Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-04-09
lac OIs Gorcrnment and the Now.


frame OF Government Portions have been CRITICS
ed according 10 different estimates Of policy, but oy
General consent it is allowed 20 be an improvement on
che old Constitution, correcting parts which bad been
proved to be defective and defining what was doubt
f in regard 70 questions of vital Importance to the
,ayeboldng States to make clear to all compTehen-
sions what they wanted, under the old Government TO
make them and coatented and Why they quited
it to up safeguards for themselves The d'ssensons
have been in respect to the c;on which one party
claimed should be given to the Constitution, by giving 1t
the unanswereble ratification of the people, acting sep
aratey on that sutj,ot rather than the presumption,
however strong might be estimated Of the popular as
sent through their representatives not specially chosen
with that view The Constitution being adopted in due
iorm the Government viii so into operation in the mar
mer prescribed by the seventh article second section,
which is as follows:
''When five States shall have ratified the Constitution
Ia the before specified the Congress under the
Provisional Constitution shall prescribe the time Tor hold
ing the election Of President and Vice President and Tor
the meeting Of the Electoral College ard og counting
the votes and iuaugurating the President They snail
also prescribe the time for holding the trst election OF
members Of Congress under this Constitution ana the
tiue for milling the same. Until the Assembling OF
such Congress- the Congress under the Provisional Con
s,u.iolal shall couuue to exelcs, the a-iye powers
granted 10 them not extending be, Dad he time hmIted
by the Constitution Of the Provisional Government"
The New Orleans Picalptns reminds US that the Con-
,res Of the Confederation pursued the slme plan after
the ratification OF the Constitution Of 1881 by the nine
States required and appointed the first election of Pre-
sient 10 take place on the first Wednesday in January
1889 the woes to 5a counted on the first wednesday in
February ard the Government TO 90 into operation
the first Wednesday n March 1889. The d-s Wcdnes-
day H. Narh 1859 happened 70 DC the All day Of March,
and the first Congress while changing the days FOR ap
ooaae Electors aud counting votes retained tine 4Lh Of
March as the beginning of the Government In point of
TACT however Congress did not make quorum until the
Gs. day of April aud the first President was not naGg-
urated unit; che So.b Of April.
The Confederate Congress will probably appoint early
l.,fr a., FRS elton Of President and the commence
men: Of tie new government; but there is sign in the
5od5 Of the instrument itself which Indicates that they
expect the Presidential terms at least after the rt to
commence or the fourth of M,rch. In the clause pre-
-ibac th, manner Of clcc,ing President in case ola
lure TO elec. by the electoral college the second arti
Gle trauscI5es literally the provision in the twelfth
lr I'd rent Of thar Constitution in which the House OF
pre.euatiycs is directed to vote by States among the
three HIGH IS, candidates with the prOvisO that if 1t shall
not choose President "Jetgrs the fourth aqyof March
uez; following" then the Vice President shall acr *.
Ii 10; likely that the Confederate Congress copied
these words Of the old Constitution without purpose
Tcey we're no. in that Constitution adopted but
p1. iat1 hs amendment which incorporated into it
ai.r the 4.b Of March had been fixed permanently
ths commencement Of the Government and the date for
the Inauguration of Presidents, and the beginning Of
~. ~ al slaro-
fore for the first elections the terms hereafter wl! prob
ably be made conform to the usages they have been so
long familiar with.
Tue Feteal constitution adopted by the conven-
ton on the 18th o, September, 1887, and BY then
cep.ed on tn, 18th O: September ia the year, and
5y resolution. dated the 2Sh was directed to be trans
mtt.I 20 Ic legislatures Of The several States "in Order
70 D. submitted % a convention OF DELE gates chosen in
ci ate by the people thereof" The ratification took
place in the following order: Delaware, December Z,
I.s-: Pennsylvania, December y. 1857; New JERSEY.
ceube- S. 1875 Georgia January . l7oS; Connect
eu. January 90; Massachusetts, February Maryland,
April IS. South C3ycms Nay -; New Hampshire,
June ~, Virginia. June 20; New York, July %
These 81 ven St,t.s ratified the Constitution before
A, Government put into operation, bat New orS
D. po, vote al the Presidential election in JAuuafy.-
North Carolina dad not r'uy Tue constitutes UNI No'-
emoer -'' I'' more '.@n TWO ''''S '''' we ou'O'
"'' iofm'i, ana Rhode Isanu not Unl' Ia! ~ 1885,
'~' years and seven m'h.n' a''e' ''e O-'o''
Ii. IS t. De noted, howegss Sc a proof Of the colf
i@rcs TIA, these Sa'e7 would come me L. i'i'n' t
i''F i'e 'u' % ''' o5 ,'I o'1''
> 'es' a-a oeio'e IL went 'u'I oP,''','u' ,''
''''u 'O''1 0'' V'-''' ''''1
.'s
-'I d" '"' P''P-.-'o-' "a -'-'''' ~ WV "
.iH''I' 'D ni-''I-i
l'''d o' INC d. 1' VI "1 ''-'''S ~ ''''
ta' OAol' OH! " was ue'n'I "a rl,.1'' - pas, avs
''' eA'elau5 'ae Jaws OF '.e nc az over ''''
The y Y Pos, gives currency TO a report that Conn
us-ioz,rs of tic Black Republicans, returned from Eu
rope, report that both England AMI France indicate
decided aversion 10 recosa'@a the independence OF
Ire Cent derae Saie'' We Ano" not VINO 'hese Com
's-'oner' are nor oy WAon appointed s''ce!y sum
cea' lime mas e'ap''i s-'' "o''SoA o' Tue P'''''
ed We suppose, therefore, they some z,lou', IN
official gentry who have busted Themselves without
th1li.y.
Their reported INTEL gence Is not probable All the in
d.a,0ns ia che PRS papers, Official and non-ot5a have