, 1861-03-15
Cbitaaq Gtibutt&.


,1Ok10AAk HVF0
The politicians Of the Gulf States gave
pretty emphatic condemnation Of Popu-
lar Sovereignty last year at The Charleston
Convention. But it remained for their
treason Congress at Montgomery to put
the finishing quietus on it The perma-
nent constitution lately concocted by
Toombs, Cobb, Rhett, Yancey & Co., is not
tobc submitted to the people Of the seced-
ing States st all It is to be ratified " by
the Conventions Which elected the very
delegates now in session at Montgomery.
Against this policy some Of the ablest
journals in Georgia, Mississippi, and Loui-
siana, are protesting in no measured terms
Of indignation. The original excuse for
precjpitate action, to-wit, the impending
change in the Federal Government, has
i. now ceased 10 he valid" President Lincoln
has been inaugurated, and a few weeks
more or less spent in taking the sense Of
the people On the form Of government un-
der which it is proposed they shall hereaf-
Ter live, can make no difference. But that
docs not suit the purpose Of jeff Davis
and his fellow oface-holders. Not
content with rushing together the
elements Of new government in
the space Of four or five weeks,
they must needs cheat the people out Of
the privilege Of passing upon the jugglery
enacted Tor them It is clear that
Toombs, Davis s. Co, have some reason fer
this extraordinary and unrepublican
course. What is that reason?
The Augusta (Ga-) Chronicle and the
New Orleans True Delta allegc that the
constitution would be peremp1orily rejec-
ted, for the reason that the people are not
prepared to break up the Union without
the cooperation Of tile Border States. This
is undoubtedly true, but whether true or
false, it is evident that certain side issues
have come up, connected with the tariff,
the slave trade, the tenure Of Offices, and
the method prescribed for amending the
constitution, calculated to produce wide
and serious disagreement at the Outset.
Georgia wants high tariff for protection,
and jeff Davis wants one for revenue, TO
maintain Ills standing army. South Caro-
lima and Louisiana want no tariff at all.
The latter States, aud probably Texas,
want the African slave trade reopened
The others do not, or at least
say they do not The "ins" of course
desire to have their offices confirmed to
them for life, while the more numerous
party Of the "outs are hostile 10 any
such extreme and exclusive policy. The
method prescribed for amending the Con-
st;tution is very summary-repuiring only
a two-thirds vote Of Congress at any time
to make the most radical changes in the
fundamental law, without even the forms
Of ratification by the people Nothing but
1hc selfshness and jealousies Of the various
denaasogues can prevent the very next
Congress from establishing q hereditary
monarchy, from which the people can only
escape by revolution. It may well be cou-
ceiyed that this feature in the Constitution
would meet an uncomfortable opposition
if submitted to the qualified electors Of the
States supposed to he interested therein.
Whether IL majority of the people, orthese
or other considerations, would yote against
the Constitution, cannot be actually known;
hut it is certain that tue Montgomery con-
claye MEE*so.