The mountain Democrat., 1865-03-04


The, AAslatAs@ g saavszy.-oan tAs
Adopted and the REQ uAremSMaa o.
she c"nssatutiOA cOn10FAeA GO1
Before inviting attention to the points
at ISSUE says the Democratic Press, We
desire to state that We care not bow soon
slavery is totally abolished by those; who
have the legal right to do 80. Tk6lsanda
OF men who have ever been opposed to
slavery as an institution, have refused 10
join in the crusade made by the fanatics
against the people Of the South, because
unwilling to obey their commands ON the
SdfgerU. 1Gs" sgRrt, atIr NelI read nSsn
know that the New England PuritGns
sustained the slave trade until it was pro.
I ni6Iled, aud ,mainIY TOO by. SuOthsrD
votes. These same Puritans also main
tanned slavery as State institution until
they had sold 10 Southern planters ell:
The slaves held by them, and then only
did they begin to war against the instl.
tuition.
But, ~ to the amendment Of the Con.
stitutlOn proposed by the two Houses Of
Congress The constitution OF the Uni
ted States provides that two thirds Of III
two Houses Of Congress may frame and
propose amendments, and that two thirds
"i the several States NAV call Cunven
ton to amend the Constitution; AMI that.
| ~hTN. said amendments etagSk nave hsAM
/ ratih ID bxths legislatures IS IErer IusylhS
OF the several States or by Conventions OF
three iou'thS If the States. the PROPOSED
| amendment or amendments shall be lie
clared adopted and he regarded AZ valid
and tn all ntents and PURPOSES part Of the
Constitution.
Tue two Houses Of ongress having
passed an amendment Of the Constitution
ah"li>hihg slavery the question arises will
SAID anrndlnent he RATIFIED by three.
i"urth> If the Srate>y The whole nun.
her Of States, includin Northern Viz.
ginia, Is thlrty.>ix, Of these twenty one
are tIce States aud fifteen are slave States.
OF the fifteen slavA States eleven have sc.
reded irurn the onion, but their right Of
ceSSion has Mt been cone, drd bV the
C"lon men OF the adnering States. So
nuc aS t. the present status oi the sew
cral ) at~S who are to act upon the 70.
t'''0''i diits IltDtuN vi tIIt CONSTITUTION. :
Delaware is understood to have decided
against the proposed amenImenr, AMI
Kentucky aud Maryland are known To
have IN joritieS in their respective L, giS
Iatnre> opposed TO it. There is also be.
iirved to b. n majority against it in the
New jersey L,gi> allure, aud It cannot br
adopted bN the Pennsylvania and New
Hnrk iSlu fIr,S ,rithnttN h.. ,,t
men decidedly opposed To Lincolns Ad
mini>traiion. Al 10 the eleven seeded
States the States Of Kentucky, Maryland,
Delaware, and New jersey, and We have
fifteen States. not one Of winch will en-
dOrsr the amendment in the form propos.
ed By Congress. The concurrence Of
twenty seven States is nec..S Sarv to MAKE
up the three fOurth> vote required by the
Constitution. Toohtain this number the
concurrence Of the twenty ore free States
must be obtained. and also the concur
renee OF Kentucky, Maryland, and Della.
ware, and three Of the seeded States. -
/ But, say the fanatics, we don't intend To
include the eleven seeded States in the
! count, and by excluding the Said Stat, $
the three fourLhS vote required by tie
Constitution can b. figured out. This is
certainly true, but can the seeded States
he TINS excluded from the count without
thereby conceding that the Union is dis
solved. To re!US" to count the seeded
States as in TIE Cnion is to endurse e
rc>>ion is to concede that the people of
'lven States are neither bound to con
form To or exercise rivilrgtS under it.
Although We have long >ince ceased to be
surprised at the acts Of the men now in
power, We are unwilling TO believe that
they are prepared To disregard plain pre-
vision Of the Constitution, in order TO en-.
graf upon that instrument an amendment
cmhraciEg heir ownIirwS. Bat whether
they will or win not 60 the length Of re-.
iuSing To count the seeded States and
without counting them a. within the Tn
ion, claim that the proposed amendment
has been ConStitutionaily adopted, re
mains to be seen.
THERE is a man in Maine. the owner Of
piece Of crinoline, who shows deci led
pluck. H. says that when the minister
was hngging and kissing his wifi, he
p, eyed through the crack Of the door and
III / | l. :