Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-07
Amending ths Constellation.

INSIDE.
Amending h Constitution.
The Pittsburgh Commercial declares al
u Ehonsst disrelish" for the 'tinkering o
lthst sacred instrument the Constitution
% the United States. This is very easy
hatalkssndis apt to be popular with thos,
who do not think at all, or think only il
the nut Of old habit But every candid
and rejecting man, accepting with JOY thu
Ttal changes which the wal has given us
viii acknowledge the necessity of amend
ing the Constitution 50 that it may cor
& respond with these changes. To declare the
Constitution SO perfect an instrument that
sTsahar near a century's experience and
bHgEowth and change it needs no improve
90 ment would be for the present generation
Ia t. confess itself weak and foolish indeed
kosRdto proclaim cur forefathers who framed
the instrument not merely statesmen but
demi-gods. The Constitution was a State
paper without precedent and without
.vnodel Its wisdom was theoretical, and
not derived from experience. Its trainers
iseould only guess what its practical work
ing would be, as they had no opportunity
yiOf observing the action of similar govern
mental machinery elsewhere. Under these
circumstance, the success lahieved by the
tfaners Of u government is something
almost miraculous, but 1t would be more
than miraculous il, after having watched
tAhe workings Of the instrument for almost
HScehtlry, we can-fnd nething in it to
samodifysor improve.
woHN ct does the desire to amend the Con-
5~fhtution indicate any arrogance or self
-seoneeit. There isla general disposition to
7depfeciate the ststesmanship of to-day, and
ITO oEer-estimate the ability Of past gene
eisationss GDistance lends e~nehantment to
saEfei view and while we look back to
tWsbster, Clay, jackson and Calhoun with
ssw0ndefing veneration, we bow our heads
.sabefors Washington and Franklin, Hamil-
ton and Jefferson, as to beings more than
-ehoftala fWsnistake in this-not sonuch
in exaggerating the greatness Of the past
,ERsin holding too cheaply the virtue and
ylSisdom Of the present. Future genera
bon. viii recognize Lincoln as the peer Of
-sWaahingtSn, and, seen through the mists
HSofthme, Chase and Seward and Stanton
and Grant will loom as large as Madison
and 4Isferson- The war for the Union
-dEss guaAter and nobler than the war for
-iindepshdence. The present generation is
wiser and better and more pstriOtic than
ltheir fathers Of re- sThis was soraetime
-a6i PArsdcx, but now the time gives it
proof" The world moves forward, not
backward. And the trainers Of the Con-
a~stitusion recognised this fact when, instead
Sof making their work immutable as the
rHiaxs Of the Modes and Persians, they pro-
hvideaiR Il for its W amendment and Inn
P~rovefnent.
What we have said thus far is based on
general principles, and would be true even
had the late war never been fought. But
that war, while It illustrates and confirms
what we have said, lie q fresh argument in
favor Of modifying the Constitution. 1t
was itself the result Of 8 mistake on the
part Of our fo~refathers, and its terminR-
ton has removed the institution which
loecasioned il, which has been the bane of
the country, and which has even cast its
blight upon the Constitution itself. Here
we end the radical reason fer changing
athat instrument; II IS a conspTonaiss be-
tspsea Slavery AND Freedom. Slavery hay
ing ceased, it's traces in the Constitution
should DO swept away. Our fathers found
slavery existing and powerful. Instead
Of crushing it they compromised with it.
The article fixing the basis of representa-
tiou,thAtprotsctin theslave trade till 1908,
and that under which the Fugitive Slave
laws of 1sps and 1880 were enacted
care all concessions 10 the slave power. As
4 result that power increased and four
ished. An inevitable and irrepressible
: confiet bstweeni freedom and slavery en-
sued, culminAting in war and in the ami
.hilation Of slavery. Now is it not fit is
iitlnot necessary, hat we should recognise
this vital change by corresponding changes
in our Constitution
80 We are not, therefore, among those who
sGrealarmed by the multitude and variety
of the constitutional amendments now
pending in Congress. We welcome them
ali, and hope that they may be carefully
sited and stadied. There is no danger
-thAtlsOo many Of them viii be adopted
the provisions Of the Constitution itself
eander Il next to impossible for any
ahsndnent which does not meet the APP
proved or q vast majority of the people
sEerJ bang ratified. We hope that
pshgress will give sSber and thoughtful
4nenton' . this great work, and that we
AhA0har6no more senseless gsbble against
-stfhksring that sacred instrument
ga s.luI 81
40 y. KE. Stewart and the Press.
q The bsne Of ths press is the eagerness
win which 4 Esizss OF personal gossip.
Chs more prominent the individual, the