The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-27
'rliE TNrU titiaAT p0XyIcitA ulr THE
El'TUUE.

lenders. recently published III thu R"nHS 1d6fr.
The two great powers nrn. of course, Russia
and the uniirl Suites The writer draws
picture Of thu future greatness of ltussa, over
sh,,lowing. il not Incorporating, MI the other
powers of the Ensl; such ns ALEXANDER of
Mnccdon, in his widest ,lrcnms of universal
empire. never aspirrd 10. This mny mny
| not come To pass; either event n matter of min
| or Importance TO ns. But il is otherwise in re-
gard to the spcculations of the writer concern
ing the future of this Continent. These Affect
NV very nearly, and wc thOroforc propose to
| present the substance Of them for the benefit
of our readers. The prophecy opens will, the
| following preface: In the observations we
purpose TO offer on the future of America. We
desire il TO be understood TINT We nrc rnthcr
predicting what we believe to be inevitable
than defending what We still as thoroughly he
lieve TO he, on every principle Of justice and
bencrolence, dcfensibic and even lnulable.
What we are about TO say will be nj vHriuncc
with much of the constitutional dnnkmm Of ten
years ngo it will give shnpc and uterance to
the Uniformed idcns of the popular mind o-tlny;
n few years hence il will have been developed
from conviction into practical resolve; and men
aro born who will live 10 see the greater
portion of it nm accomplished fact
lie next proceeds 10 break ground by prov
ing the worthlessncss Of paper constitutions,
not that he thinks so himself but such the
issue Of our lato war has proved it.
"Tcn years ago." he says, "men talked about
the constitution Of this country in n strain
which seemed to mike il Of considerably great
Il, n
Before il hunnn passions were 10 sink into the
calm of pence and moderation. Foreign pow
crs, abashed before its wisdom, we re gradually
| to copy its provisions md rcjoicc--with envy,
it is true, but still with great .oy--in lhe light
Of its instructions. We ourselves were to go
on and grow, no doubt, but always in the same
why; adding from time to time new territory
| TO our area. hut always cutting mp terrific
rics into States and giving them equal share
in the affairs of government. The Constitu-
ton recognized no other method nf growth
To us alone among nations conquest was i'm
possiblc; for i'll the Constitution there was no
provision for maintaining government in con
quered countries, and if territories were at any
time annexed, their dcnizcns became at once
not subjects but citizens of the United States.
In NIL our national affairs it assumed ns an
axiom that neither individual Stntcs nor the
Federal Government either could or would do
anything for which The Constitution does nat
make express provision. Thus the Consiitu-
tion was regarded as n second janus, locking
Two ways at time; by its express provisions
limiting, commanding, forbidding; and by
its mere silence checking Stntes and Federal
Government alike whenever, in some new con-
'lition of affairs, some action or some policy not
cont emplated by the Constitution. should be-
come cxpcdcnt. The war has tn, ,ght ns many
things; but the most pregnant lesson il has
taught us is the absolute worth',essncss Of pa
per constitutions in restraining the wild bursts
Of human passion, and that they arc but us
straw before the wind when they contend
| against inevitable destiny. Tho Constitution
gave no power TO States to ye pnratc from the
confederation. and we laughed mt the idea of
secession. Yet eleven Stntes seeded The
Constitution gave no right to Congress to coerce
State while in the Union, and ms little right
to conquer il if out. Yet we did coercc and
| conquer the Confederate States. The Consti-
tuition did expressly forbid imprisonment with
out speedy jury trial. Yet at tho tinkle of q
tclegraphic bell in Mr.. :5EwARD's Office prisons
were filed up with 'multifu5cs Of prisoners
| charged with no offcnce-sonlc of them merely
suspects aSfrr susPecifs-nnd this without
shadow or pretence of legal constitutional re-
| gularity. We yield 10 none in reverence for The
Constitution of our country. We dcprccate the
| ill-rcgulated Self-conceit ttrat would tampcr
with its sacredne,ss by gru fling upon il some
crude fancy in toe shape of an amendment.
But experience has taught us that a constitu-
tion framed for quiet days of pence cannot re-
| strain mems passions nor tn cir actions at time
| OF revolution or Of civil war As little can il
stand against the nations appointed destiny.
And. happily, our Constitution, although it
| does not contemplate nor mike provision for
necessities which lie in the future, intcrposes
no express provision whcl need hinder us
| when such necessities nris, }. II was not in
tended to 10 that. 1t WAS intended to define
the functions Of the govern aent of n republic.
1t was not intended to rest rain tho action Of
the people when the common wealth should, in
the order of Providence, be called to sway On
EarIRE. This contingency is near at hand
| We need no change in the Constitution TO en-
able us TO meet il with bee oming energy and
| dignity. But We must rem lember that the
! silence of the Constitution on q matter which
| it's trainers could not bayo foresecn, md for
which they had no right to legslate, is not to
be considered bar to our free action II is
our afFair. Ours is The duty. Tho RESPONSE
bility is ours, and tho silence of the dend is no
law for tho conscience Of III o living" \
"Tho foreign immigration, added 10 the natu-
ral increase of oar popul aton, will in 1900
have increased orr population TO loo, ,O0O, ,OOo."
He next proceeds TO sho,y the inevitable ne
ccssity of the annexation Of Canada TO the
United States, from whiot. no difficulty is mp
pretended. II is o nero question. Homo
gencous in race, in langua &c, in manners and
customs, of equal intelligen ce, and long trained
moreover in the pr lctico II self-goyernment,
thcro is no reason whatever to apprehend any
serious disturbance of the federative system
from snoh nm accession.
1t is otherwise, when the Spanish American
countries came up for consit leration. These
Will be conquered, and held ia military occupa-
tion' What these people no.,d is to bo gov
erned,' says tho writer, "Gov ern themselves
they cannot. Unless then they arc to bo loft