Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-08-23
PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION.
CONCLUDED rRoM rEsrEapAY.l


CONCLUDED FRoM Yesterday
Congress, at its last session, proposed
amendments to the Constitution containing
some very important particulars in regard to
the authority Of the General Government,
that Of several States, and reducing, ,oy
Acknowledgement, the representative
power Of States in which slavery formerly
existed; and it is claimed that these amend
ments may be made valid as parts Of the
original Constitution without q concurrence
Of the States to be most seriously affected by
them, or may be forced upon those States by
three-fourths Of the remaining States as con
ditions oftheir rcadmission to representation
in Congress and in the Electoral College. 1t
is the unquestionable right OF the people OF
the United States to make such changes in
the Constitution as they, upon due 'delioera-
ton, may deem ~expedicnt; but we insist that
they shall be made in the mode which the
Constitution itself points out, in conformity
with the letter and spirit Of that instrument,
and with tho principles Of self government,
and Of equal rights, which lilo at the basis Oh
our Republican Government. We deny the
right Of Congress to make these changes IN
the fundamental law without the consent OF
three-fourths of all the States, including es:
pecially those to be most seriously affected
by them; or to impose them upon the States
or the people as conditions Of representation,
or Of admission to any Of the rights, duties
or obligations which belong, under the Con-
stitution, to all the States alike; and win
still greater emphasis do we deny the rightoi
any portion. Of the States excluding the rest
Of the States from any share in their council
to propose and sanction changes in the Con-
~stitotion which may affect, permanently,
their political relations, or control or coerce
the Legitimate action Of the several members
Of the common Union. Such exercise OF
power is simply usurpation-just as nwar
rantable When exercised by the Northern
States as it would be exercised by the South
crn, and not to be forfeited or paliatcd by
anything in past history either OF those by
whom it is attempted, or Of those upon whose
rights and liberties it is to take effect, it finds
no warrant in the Constitution. 1t is at war
with the fundamental principles Of our form
Of Government. II tolerated in one in
stance, it becomes the precedent for future
inversion Of liberty, and constitutional rights
depend solely upon the will Of the party in
possession Of power; and thus leads, by di.
rect, necessary sequence, to the most fatal
and intolerable OF all tyrannies-the tyranny
Of shifting andirresponsible political factions,
1t is againstthis, the most formidable OF all
dangers which menace the stability OF the
free Government, the Constitution was in.
tended most carefully to provide. We de
mand strict and steadfast adherence to its
provisions. In this, and in this alone, car
we find the basis Of permanent union and
peace.
Fourth. But it is alleged, in justification
OF the usurpation which we condemn, thai
the condition of the Southern States ant
| people is not such as renders safe their read
mission to share in the Government OF thu
country; that they arc disloyal, and theil
sentiments purported that neither the honor
| credit nor the interests Of the nation woulS
be safe il they we're re-admittcd to share il
its councils. Well might VI reply to this
first: that We have no right, for such reasons
to deny any portion Of the States or peopl'
\ rights expressly conferred upon them by thu
Constitution Of the United States. Second
that so long us their acts are those OF loyalty
so long as they conform in all their publ,
| conduct to the requirements Of the Constitu
ton and laws, We have no right TO exact from
them q conformation in their sentiments ant
| opinions 10 our own Third, that we have n
right to djstrust the purposes or the abilitie
Of the people OF the Union to protect an
| defend, under all contingencies and by what
ever means that may be required, its homo
| and its welfare. There would, in our judg
ment, be full and conclusive answers to tn
| plea thus advanced for the exclusion OF tn
| States from the Union; but We say, further
that this plea rests upon complete misappre
hension, on unjust perycrsion OF existing
facts. We do not hesitate to affirm that Their
is no section Of the country where the Con
stitution and laws Of the United State
find a more prompt and strict obedience thai
in those States and among those people Wit
were lately in arms against them, or wher'
| there is less purpose or less danger Of an.
| future attempt to overthrow their authority
1t would seem to be natural and inevitable
| that in States and sections so recently swep
BY the whirlwind Of war, where all ordinar.
modes and methods Of industry have beer
broken up, and the oonds or Influences tina
| guarantee social order have been destroyed
| where thousands and tens Of thousands o
turbulent spirits have been suddenly LOOSE
from the discipline Of man and thrown with
out restraint upon d~isorganized and chaoti
section, and where their keen sense Of defeat
| added to the overthrow Of ambition and hope
| scenes Of violence should defy for n time tn
imperfect discipline Of law, and excite anew
| the fears and forebodineS Of the people. i
is unquestionably true that local disturbance
of this kind, accompanied by more or less o
violence, do still occur; but they are confnet
entirely to the cities and larger towns Of tn
Southern States, where different races an
interests are closely in contact, and wher
passions and resentments are fed and ripel
into outbreaks. They are quite as much tn,
fruit Of untimely and heated political agita
tons on the part Of the people as to the au
thority Of the National Government.
But the current testimony OF those best &C
quainted with the condition Of society ant
the state Of public sentiment in the South
including that Of its representatives in thi'
Convention, establishes the fact that thu
with as full and sincere n submission as L
the people OF other States, the re-establish
ment Of the supremacy ofthe national author
ity, and are prepared, in their most loya
spirit, and with a zeal quickened alike b,
their interest and their pride, to cooperate
with other States and other sections, or
whatever may be necessary to defend the
rights, and maintain the honor, and promote
the welfare Of our common country. History
affords no instance where a people so power.
full in number, resources and public spirit
after a war so long in duration, so destruc.
tive in its progress, so adverse in its issue,
have accepted defeat and its consequences
with so much OF good faith as has marked
the conduct Of the people lately in insurrec-
ton against the United States. Beyond all
question this has been largely due to the
wise generosity with which their enforced
surrender has been accepted by the President
Of the United States and the Generals in the
immediate command Of their armies and the
liberal measures which wero afterward taken