The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-09-05
PORTLAND CORREspONDENCE.
A Convention OF all the Statos-Tho I'm
eroachments Of the Federal Govern
mont-The Fraudulent Fourteenth
Amondmont-6e., &c.
PORTLAND, Sept. /, 1868.

PORTLAND, Sept. l, 1868.
Editor State Rights Democrat:
| wish to trespess upon the columns of
your journal, briefly, for the purpose Of
making a suggestion for the consideration
Of the members elect of our next State
Legislature. wish to suggest to them
the advisability of taking the iniatory
steps toward calling a Convention Of all
the States for the purpose Of proposing
amendments TO the Constitution. AS you
are aware, such amendments can be made
in two ways. The 6rst is by the sanction
of two.thirds Of both Houses of Congress
and the subsequent ratification by three
fourths Of the States. The other mode is
US follows: Upon application oftwo-thirds
it is obligatory upon Congress to call Con-
yention of all the States, which may pro.
pose amendments to he valid when ratified
by three.fourths of the States. This last
plan designated by the Constitution Is the
one in which the people Of the several
States can proceed without the dlctation
of Congress, and is the one by which the
popular will would be most closely obeyed.
| suggest, therefore, that Oregon, through
her next Legislature, make upon Con-
gress formal application for such Con-
vention, and as formally notify the Leg
islativc Assemblies Of tho several States
OF such proceeding, 10 that they can con-
slider and join in such application if they
deem the same expedient.
Here, with this suggestion, perhaps |
might pause, leaving with the individual
members of the Legislature to weigh for
themselves tho reasons for such a pro.
ceedure, but pardon me il briefly state
the reasons Why | wish this step to be Ia
ken.
There is, perhaps, in this State no in
dividual who cherishes for our Constitu-
tional form of RaYarnmsnE Pc
found regard than / entertain. Ii was
form Of government nice in It's con
ception aud admirable in It's workings
for more than halG.a century. twas the
work Of patriots aud was made for the
government Of such. And so long as the
people were animated by patriotic motives
alone, so long was the government exc
cutcd in its spirit and its letter, and
peace at home and respect abroad attested
alike TO the bcnciccnce Of its reign.
But like all other governments, corrup-
ton grew upon with years, until finally a
great political party was organized and
aheved success upon q platform that
contraycned the decision of the Supreme
Judiciary-one of the three coordinate
branches Of the Federal Goyernment-to
the extent Of depriving the people of
certain of the States Of their rights of
property in the public domain. AS a
natural consequence of such reasonable
procedure, resistance by those States fol-
lowed and war between the Federal Gov
crnment and those States cnsued, during
which and subsequent to which the great
charter Of our liberties had been ignored
in repeated instances. States have been
partitioned without their consent; Legis-
laturcs have been prorogued by the Fed
eral Military; the rights reserved to tho
States of the appointment of officers for
troops employed in the service of the
United States has been denied; the Fed
eral Military have made open and shame
full interference in the elections of sever
al adhering States; these and other re.
spective acts of a like nature, have
shown a disregard on the part Of the
Federal Government to obey the Consti-
tutional obligations at the very time it
was ostensibly endeavoring to enforce
obedience to such obligations by the sc.
ceding States. And since the war has
ceased, and while the country is in n
State Of peace, without warrant from the
Constitution, military governments have
been instituted over ten States of the
Union; representation has been denied
the people and is still denied them, for
the representatives $50 called) from sew
eral Of those States who have lately been
admitted to their seats were not chosen
by the people thereof but by the negroes
under the dictation of the Federal bayo-
net. These and other outrages upon the
part of the Federal government a.
ganst the Constitution, its fagrants and
repeated violation OF the rights of the
States, and its imblushing assumption of
power should admonish the people of
these confederated States, that unless they
wish to see the last Constitutional barrier
thrown down, and centralized despotism
erected upon the ruins of our written
form of government, they should speak
and act as becomes freemen. Nor will
the plea that the people are already ig-
noring the policy of the last few years,
and are about to restore the government
to the hapds of those who are known to
cherish a regard for the Constitution in
its integrity, be sufficient to obviate tho
counter plea for the necessity of further
safeguards. We may indeed have a
reign of reason and law, but then it may
be succeeded again by the rule of force
and anarchy; and it becomes US, prompted
by the experiences of the past, to provide
while the public mind is in its calm and
reason, for those exigencies when it is
disordered and wayward. Furthermore
it has been formally announced from the
State Departments that I" if the resolu-
tions of the Legislatures of Ohio and
New Jersey ratifying the aforesaid
amendments are to be deemed as remain
ing of full force and effect, notwith-
standing the subsequent resolutions of