Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-28
HE LEGISLATIVE POWER.

4
| SEC. 2-I. The House of Representatives
shall Be composed of members chosen every
| second year By the people of the several
States; and the electors in each State shall
| be citizens Of the Confederate Statesl and
| have the qualifications requisite for electors
OF the must numerous branch Of the State
legislature; Cbut no person of foreign birth,
| not citizen OF The Confederate States, shall be
| allowed To vote for any officer, civil or polit-
| lcaI. $ ate or Fed"rall."
The elective tTa-cbiSe is one of the most
| important that can be exercised Ia free
government and should never be valued
| lightly; nor should il ever be exercispd BY
| one who does not owe allegiance 10 the Gov
eminent and has no interest in its insIiIu-
lions. This makes no discrimination be-
Jween classes; it does not array the foreign
| against the native element of our popula-
| ton, but places them all equally upon the
| same high standard Of ciJiz -nship. This is
/ an important provision to secure the purity
as we'll a. permanence of our free institutions.
| Under the Constitution of the United States
| the right of suffrage Is regulated by the
| States some Of the States, like Tennessee
| requiring citizenship; while In some of the
| States OF tie Northwest simple residence Is
/ sufficient. This allows thu free importation
| of voters. and enables fanatieal, designing
| dsmagogues TO carry the most important cleo
tions, settling the future policy and perhaps
| destiny or the country, by men just from the
| Old World, ignorant of our institutions and
hostile to those of the South. This evil Is
| obyisted In the Constitution Of the Confed-
crate States
8. Representatives and direct taxes shall
be spportiOned among the several States,
which may be Included in this Confederacy
according TO their respective numbers, which
shall be determined by adding to the whole
number OF free persons, including those
bound to service for a term of years, exclud-
ing Indians not taxed, three fifths OF all
slaves" In the Constitution of the United
States ''three-ifths of all other persons" 1t
has been settled that "slayes" are persons"
and are included in this clause of the Consti-
tuition of the United States. But "a the par
~ that has now overthrOWn the Government
denies all property in slaves and has snbsti
J1ted the Chicago platform" for the Consti-
tuition; and as our system of domestic seryi
tude is interviewer with all our institutions
snd is vital to the slave holding States and
equally entitled to the protection of the Con-
stitution with other property, it seems emf
Iently proper that il should be recognized
ia terms in the Constitution. And hence
the obvious prOpriety of the change.
D. The House of Representatives shall
choose their speaker and other officers, and
shall have the sole power of impeachment;
Except that any judicial. or other Federal
officer, resident and acting solely within
the limits Of any State, may be impeached
By vote OF two thirds of both branches of
the Legislature thereof"
This is an important provision and emf.
ne0tly adapted to prevent maladministra-
tiOn aud corruption in the different depart
ments of the Federal Government acting
within the States. Under the old Constitu-
tiOn the power OF impeachment Is a farce aud
has been rarely resorted to, perhaps but once,
the memorable one of Judge Chase. To make
one branch of the Federal Government, the
House of Representatives. the sole impeach-
Ing power OF Federal officers for offences
committed in The several States where they
reside is 10 deprive the States of power
necessary for their protection and to secure
impunity % crime; and tbIs has been the re-
suit as our public history will attest since
the foundation of the Government.
SEC. ST.. "The Senate of the Confeder-
ate States shall be composed of two Senators
from each State, chosen for six years by the
Legislature thereof Tat the regular session
next immediately preceding the commence
ment OF the term of service:1 and each Sena-
tor shall have one vote'
Senators are Peculiarly the representatives.
OF the States In their highest attitude OF soye-
reIgnty. and should be the correct exponents
Of the will Of the States during the period Of
their service. Sumo Uniform rule then should
be adopted with reg ard to the time of their
election, most likely 10 produce that result,
that would be applicable TO all the States.
UIder the Constitution OF the United States
there has been No other rule but the ever vary
Ing one OF party ascendency. In some of the
States, as 10 Tennessee. where the sessions
are biennial, Senator'S have been sometimes
elected Two Years 10 advance of their t-rm of
service, when, ii the election had taken place
aI tue next regular session, the Result "a ght
have BEEN very different. This want of uni
formify TENDERS The old system always sub
jet 10 ABUSES which are Dow remed ed by The
r,ile adopted in The Constitution OF The Con-
fsderete States.
Nork-Ths words IN brackets whoa nsva iudscsss
tbs change. .