Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-06-24

1
s1aN BE- psrpstual hsA any alteration at any tin
hereafter be made any Of them an such alts1ssio
forwards confirmed By the Legislatures Of every State
It will be by reference to the Recommendation of tn
Annapolis Convention quoted above and the resolution
at Phiisdelpha in May. $751; that nothing more was IL
tended to be ACCOMPLISHED by that body than to harmon.
possibe the conflicting interests and opinions Of the dill
to- the Constitution to "render it adequate to the exgen
cies Of the Union aud report the sams to Congress- bI
s ny zee rs.aon
Congress the 2ls day of February 1887 the day OF
report Of the Annapolis Convention was taker
WHsRsAs There is provision in the articles of Coned
GRAFTON ard perpetual union for making there
in BY the assent Of Congress of the and
Of the legislatures of the several States and whereas ex
peenes bath evinced that there defects in
Confderaton to remedy which several OF the
States and particularly the State of New York ny express
Instructions their delegates in Congress have suggested
Convention for the purposes expressed in the following
resolution and such Convention appearing 70 be the most
probable means of stabshng in these Statesa firm
esot1ad, That in the opinion of Congress it is expe.
dent that the second Monday in May next Conyen-
ton of delegates VINO shall have been appointed by the
eevera! States be hsld at Philadelphia for Tie ss and
press purpose oreuising tie articles Of Confederation, and
alterations therein shall when agreed oin Congress
and confirmed by the States render the Federal Consu
ton adequate to the ex;genciss OF government and the
| preseruatiQp Of the Unon"- ~ .. ~ -.
In pursuance Of and for the objects set forth in the fore
going resolution all the States with the exception
Rhode Island appointed delegate. to the proposed Con
guage which she and indeed every other State Used in the
credentials given to her delegates will think prove to the
satisfaction of every onethe President Of the Confederate
States the greatest of all American statesmen past
present. living or dead alone excepted-that she
thought of or contemplated secession. The act of the
General Assembly of Virginia under which her delegates
were appointed, Is entitled as follows: ~. .
An Act for appointing deputies from this Common
wealth to Convention proposed to be held in the city Of
Philadelphia in May next for the purpose revising tile
Federal Constitution y and the language used in the
dentiais conveying power to the delegates is extracted
from the follows for the purpose of revising the
Federal Constitution We at loss to how even
so great man as the President was able to discover
any evidence of an intention to sesede FROM dissolve
the Union in this language New Jersey followed next
egates is as follows For the purpose Of taking into con-
sderation the state Of the Union to trade and other i'm.
Portsnt objects and of de7sng such oths provisions
shall appear to be necessary render the Constitution OF
the Feders government adequate the exgences th,re
Of Pennsylvania came next, and empowered her dele.
gates TO meet sach deputies may be appointed and
vention at the city aforesaid aud to join with them de-
visin celebrating and discussing all such alterations
and further provisions as may be to render the
Federal Constitution fully adequate to the exigences Of
the Union and in reporting s:a act or acts for that pur-
pose to the United States Congress assembled as when
States viii eestusy provs for n eye
Next cane the State of North C.roina using The fol-
lowing words For the purpose Of revising the Federal
language: Devsing, celebrating and discussing suc
alterations and further provisions be necessary to
render the Federal Constitution adequate to the exgences
identical with that of Delaware Thea tame Nav York
with language almast identical with that Of Delaware and
Georgia The State Of South Carolina came nsxt empow
erng her to join with the commissioners of
the other States in devsing aud discussing all such al
teraons clauses articles aud provisions may thought
quate tohe actual situation and future good government
OF the Confeerated States Next came Massachusetts n
this emphatic language for the sole and cypress purpose
of revising the articles of Confederation The State of
Connecticut followed the language of Massachu
sets The language OF Maryland aim ost identical
with that OF Delaware and some other States New Hamp-
etsctuai means to remedy the defects odr Federal Uniou
sna to procure and secure shs enlarged purposes which
was intended to effect zlesa4F,as ssLl- |
In pursuance the foregoing powers the Deesaes met
% he iai day beng The md
Monday in May D., 1887, and the nth Of September
which they transmitted United States in Congress
assembled accompanied by resolutions in which the
expresses the epseion that it should be sub
the people thereof Under the recommendation of its
legislature for their assent and ratification and also the
That q: SOON as the Cor ventions Of nine States
should have ratified the Constitution the United States
Congress assembled should fix day on which the electors
should be by the State which shall have ratified
The same and day which the electors should assemble
vote for the President and the time and place for com
nencing proceedings under the new Constitution 1t was
also accompanied by letter from the President of the Con-
der of the Convention in which he says in all our de-
beraticns on this subject ept steadily in view
Meeo aRpesIs us tue Of
'oyed our prosperity felicity safety perhaps national
On the 2sth of September, 1887 Congress ssozuea
That the said report with the resolutions
md letter accompanying the same be transmitted to the
several Legislatures in order to bs submitted conven
0n OF delegates chosen each State by the people there
of in conformity to the resolves of the Convention made
and provided in that case and the 18th of September
ISL eleven States having in the time ratified the
ReoIeed That the first Wednesday in January next be
he day for appointing electors the several States which
before the said day, shall have ratified the Constitution
NAT the hrs Wednesday, in February be the day for the
electors to assemble their respective States and vote for
PRESIDENT; and that the first Wednesday March next
titution." -
should perhaps bave stated that every one of be States
eport their acts to Congress- order that they might be
rst agreed to by that body conformity with the provs
,ns OF the 18th Of the articles of Confederation would
refer such of my readers may wish verify any of
ne quotations. to the Journals of the Congress
the Confederation and of the State Legislatures during
Hickey in his edition and history of the Constitution
the United States published years since by order
the Senate at the instance OF Mr. Senator Badger Of
think have sufficiently shown the object of the
reat statesmen who framed the Constitution Of the Uni
q States Their object was beyond alqueston to "re
+
dequae to the exgences of the Uniou the sUay and
'lnner provided for in that Constitution aud this at all
vents, was all they did. 1t was agreed to by tae
and referred by it to the Legislatures of the
raj States and IN pursuance Of the Recommendation
,e Mof the Convention was referred BY them to
lres themselves for that especial purpose and although
le constitution provided that tshoud be confirmed by
e of the several States yet think no one
i'll deny that they had the right thsy thought proper to
IN accordance with the Recommendation of the Con.
enon 10 refer It to their naast the people in Conven-
on assembled The only particulars them which there
as me slightest departure from the provisions of the
tuition was in its being put into operation when it had
zen ratified only by eleven Of the States instead of BY all
Them The other two States, howe. er, ratified it.
ID thus remeded that defect and there doubt that
onvenon And is believed that the enlightened body
statesmen foresaw, that if the government put ia
'eraton under the amended Constitution upon its adm
by nine Of the States it would it's speedy adop
On by the other four and thus temporary departure
emit. -
It may however be said that the Convention did not re-