The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-03-17

can expound and defend any measures relating
to their several departments, though not emit
tied to vote, and where they may be iuterro-
gated in such q way as TO elicit any rascality
or double dealing, and so as to break ND any
corrupt scheme in the departments. In Eng
land the ministers must be full members of
either the House of Commons or House of
Lords. After their appointment to the Cabi-
net, members of the House Of Commons must
resign, and be re elected by the people, which
is very wholesome regulation.
The President cannot pardon in case
of impeachment, which Is an essential
improvement on the old constitution. Any
State may impeaoh federal officer when bis
residence and duties lie wholly within the
limits of any State. The rights Of the States
are jealously guarded, and hence the preamble
runs, 1--WE, the people of the Confederate
States, each State sitting in Its sovereign
and Independent character" No chance Of
consolidation in the Confederate States.
The principle of free trade is announced:
"No duties shall be laid to promote or foster
any branch of industry" The new constitu-
ton goes into operation by the ratification of
five States, to be binding only upon the ave
States which adopt it; new States to be ad-
mitted by two-thirds vote, and Congress is
bound upon the application of any three States
to call general Convention of all the States
to vote on amendments to the constitution,
which must be ratified by two.thirds of the
States, either by State Convention or the Legis-
lature The former amendments to the consti-
tuition are judiciously placed in the body Of
the instrument under their proper heads.
But the most important provisions of all, as
regards the chances of reconstruction Of
the Union, are those relating to slave
ry. The Southern confederacy do not
fall into the error of the Convention
who drew up the old constitution. They call
slave slave, and leave no room for a
shadow Of doubt as to the meaning of those
sections relating to servitude. The African
slave trade is prohibited, and European and
North American prejudice is thus conciliated
AS to the importation of slaves from the border
slave States that is left for the discretion of Con-
gress, who can either impose duty or totally
prohibit. This section is well calculated to
bring the border slave States into the con-
federacy. The section for the rendition of
fugitive slaves is the same as in the old consti-
tuition, showing that the South is fully satisfied
with it if it were only carried out. The right
of transit Of masters with their slaves through
all the States is distinctly guaranteed, as well
as protection both by Congressional and Terri
torial legislation to the rights Of slaveowners
in the Territories. Had these provisions been
thus explicitly inserted in the old constitution
dissolution Of the Union by NortherH fanati-
cism and modern corruption or Southern fire.
eaters would have been impossible.
Mr.. Seward, in one of his speeches, said the
North did not know what the cotton States
wanted, and that it was time enough to take
action toward reconciliation when the de-
mands of the South were officially ascertained;
and Mr.. Lincoln has declared in favor of
convention to adopt amendments to the consti-
tuition. Now, by the unanimous adoption of
the new constitution by the Southern Congress,
the President, the Secretary of State and the
republican party know what the Sodth wants;
and as there is nothing unreasonable in their
demands, and as nothing less will satisfy the
Southern States the best course for the border
States and all the other States North and South to
pursue is to adopt this instrument of reconstruc-
ton. As seven States are now out of the Union,
which will not be represented in the conven-
ton proposed by Mr.. Lincoln, the only practi-
81 horc g 10 A.
ton of the new Southern constitution by three
fourths of the States in the mode required by
our present constitution. We shall then have
perfect Union, never to be broken.