds that the people of Limestone have
idea of being deprived Of the privilege of recon-
Iyvhapaver q cnitahla occaS;nn opv
more than they have of,surrenderng their rights
feemen to the fifty -four secession delegates of the
Convention, who assume to be the State of Alaba-
ma" This looks like rebellions opposition, and a
reputation of the authority of the Convention
Still more revolutionary were the proceedings of
public meeting held in Frankfort, Franklin coun-
ty, on the 22d inst, and reported in the Tuscumbia
North Alabamian. The resolutions adopted by this
meeting approve the course of their delegates in re-
fusing to sign the Secession Ordinance denounce
the refusal to submit the Ordinance to popular
vote; deny the right of secession; declare the Union
perpetual, and announce that they will not willing
ly give our support to the State of Alabama in her
present stand, but will do all that We can to the
contrary; also, that our Congressional nominee,
if elected is to represent US in the United States
Congress, and not in this socalled Southern Con-
federacy." There can be no question that this is
faction and revolution it is refusing to submit to
law ana authority, ana recognizing allegiance to .
foreign power We, and the members generally of
the party with whom we have been associated, al
ways acquiesce in the decision of the State, express
sed in a constitutional and legal manner, however
much we may be opposed to the policy before its
adoption. History must do the Wing party the JUS
tce to record that it was party of faction or
violence, but always submitted peaceably and with
good grace to popular decisions and the laws of the
land. erejoice in the conviction that the recent
and existing extraordinary political connections fur.
nish no exception to this rule There are members
of our party who condemn the action of the Con-
yention, and the Congress perhaps, who
look forward hopefully to reconstruction under
proper guarantees; but they know no medium but
the ballot-box, and eheerfully acknowledge allie
glance and perform their duties to the new govern
ment Very different seems to be the feeling in
many parts of Democratic North Alabama.
In view of these manifestations, is not the new
Government pursuing q very unwise policy in still
adhering to old party divisions in its appointments
to Office and dispensation of official favors Why