Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-08-10
UNFOLDING OF THE PLor.

hil Oucuu6I5.
UNFOLDING OF THE PLOT.
A paper was circulated In this city yester-
day evening, purporting to be proclamation
Of Gov. Wells, ordering elections to be held
in certain parishes to fill vacancies in the
of 1864.
We suppose 1t to be genuing document,
it purports to be signed ''under my
hand, at the city of New Orleans, this TWEEN
ty-seventh day Of July, A. d. 1866" when
the Governor Is known not to be within
many miles of this place. II also wants the
of the Secretary Of State, whorhas,
we learn, refused to countersign 1t, or attach
the seal of State, as is customary, II not ma
terisl to the paper.
Not one of the State officers, we believe,
elected at the same time as Gov. Wells, and
on the same ticket forming With him the
State administration, agrees with him In
these extraordinary proceedings.
The paper was, however, doubtless issued
by the Governor, and is in that respect q
genuine production; but it is one he has not
q shadow of authority for issuing, and Is one
of no more legal force than It would be If 1t
had been issued by any other person, in or
out of the State.
II has been demonstrated, over and over
again, that the Convention of 1864 has no
legal existence in 1866. II expired by the
conclusion of its labors, and the adoption Of
the Constitution it made. 1t attempted to
prolong its own existence by providing that
it might be reconyokcd by the presiding Of
fcer.
This authority to convoke the defunct
body was in itself a usurpation; but It was a
conditional authority vested in particular
person to be exercised in single event. and
there was no provision made for the inter-
vention of the Governor at all. That per-
son was the President Of the Convention, and
that event the failure Of the people to
ratify the Constitution. The President
of the Convention was directed TO call
il together if the Constitution was rejected
1t was only in that event that the provision
to fill vacancies should come in force thai
way. "Then and in that case he (the
President OF the Convention) might call on
the proper officers to cause elections to bt
held. The case never occurred; the Consti.
tuition was ratified, the President of the Con
vention decides the body to be constitution.
ally extinct and the pretended authority
which was a usurpation; lapses by its Owl
terms, and leaves not vestige of title or au
thority anywhere, or in anybody, to fill va
cancies in the body, alive or dead.
Nevertheless, Gov. Wells has issued thi;
paper ordering and commanding elections Il
be held to fill the vacancies which the very
authority he recites declares are only TO b.
filled in the event that the Consultation
should be rejected.
1t is the plainest possible case Of the use o
a power which those who bestowed 1t ha,
no right to give, for a purpose different from
that to which they expressly limited il, an'
IN manner entirely different from tina
which they prescribed.
The Governir based his proclamation Of
the report of Judge Howell, as President pr
TEN. of the Convention, when Judge Howel
only represents small minority which II
regularly excluded the true President
there by President at all--and is mer
pretender 70 authority, without the supper
of more than fourth of the forum of tn
body he effects TO speak for but which th
Governor accepts as the sovereign authorit
Of the State In perpetual session.
The proclamation does not call election
to fill vacancies in the Convention as Il ez
listed when it adjourned in 1864; but to brin
in new members TO the number of 81, froI
parishes which were not represented In ths
Convention at all. There is no notice Ia
ken OF vacancies which have occurred anon
the members actually chosen and takin
part in its proceedings.
The real fact we suppose 10 be that ms
Ijorty Of the surviving members Of the Cor
vention is not to DO had In support OF Il
Executive and his partisans, and that II
designed 10 bring in by the new elections,
which IL Is thought that no citizens Of Il
Governors clique, can consistently tai
part, enough 10 get a majority who wi
sanction everything when done, however !
regularly, and depend on the Executive an
a partisan Judiciary which is in confederae
with him TO overthrow a unanimous Legisll
ture, all the State officers elected by the pc
pie, and impose new government on di
franchised people. ...
THE MEETING LAST NIGHT AT MECHANICS ISsl
TUTE.
We were well aware that those who we
instrumental in getting mp the meeting be
Hat .f..hs "a ika Maohanf..i V.a,ss..k. -.