The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1865-04-20
gsi,ra. CoAMUNIcATED,
From the Southern Guardian, Jam 81, 1866.
The Issue.


The Issue.
MIR. EDIToR: Several weeks before
the Secession of this State from the for
mer Federal Union of sovereign States,
l had publishedin the South Carolintan
the following communication.
"Thc reserved State right of secession,
in all probability, will be practically ex.
ercised by the duly chosen delegates of
the people Of the sovereign State of
South Carolina, so soon as they shall
have beenin constitutional convention
assembled.
The disruption that must supervene,
is, in its nature, divisble; it may be
either an unqualified, or qualified dis
ruption; the one looking to the separate
independence of South Carolina the
other to such organic changes in the
Federal constitution, as shall henceforth
serve affectually to restrain the majority,
and as effeotNally to protect the minor.
ity-a Distribution of political power,
which forms, in the true sense of the
term, constitutional liberty. The plans
that to this end have been proposed.
namely the executive and legislative
departments wtl, mutual negatives, are,
in themselves, faultless principles of po.
litical science, and, derived as they have
been, from the archives of antiquity,
and from actual experiences, fully de-
serve the consideration of those who
will be called upon, under circumstan.
ces of peculiar difficulty, to restore, as
nearly as may be practicable, the last
intersectional equilibrium" The events
that have taken place within the past
four years are familiar to us all and what
l would at this time suggest is simply
that, ''upon the demand of any three
States, the Congress shall summon
convention Of all the States" of this
Confederacy, to take into consideration
an amendment to the third section of the
fourth article of the Confederate States
constitution in relation to the admission
into this Confederacy.
AS soon as the general convention,
thus summoned, shall have been assem-.
bled, it will duly consider, at the sug
gestion of the concurring States, an
amendment substantially upon the plan
of an amendment proposed by Mr.. Cal
houn, who III his disquisition on govern
ment, whilst commenting on the right of
suffrage and the necessity that there was
Tor some CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION to
counteract the despotic tendency of this
right expressed himself in these terms !:
"There is but one certain modem which
this result can be secured; and that is
by the adoption of some restriction OK
Limitation, which shall so effectually pre-,
vent any one interest or combination of
interests, from obtaining the exclusive
control OF the Government as to render
hopeless all attempts directed to that
end. There is, again, but one mode in
which this can be effected and that is
by taking the sense of each interest or
portion of the community, which may
be unequally and injuriously affected by
the action Of the government, separately
through its own majority, or in some
other way by which its voice. may be
fairly expressed; and to require thecon.
| oSho VI VstSh hiIcAeSt, 'ciLilcE W put OT 10
keep the government in action. This,
too, can be, accomplished only in one
way, and that is, by such organism of
the government, and, if necessary for
the purpose, of the community also, as
will by dividing and distributing the
powers of the government, give to each
division or interest," through its appro.
pirate organ, either concurrent voice
in making and executing the laws, or a
veto on their execution. Such an or.
ganism as this, combined with the right
of suffrage, constitutes in fact, the ele.
ments of constitutional government"
The above plan admirably subserves
the purpose Of its intention, j. 9. an ef.
fectual safeguard in articles of conteder.
alton between coedual and sovereign
States, differing in pursuits, in interests
and social Institutions, where the more
l'populous States, from a supposed num,sri.
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