Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-04-26
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.


erybody that the Constitution of the Uni
ted States is after all very potent affair,
or~the nation would have died long ago.
It has already had Cotton on the brain, "
Niger on the BRAIN" "acute Democra-
Cyl" and long run of WAR fever" Po-
litical quacks have made many discover
les warranted to cure" as Compromise
blood purifier" English preparation of
iron and saltpeter," "blood letting" &c.
But nothing carries such charm with it
as the Union restoration syrup" partic-
ually the Dose Grant gave Lee the other
day.
Dropping this figure, let us look at a
few reasons why it is not necessary to
amend it. d. 4I.f' a.E ..
1t is not necessary to impeach Wash
ington. and the other trainers of the Con-
stitution. To suppose an amendment
necessary. implies that the Constitution
is defective of purposely mischievous. In
other words, thet Washington and others
were either kuaves or fools. If so the
preamble to the amendment then should
read thus: Washington and
his noble compatricts, for want of brains,
became giddy with "conglomeratiou of
Offering generalities,' and pretending to
more integrity than he possessed, have
given to the nation a constitution which
proves to be only covenant with hell
Therefore--Resolved that having sur.
plus of brains, and senatorial morality,
we propose to supply the above deficiency
by amending the constitution to read as
follows: &c. a.. .........s..
Now VIC can sit on which horn of the
dilemma we please, one or the other we
must take, or give tho Fathers credit for
wisdom and integrity. We shall find it
much easier, and more respectable task
to sustain the character of the Fathers
than to impeach them.
Again, it is not necessary since there
is no clause in the Constitution that needs
any such alteration. No one proposes
any such cause what then can we de-
mand? ......t
1t is claimed that the representative
clause" favors slavery; which provides,
that ito the whole number of free per-
sons, including those bound to service for
term of years, three fifths of all other
persons shall be added. The only just
inference then is, that when the two clas-
SEES mentioned, are included" with, and
added to. the free persons" that the
whole are free persons. The term free as
used here meaning citizens. or voters.
These persons coming together then for
the purpose of choosing representatives,
would be very properly called Free
mans meeting" That clause then is all
right.
But it is also claimed, that the rendi-
ton clause favors slavery. 1t provides that
persons held to service or labor escaping
to another state shall be delivered up to
the party to whom such service or labor
may be due
Now in the representative clause, per
sons held to service" are included among
free PERSONS. The word "due." im-
plies contract between the parties. a con-
tract for labor, hence the provision is, that
person running away from a contract of
labor shall be taken back to pay his debt,
on labor due. Now as there is no contract
between modern slave and his master,
there is nothing due his master, and is
therefore not TO be deltvered up. Is this
a covenant with hell ?" No, his Satan
ic Majesty was not admitted to the con
stitutioual Convention" He might have
been in the "LoJIy :" e.. ., ...r.
Now as there are the only two classes
in the constitution claimed to favor sla-
very, in the least degree, it is plain that
no amendment is needed.
One more provision, in the Constitution
makes it wholly unnecessary to add
the amendment ...
1t is that Congress shall guarantee to
every state in this Union, Republican
form Of government"
Now what such form of Government
is. settles at once and forever, the inten.
ton Of the fathers as to the policy to be
pursued by this natien.
H