The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-02-07
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION.
NINETEENTH DAY.

by Rev. E. p. Smith, Of New York. The roll
The convention procesded to the considera-
ton Of the special order ior twelve O'CLOCK,
hamely, the report OF the Committee on the
Bin uf flights.
ont frorn the frat section the words born free
And eoual. 80 that it would read "au men are
endowed BY their Creator, &c.
He said that until man became OF age he
certainly was not free; consequently the state
Inert was not true, and he wished to see notn-
mo in the constitution that was not literally
.eJ. J. Wright replied that the language might
NOT be literally true, but d the gentleman from
Newberry was o philosopher, or knew anything
about moral philosophy, he would recognize
the fact that all men we're undoubtedly born
free and equal, and possessed OF certain IN
alienable rights.
ahould have equal rights. It was only me pc
5culiar phraseology to which he objected.
This words s1born Tree and equal were wrong.
B. F. Randolph wondered how anybody
could question the phrase. Ply slologlcalIy
speaking, men were not born free and equal
Some are tall, others short; some have good
sense, others have not; some are born with olg
fest, others have little rect; but the founders
. OF the government understood that, IN pohtl-
cal sense, all men we're indeed free and equal,
and endowed with certain privileges which they
q. 8. Bowen offered the following amendment
ss q substitute: ''An men are porn equally
free and Independent, and have certain natural
inherent and inalienable rig ats.
R. f. Whittemore said he would like to ask
the mover Of the above how people are born
i independent. All men are born Tree and equal
politically, and, whatever may be the aspra-
f,ons or qualifications Of individuals, they are
entitled to the privileges enjoyed III common.
@. Lee moved to lay the amendments on the
table. and the motion being agreed TO, the
question occurred in passing the hrst section
to its third reading, and 1T was deoided In the
affirmative.
Section q was read, on motion Of B. o.
Duncan, modified verbally, aud passed to lts
lna section ions 5. B. O. Duncan offered as substi-
:AH political power is originally. vested in
ard derived from the people, and all Tree gov,
ernnents are founded on their authority and
Instituted for their peace, safety and happl-
mas"
4. f. Whittemore contended that the amend
poent changed the entire character OF the sec
tion. which declared the right Of the people at
ali times to modify their form Of government.
motion was made to lay the amendment on
the table, whereupon the President explained
that such course was unparliam entary unless
IL was designed to carry with it the original
proposition. The proper way to get rid CT an
Amendment was to vote it down.
MT. Duncan urged that as the idea was
already expressed in the Bill Of Rights, its
repetition was unnecessary.
g. g. Bowen favored the amendment. He
Ssid that it was upon the identical phraseology
OF section s that the discussion and difficult
ty arose which led to the war, and he saw
no object in perpetuating it in the forthcoming
constitution. 1t was known as the States
Rights clause, characterized as such, and, IN
nearly all Of the constitutions lately formed,
has been left out.
IN. jerks considered the section as it stood
Revolutionary. No clause ought to exist in the
constitution upon which can be raised ques-
tion as to the paramount authority OF the Unit
ed States.
a. J. Ransier (colored) said the Bill Of Rights
expressed and embodied this idea. The right
OF secession was denied in tolo. The section
in oueation simply provided that the people
may at will modify and change their form OF
government.
Further discussion followed at some length,
and the amendments beng voted down, section
paSsed to its third reading.
On motion Of F. ]. Moses, Jr., the vote on
Section 9 was reconsidered, for the purpose OF
making the following substitute, which, after
debate, was agreed to 'Slayery shall not sx-
lat in this State, neither shall involuntary
servttude, except as punishment tor crime,
whereof the party shall have been duly con-
victed."
- Section was read and passed to its third
reading without objection.
Section was amended, on motion of G. Pills
rbury, by the insertion Of the word "shau" as o
substitute for fought to-" 80 as to make it
read that s.alt attempts to dissolve the Union
shall be resisted, "&c.
Discusslon ensued on an amendment by F.
]. Noses. substituting the words "disconnect
from" tor the word "dissolve," but the motion
was not agreed to.
Sections S and then passed to thicd
reading.
g. g. Bowen moved to strike out the section
z on the ground Of superfuity, and after
considerable debate the motion was agreed to.
Section was passed.
Section 8 was also the subject Of consid-
cradle debate, pending which the convention
adjourned.