Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-11
A Cons, ItutionaI Quesiion.

The Charleston Areury is discussing the questions:
l. Was the Proclamation Of President Rfvs calling
Congress together three days after its ajsur ment)
legal, constitutional proclamation And, Did the
members OF Congress who assembled under constitute
the Congress Of the Confederate Safest
The Mercury answers both questions 10 the negative.
prcclanston TO be legal must give Sufficient time TO
reach the parties for whom designed and in this case,
that WAS impossible Congress adj burned the Slst Of Au.
rust and lis members departed for home on the morn
ing of the the proclamation issued, bearing date
the 3D. calling Congress together on that day, the Sd
OF course il was not possible for those members who
had departed to know Of the summons.
In response to the "a question: the Mercury Is equally
explicit Esch State Is entitled to full representation
aud Congress made up by ore or two members from
each not Congress in the constitutional senRe. The
points are strongly put and il Is well enough they should
be put as guards against the future. In the case IN
which the power has been exercised being merely de-
signed to supply oversight there Is no practical i'm
oorance TIE bill had received the sanction Of the fill
Congress 1t Rad failed to be presented TO the President
for his signature and it merely to supply this formal
defect that Congress was TO assembled
Still we canno. be too cautious against precedent5,
VII Gu may open door hereafter to other men, intent on
bad designs We rot expect good and pure men in
authority always. The old Union began with Washington;
tie widest Imagination could not have conceived, what
"a now reality that in lsss than hundred years Ii would
end in a moHdd.
This should be eternal warning before the eyes oil
the Confederates States. The distance between Wash
iDgton and Lincoln, morally aud mentally, is as great
as between Heaven ard he'll and yet In the brie space
of eighty years il has been spanned The slime oil lac
lion has engendered mona5, who occupies the seat OF
Wasbngtonthe mes contemplate of the animal crea-
on suits itu.ed Tor the most august Of the human race
What has been may DO. Like causes produce like re-
aults We canno. have J fl Davis with ns alSays We
are entering upon the faal test of the experiment. us
nan capable Of self governuea;E" Tls trial made by
the old aoa has proved disastrous failure. sus en-
sion Of hajeaS corpus martial law house-sesrchings
con6.catozs, arbitrary arrests State prisons aud hired
,7ioruels substitute the laws aud Constitution which
Washington and Madison iraugurated. Thcsa csnss,
shoh wrought this disaster will kepsiu operation il the
5au,bern Corfderacy, produce like resr' here hsO
c in sEic OF themselves or less the creatures OF
llou1s;aucC and when domius'od - Vicious ays.
sen, they caanot escape its Whaling IL aatnoes.
What c,use or caus,s contributed manly 10 tho failure
OF the old Unionr
It i, cur canyclor long entertained, and in this we
believe We have the concurrence of the p'Oiouutes
,iit kers Of our age that was the dePIrure tom the
Jonedela e. STATES Ri hts prize pie, and the Scsunuls-
ri,n Of poEer in the central Government, which pro
iu Ell the wreck This departure aided, facilitated
.ui con uu mated by tho election OF an electv King by
a,veIsIs 5gs surrounded by an army OF ntrcenanes
IL the tuse Of eiee.s5ekers. Evil results w,re newt
,1le
We have sought 10 correct the evs OF The old sys-
,e by rcv.ng the Corfed5rats principle and giving to
n, States predominance Ia the system. Bat have ~e
zone lar euough-havs We made sufficient oNaDg s TO
Ell CT our OF jectH We fear rot Our President cannot
r move inferior officers, without cause assigned In
wiring T.s Il the chief mobilization; and IL 10 quite
n gh counteracted by the extension Of bis term We
have an elective Dg for six years instead OF four but
With The zane sort OF demoalzng surroundings which
,xst at Washington. J r Davi, cannot iivs foTsVo
AZ. Lincoln hold, the ctfes whieh George Washington
! ,Rlvgurattdl
1t is our wish, and presume IL is the wish OF Us az
2, establish Government which will insure the freeze
nd h.ppues Of ourselves and of those who after
rs. Secession in our sense Of it. means sometl ing
more than ths establishment Of another Government ike
that at Washington with fresh batch Of officers. 1t
ooupreheuds total charge In the old system and re-
turn 20 shat glorious system Of free Independent Sts
sovereignties, which achieved our independence.