The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-20
The New Texas Consultation.
From the Galveston Civilian. ]

From the Galveston Civilianl
=" The new constitution, as far as IL has been
engrossed by the constitutional convention " has
been published and is to be, in the Radical papers;
but is not submitted to a popular vote, and has
not been adopted by the convention. The follow.
ing are among the features of this piece of white,
b lack and yellow mosaic work.
1t sets ont by declaring grsndiIoquently, il not
truly, as its object, that the heresies Of nullif-
cation and secession, which brought the country
TO grief, may be eliminated from future political
discussion This strikes us as particularly good:
" eliminated from future political discussion y
settles that matter in four words.
This new constitution is to be perpetual, like
the laws of the Modes and Persians, or those
which Lycurgus swore the Spartans not to change
until his return, and expected to perpetuate by
refusing to return. The first section declares
" that the fundamental principles embodied there
in can only be changed, subject to national au-
thori y" thus making the state the perpetual
ward and vasssl of the general government
This new document declares that the civil shall
be superior to the military power, but makes the
naval. military and militia powers superior to the
civil power, thus " no person shall be holden to
answer for any criminal charge but on indictment
or information, except in arising in the land
or naval forces, or ofenses against the laws re.
gulatiDg the militia" 1t declares that no citizen
shall ever be deprived of any right, privilege or
immunity, nor be exempted from any burden, or
duiy, on account OF race, color or previous con-
dition," and that importatons of persons under
the name of coolies, or any other name or desg
nation, or the adoption of any system of 'peon-
sge,' whereby the helpless and unfortunate NAV
be reduced to practical bondage, shall never be
authorized, or tolerated by the laws of this
State.n
A notable feature is the demsnd that call cleo.
tons for all State, district and county officers ex-
cept for justices of the peace, shall be held at the
county seats Of the several counties" This would
serve practically to disfranchise very large
portion OF our citizens, many of whom, in the
large and sparsely settled counties, would be I'M
able to go to and return to their homes from the
polls in less than two days. 1t declares that mo
person shall be eligible to any office, State, county
or municipal, who is not registered voter in the
State" The force Of this provision will be under
stood when it Is considered that the members Of
the convention have been called on to furnish
list OF new names for registrars, and that il 10
claimed that the registrars can refuse the names
Of all citizens who happen TO displease these
officers, without cauIe.
The coolest thing in the document is the declara-
ton that person shall at the same time hold or
exercise any two Offices, agencies or appointments
of trust or profit. large proportion of those
who promulgste this declaration have been for the
three Offices.
They also declare that, at its first session, Z" the
Legislature shall proceed to ratfy the thirteenth
and fourteenth articles of the amendment to the
Constitution of the United States of America"
This is another jug handle question for the Legs'
lature, which is supposed to have the right to vote
aye or no on the ratification, as suits each mem.
Der and bis constituents.
The convention also proposes greatly to shorten
the process of naturalization, by declaring that
I" aliens who have declared their intention TO be-
come citizens of the United States, aud are actu-
ally residing in the State, are citizens of the State
OF Texas