The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-03-06
CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES AND
TERRITORIAL REORGANIZATION.

The rebellion into which the slaveholding
State so foolshly ard impiously rushed, is
without parallel in mundane history. 1t
can only be compared to that insurrection
which hurled Satan and his angels from
their seats i'll heaven, to grovel III disgrace
and agony in the realms below. This par
allel holds good not merely in tho causeless.
ness of the revolt, but in the swift destruc-
ton and total rout which already impends
close over the heads Of the terrified and
flying rebels. ....
Tho inevitable result, so far as the pres
ent struggle is mere trial Of physical
strength, being already SO apparent, the
minds of all thinking persons have naturally
been turned to the consideration of what
must be the political, social, moral, and
economical consequences OF this total defeat
and prostration of the slavc-power
1t has been suggested, but as it appears
to us without the slightest basis therefor,
that the Federal Constitution is likely, in
consequence, to undergo essential modiiCa-
tons. No doubt it is the concurrent opinion
of all wise and good men that slavcholdng
must be instantly and totally abolished.
This long doubtful, and even odious, doctrine
of total and immediate repentance, and re-
nunciation and reform of the national sin of
slavcholdng, is now about to be carried
into effect. But this is very far from in
volving any essential modification of the
Federal Constitution. Slavchoding was
disease, horrid in the eyes of the trainers of
that glorious instrument, tho existence of
which they could not deny, and to which they
were driven by the force of circumstances
to concede a great share Of political power
but still in their eyes horrid disease. the
existence of which they strove to wink out
of sight, looking forward, like Moses from
the top Of Pisgah. to the glorious time when
we, their sons and grandsons, should accom-
plsh that of which they, mighty instruments
as they had been in the hands of Divine
Providence, had not been found worthy
EXpunge slavehold'ng from our Institutions
and the Federal Constitution no. only re-
| mains intact it begins to work heucciorward
new force and energy, freed from the tric-
ton Of s!ayeholdiug that had 50 long i'm
pcded and at length, almost blocked its
machinery. 5i,,yeho'Jing out of the way,
the Federal Constitution mr. begin to realize
III its actual working, the great lG@a which
its trainers had in their mind eye
What is needed is, not u reconstruction
of the Federal Constitution, but to return to
the true Interpretation OF it, as expounded
and lracticcd upon by Washington, John
Adams, Hamilton. JAY, Ellsworth, Marshall,
and Story and total remuneration of that
anarchical Interpretation which Jefferson
and his disciples strove to fix upon it, while
| in opposition under the plausible prctcnsc
of State rights. Though let lis add to JET
tcrson's credit as a man Of practical wisdom,
that as President, he never attempted for a
moment to act upon his own theory, but as
| III the notable easee Of the annexation O!
! Louisiana, the conspiracy Of Burr, and the
embargo, went without hesitation the full
length of the most ultra Federal intorprefa
matter of the public deposits.
Nevertheless, it would appear that, III
addition to tho abolition Of slaveholdmg,
certain changes might be advantagcousiy
made i'll the political distribution of the
| territory of the late slavcholdhg States
IL Redistribution of territory operating as :.
separation of the sheep from the goats, at
the same time that it Contormed strictly to
| the social proclivlties, and economical wants
of the inhabitants, and imtiicting also a just
| stigma and punishment upon the parties
most guilty in this unnatural rebellion.
The people of Western Virginia have
already, by their own action commenced
the healthy process of separating the sound
! portion OF the Southern body polite from
the diseased portion. They are entitled to
include in their new organization all the
territory west of the Blue Ridge, and also
the district cast Of the Blue Ridge, known
as Northern Neck, in which there always
have been and still are, many true Federal
lists Of the old Washington school -men
sincerely attached to the Union. This dis
| trict has also been the birthplace of many
of our greatest men: Washington, whose
grave also it contains, Patrick Henry, Rich
ard Henry Lee, and his brothers, and patri-
OTIS of the Revolution. The new State
which must retain also exclusively the name
of Virginia, must retain with it these birth
places and these graves. The western
counties Of Maryland belong also in sympa-
thies and geographically to this new State.
Nay, more, it ought to have all the Northern
counties of Maryland, including the city OF
! Baltimore, which is naturally its port, and
commercially speaking, its metropolis. Bal
ilnore, Il frce-labor city, has always suffered
enormously from the pro-savery legislation
of the State Assembly, controlled by the
planters, and in which she never had any
thing like her fair share of representation.
| Her position in this respect, as port of the
new State of Virginia would be infinitely
preferable,
AS to the Eastern shore of Maryland that
with the two Eastern ultra-Chesapeake
counties of Virginia, ought to be annexed
/ to Delaware, whose territories, az they
stand now, are too small for a State, and
which deserves some reward for her firm
adhesion to the Union, in spite of the efforts
of reckless band Of traitors within her
limits to carry her out. 1t may not be gem
orally known, but it is nevertheless the fact,
! that between the years 1890 and 1900 the
proposition was seriously discussed in Del
aware 10 abandon the State organization, and
to annex her territory 70 Maryland. The
! time seems now to have come in which
! Delaware, instead of being absorbed by
Maryland, should be enlarged by part of
! the Maryland territory. AS TO the remain
! der of Maryland, the southern counties, that
| hotbcd of treachery, might he annexed to
the remaining portion of old Virginia as a
sort of offset for the transfer of Accomac to
to Delaware; and as the name of Virginia
must be assigned to the new Western State
this fag end Of the two States, to prevent
the loss Of time-honored name, might be
called Maryland, in the hope that III time
the inhabitants might, under now auspices,
and with new surroundings, slavery being
abolished, and Northern emigrants flowing
in, become worthy of the ancient glories Of
that name. Turning to the southwest, the
counties Of North Carolina west Of the
Blue Ridge, Eastern Tennessee, and North
eTn Georgia. and Alabama districtsettled
almost exclusively by sturdy farmers, and
they would make noble one-to take the
name, say, of Allegheny or Appalachia. At
the same time, as well TO punish Florida
for har Uickad inpratitude as hecausa che