Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-07-10

Conftdsrate States CoasliidtoA -Ariic's 2 Section I.
I. The executive power shall BE- vested ina Pres
ident Of the Confederate States Of America lie
and the Vice President shall holl their Offices for
the term Of SIX yesrS; but the President shah rot
be re eligible The President and Vice President
shall be elected follows.
This amendment changes the terms Of cfices Of the
President and Vice President from four to six years,
and renders thePresilent inelgbef for Gseeqnd term
1t is probable that the popular judgment is ripe for
the adoption Of these changes. That four years
IS too short a term within which President can
carry out any distinctive liHe Of policy has been fully
demonstrated The earlier practice Of rejoicing
him for second term IS conelusige on this point
But thee evils growing out Of the candidacy Of the
President fer reslecFon have been found 50 great
that the later practice has been not to reeect him
The true remedy for both evils will be found in
increasing the length Of the time and rendering him
ineligible Six years will probably be ascertained
to be as long term as ought to be adopted. The
country viii readily scquiesee in this change, when
is remembered that Presidential election absorbs
all other questions aud, from the frequency of its
recurrence, has tended strongly to depreciate the
Importance properly to be attached to our State
elections.
United States Constihstioa-Art. 2. See. /.
L. No Person except a Datural born citizen, or
citizenof the United States at the time of the au
option Of this Constitution shall be eligible to the
Office of PRESIDENT neither shall any person be ell
gible to that Office who shall not have attained to
age of thirty-fye years and been fourteen years
resident within the URiJed States.
| Confederate States Constitstion-Art. >. Sec. l.
:. No person except a natural born citizen Of the
Confederate States, citizen thereof at the time
| OF the adoption OF this Constitution, or citizen
thereof born in the United States prior to the goth
Of December, 1860, shall be eligible t. the Office of
President; neither shall any person be eligible to
that Office who shall not have attained the age Of
thirtyive years. and been fourteen years resident
within the limits of the Confederate States, they
may exist at the time Of his election.
The qualifications requisite for President are sub
stantialy the same in both Constitutions.
| United States C0nStitution-AJticls =, Section 2.
2. He shall have power, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate, 10 make treaties prOEi
ded twOthirds Of the Senator's present concur; and
he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate shall appoint ambassadors,
other public ministers and consuls, Judges of the
| Supreme Court, and al other officers of the
| United States whose appointments are not herein
otherwise provided for, ard which shall be estab-
lished by law; but the Congress- may by law, vest
the appointment of such inferior officers, as they
think proper in the President alone. in the courts
of law or in the heads Of Departments.
?. The same as the foregoing with the following
addition
Confederate States Consttaioa-AHicls ?, Section 2.
3. The principal officer Of each Of the Executive
Departments and all persons connected with the
/ diplomatic service may be removed from Office at
the pleasure of the President All other civil Of
feers Of the Executive Department may be remOv
ed any time by the President or other appOintin
power when their services are unnecessary or for
dishonesty, ncapacity, inetficieney, misconduct,
neglect Of duty; and when so removed, the removal
t.N-1 H. / HNr1 -. u
reasons therefor.
4. The President shall have power 70 fill al VI
caueies that may happen during the recess of the
Senate, by granting commissions which shall expire
at the end of their next session. bat no person re
j-cted by the Senate shall be Teappolnted 20 the
same Office during their ensuing recess.
These are important additions 70 the Oh C0nsitu-
ton. They are intended to impose restriation on
two crying evils that have sprung up in connect
ton with our Presidential elechOn-the one is the
practice of indiscriminate political prescription
upon every change Of a President and the
other the office hunting 1nqla that has prevailed so
extensively in many portions Of the country. The
Presidential elections OF late years have been bat
little else than continuous scramble for the spos
of cce and this ia likely to continue so long as the
President is vested with power to prescribe with
ont cause those he finds in Office for tie purpose
/ OF LlhA4ES pldCHs ACE HIS DNii pdlL4>tIlSs his
scramble for Office has had more to do in
fastening the overthrow, of the United States
Government than most people would suppose.
Seetionalism and fanahcism have been seized
upon By professional Office seekers, IN order
to get possession Of the executive patronage. These
influences combined have destroyed tie best govern
msnt on the earth. if it had been properly admin
istered and It's delegated powers fairly construed
and if they are not guarded against they win over
throw any other government that may be reared
on its ruins The provisions in the Confederate Con-
stituton are valuable steps in the right direction,
and they go as far as it was wise to proceed. The
President ought to have unrestricted control over
the principal officers in the several departments
and over those engaged in the diplomatic service,
but the restriction on his control over other offices
is wise and salutary.
U. S. ConsttdiOa-ArticLs ( See. 2
The citizens of each State snail be entitled to all
the Privileges and Immunities Of Citizens in the
several States.
g. No Person held to Service or Labor in one State,
under the Laws thereof, escaping into another
shall in Consequence of any Law or Regulation
therein be discharged from such Service or LabOUr
but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to
whom such Service or Labor may be due.
Confederate States CeHsttution--A7iicls Sec. 2
]. The citizens OF eaCl state SlGu De entitled 10
all the privileges and mmunltIes Of citizens in the
several States and shall have the right Of transit
and soourn in any State Of this Confederacy, with
their slaves and other property ahd the right of
property in said slaves shah not be thereby i'm
paired.
s. No slave or other person held to service or Ia
Dor in any State or Territory OF the confederate
States under the laws thereof escaping or lawfully
carried into another, shall, in consequence of any
law or regulation therein be discharged from such
| service or labor; but shall be delivered up on
claim Of the party to whom such slave belongs or
to whom such service or labor may be due.
These alterations are important, though they do
no more than place upon the old Constitution the
meaning which its trainers intended it to have
They therefore only give the true reading of the old
Constitution as expounded by the highest judicial
! tribunal
United States CoHsttuti0H-Art I, Sec g.
l. New States may be admitted by the Congress
/ into this Union; but States shall be formed
| or erected within the jurisdiction Of any other
| State; nor any State be formed by the junction of
two or States, or parts Of States without the
consent of the Legislatures Of the States concerned
as well as Of the Congress.
! 2 The Congress shall have the power to dispOse
| of and make all Ieedful rules and regulations re-
specting the territory or other property belonging
to the United States; and nothing in this Constit
ton shall be construed As to prejudice any claims
of the United States, or Of any particular State.
Confederate States CoHstitlii0n-Art t. Sec 3.
| l. OtEer States may be admitted into the COnfpd
/ eracy by a vote Of twO-thirds Of the whole House
| of Representatives, and two-thirds Of the Senate
the Senate voting by States; but no State shall