Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-01-10
ICONMUNICATED-

COMMUNICATED
To tie People Of Charles County:-Permit an
humble individual to address you a few words
of warning in relation to an article which was
published in the Times of the 81 of January,
and by which you are called upon to vote on
the 10th Of the present month at your respective
places OF voting, whether you will or will not
have "Soverelgn Convention" That call is
signed by few private persons. and admits it
as a fact, that the Executive of this State has
been called upon, and petitioned to call an extra
session of the Legislature; and inasnuch as lie
the Executve) who is the constitutionally APP
pointed officer to convene the Legislature, that
Sovereign Convention might be called has seen
fit, in the exercise of his Judgment, to refuse to
convene the Legislature, these private persons
have assumed to themselves the prerogative of
doing that which neither the Executive nor the
Legislature has done. Such exercises or assump-
tons Of power have been exercised in the days
Of fierce oppression, where resistance and revo-
luton were justifable, and such power was
exercised by the people, in what is usually styl-
ed their sovereign capacity, before the Revolu-
ton, where all power was derived by grant from
the King, where the people did not make their
own government, and did not orig mate and have
control over their own legislation and represen-
tatlon, and where tyranny ruled without limi
tatlon. Is this our condition -? The people
here have made their own government, and have
divided that government into its different dis
tinct, legitimate departments of Legislative Jul
dica and Executive and to the Executive have
allotted the duty Of converting the Legislature
on extraordinary occasions; and in the making
Of that government there is to be found but one
provision for the call of Sovereign Conven-
ton, - and that is when the Constitution is to be
changed. The people framed, through their
delegates tie Constitution, and adopted it by a
direct vote, aud thus, by their own deliberate
act, determined they would be governed by it
until it was changed in the mode pointed out
in the Constitution: which was, that after the
lapse of ten years the Legislature should, by an
act, take the of the people whether another
| Convention shouid he called to change the Con-
stitution. This is all there is in the Constitution
about Convention, and if there is one to be
called for any purpose than to change the Con-
stitutIon, it can only be done by the Legislature
when regularly in session. or when convened by
the Governor on an extraordinary occasion.-
The very people, who, by their delegates in Con-
Eention framed s5e CanSttn,ian. ard --l-.-l, ~
the1rvo addTtrr 1t, appointed the present Exc
Icutive to maintain and execute that Constitu-
| ton, and he has sworn to maintain and defend
it. From all the lights now before him, in
solemn exercise Of that power which the people
have reposel in his hands, aud in the exercise
Of his bestsSi gnent he has determined the
':occasio1sAdoes not demand a conyening of the
Legislature through which alone a sovereign
Convention" can be egitimateIy called.
The power then, which under our system can
be legitimately exercised by the legislative
branch of the government only acting under a
call by the Governor, is here assumed to he ex-
ercised By private pcraons-in mode directly
| at war with the Constitutional war with the
Executive and Legislative departments Of the
government-and diSastrouay at war with the
fundamental principles of our and every free
government. If private persons can thus call
Convention in the county, they can do the
same over the whole State, and why was not
this call extended at once to the whole? Whether
extended to the county or to the State would it
be mob law or the law of Reorganization ? The
government under which we live is an organi-
cation, and is executed by persons in a sworn
official character. IF private persons then I'M
dertake to direct this government against the
acts and the counsel of the sworn officers is not
this DISCRIMINATION, or the law Of the disorgan-
izer?
If private persons have thus right to call a
Convention for one purpose, they have an equal
right to call it for another; and where will it
end? The call might just we'll be made to
depose the Executive, the judiciary, or to change
the Constitution Is it to be left to those who
thus act without authority, to determine their
own authority, and not be controlled by the
Constitution or the Form of Government? The
Executive has the power over the militia, and
must see that the Constitution is maintained
and the laws enforced, and will he set still and
tamcly submit to any act at the will of a law
less mass of individuals? Our country is now
i the victim. in its present fearful condition, of
mob law and Of the law Of DISCRIMINATION
Not only has the supreme law for the arrest of
fugitives been nufed at the North by the State
Legislatures, but resisted and set at nought by
private individuals, when it ought to have been
executed, if need be, at the point Of the bayonet
or at the cannon's mouth. At the South the
Constitution is abrogated and States go out at
WILL Our land has become a land of mob law
and disorganization, until we are in condition
little better than miserable and degraded Mexico.
i This move is designed to set at nought the de-
cision of the Executive; and yet he has as much
right to decide and we are as much bound by
his deeison as if a judge had decided ques-
ton. If a move of this kind was made to set
aside Judgment Of court, what would you
think of it? Would you tolerate the doctrine
for moment, and hand it down to your descen-
dants thatssa lawless collection of individuals
under their own specious pretents, should annul
the acts and judgments of the judicial tribunals
Of the State
Up to this moment we have kept practically
clear of the resistance to the law and Of that
disorsanzing action which has run riot through
the land and are we now about to begin it ?
This disregard of law and order, and of govern
ment, is justified under the plea that our rights
are Inherent and naenable, and can therefore
when they think it expeilient or proper, over
turn or disregard Executives, Legislatures, Jul
dicaries and law and order, and set up for Itself
in the midst of an organized government. The
, reasoning is, that our rights are Inherent and
Iinalienabe. and shall we call such reasoning
solemn nonsense? When man is hung dc
Won think he. at the end of the job, thinks his
rights Inherent and inaenable? If the gentle
men who signed this call should ever be hung
for treason, do you suppose they would then
conclude their rights were inalienable?
+: As one Of the reasons for the call these gen
tlemen refer to the act of the mob in Pittsbur.