, 1862-02-11
Chr ;Trituttf.


~ "Fy~V |
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY ii, 1864 |
THE GREAT USURPATION.
When the members Of that State Con
<cntion ut Springfield were voted for, there
vas no thought that the body, thus called
together by the people, would defy exist
is,g laws, set aside the Constitution, and
to itself the right to exercise the
s;;;:oreme power Of the State.
No o,se supposed here that it would un-
dertake 1egislatir1 business, any more than !
it would drive the judges Of the Supreme
Court Of the bench, aud decide the cases at
issue in that high tribunal. But it seems
to be a revolutionary assemblagc, which,
under the name Of Law, attempts the
most fragrant innovations upon private
and popular rights We care not how
praiseworthy OF how criminal the acts Of
its members. They arc usurpers whenever
they step out Of the duties which they are
elected to discharge, and an appeal from their
arrogant exercise Of power, when brought
before the people, viii insure their quick
condemnation We sound the alarm nowt
We point out to the voters Of the Statethat
the Convention is only a Jacohin Club en-
croaching upon the safeguards Of public
law and justice We take the leading
members thereof as they hare recorded
themselves in their speeches, and declare
that, if they are right, the State Constitu-
tion is already ahrogatca, that We have no
law in force. that, save the will Of the
sevcnty-6yc men now at Springfield, who
would not pass a eongratulatory resolution
on the heels Of decisive Federal victory,
there is nothing between the people and
anarchy We take their OWL acts, and
prove that they will attempt to
make a Constitution, picce-mea1, and
impose it upon the people without
asking t11cir consent We point to their
resolutions to show that they already as
sumo 10 instruct the Governor, whom the
pcople have elected and clothed with ex-
ecutiye power, and that they treat the
Auditor and others Of the Executive De-
rartmcnt, as if they were the Conycntion's s
clerks. There is no warrant for such
usurpation. There is no necessity fo1 it.
The duties of the Convention are clearly
defined by law and prccedent-by precedent
in our own anu o1her States, by which al
courts would hc governed, if there
were not positive enactment Limit
ing its functions to proposing amend,
1Ilents to the Constitution, as it nov
stands, to tile people for their adop
ton or rejection There is no necessity fol
it, because there Is no great public emcr
eency which calls for the exercise Of 4 rev
olrtionary power. Hence We conclude
that behind al that the pub1i'
can see, deeper than anything that has beel
yet ayowed, there is purpose on tn
part Of the managers OF fthe dominant part,
in the Convention to enbroR the State J.
domestic quarrtz, possibly to push 1t
a conflict Of arms, for purposes schic
are not friendly TO tie Federal Gorcrnmen
and zr7ich zook to the all and comfort Of tt
fnfamous a15eltsoe! There are men in ths
Convention who would not 1esitat
to involve our people in anarchy-wh
wait only the favorable moment TO sei7
the military power Of the State, and
turn the arms Of Illinois upon the flag Of OF
common country There is one there know
to have been engaged in reasonable co
rcspondcnce with Kentucky rebel, Il
Object Of which was division Of the Sta
and transfer Of its southern extremity
the rebel Confcderacy- And IL
loyalty Of all may be tested l
the fact Of which contemporary jou
mails cannot too often refer, that the CO
gratulatory resolution on the Fort Hem
achievement Of our troops, instead Of b
lug received with cheers Of gratitude al
gladness, was refused q passag
and sent to worm its way throu.
a Committee from which it may never ]
turn These are the men who ha
the Convention under their contr
OF what objectionable usurpation, vi
exhibitions Of disloya1ty, what Off
ses against the Constitution get unamer
ed, against the laws jet in force, may th
not he guiltyf