New-York tribune., 1868-01-20
MEXICO.
coYGErss TIRE CONSTITUTION, AND THE coz
YOCATORIA.


Of the President has waived the yciiicaton
Of tho vote l.pon the propositions Of the CouvoCa-
tOria 1Is President will therefore submit hlS IA
yoritc amendments to The Constitution regularly 10
Congrs, instead of placing them directly before tle
people is opponents contend. IN an extra Consu-
tutiona ulnler, and by an unnecessary exercise OF
his arllo faculties. BY the terms Of the Conyoca-
tora you VIII see that the President has attempted
no exer0>e oi power or discretion in any manner so
essential. arbitrary some of his decIees Waila%It %
ed by Wholesale authorization of Congress. Ino
ConvocIfciIa is long document most oi u piest%do III
Ing IN vtaf manner the late election shouiu IN @
place Us debated points are contained ia " II" d.
tglcs. here appended; ,or t,o urinary elections
the si express their viii TO wheherthe next
COngrcss oi Union without adleiing TO the lorna
sbS li Tffa, o- add to il the Following points:
First That tho legislative power 0 INC te1SdaiOn @ iI pc
tive power bei vested in and divided between them.
second That The President OF tie Republic shall have
The power c>crrSng suspending veto on the reso-
iitiors o 1. Dsatiye power, that they only be
realo d by wothirds Of the votes Of the Chamber or
thanitl- ii v hioh the legislative power vested.
Third. That the deliberations between the legislative
shall n,, 10 the former shah not he verbal but wren
determu 80 The same time whether snch reports snal
cmanao directly from the President or from the Seereta
rieS Of ncpaItmeits. o
Foth That the committees or fractions & Of Congress G T
which be n session during It's recess snaIl DC ie
siucted m tie power TO convene extraordinary soSsloS
run. That the mode Of providing for provisional
substitute for e executive power III c'sS oi te tb ,o
time donRsi.
In presenting these amendments, the President,
while recognizing the fOrmalitles defined by the Con
situtiou thorpht that in view OF the grave cilsls
through which tie nation had just passed, 1t was
oppoltuno 70 appeal especially ana dlIeety 70 II9
people fiat. in eeCing their Congress they shouIu
express their free and sovereign VIII whether that
body should amend the Constitution IN few points,
which. o. they relate TO the equilibrium OF the
Supreme Powers of the Union, and to the normal
exercise ot functions, may have strong lnnuelce
upon the stability OF peace According 10 Iue, ,
from Cont4es, TO the Legislature. and thence lntO
the body of the law, the process requiring consider
ably more time than IL would take IN the Cnlte9
States The country, meanwhile would be deprived
of the al auageS OF amendments tending 10 cOiSo-
date and harnoDlze Their institutions Jus. az % sao
when such nri0rms were most necessary anu I aea.I
dial The President wished to submit his proposals
of reform 30 once 10 the people ana thtrepy sSEe
time and avoid any distractions that might possibly |
arise out Of debated power and any serious OMISSIONS
i'm the Constitution. The COnvocatoria however |
derived tie main part OF ITS unpopuiaIlty iiom the
ART Is According TO the reform for the election Of
10 the Congress of the Union sanctioned
NV d article II the decree 10th Of July. 1864 the re-
srctipns upon the liberty OF the electoral rights 90 hot
any exist and in consequence thereof tne requisite
Of resec, ~ the state Federal District or Territory IN
which the election held is not required and el.eaS Dc
who wer- excluded by the 34th article OF the organic
Electoral law. be elected Representatives to Con
Agaiust these provisions is plainly arrayed an arti-
Gle OF tho existing Federal Constitution sworn 20 oy
the General Congress of Mexico. under the PTesl-
dency OF ComonfOr IN 1851. This article Is as loi-
lows: ,..,.,....
safy t. 81. Mexican citizen in the full exercise OF his
rights; % twenty-five years Of age the day OF the
1 2lSr,y f, whic he Is seefed and mol 70 belong
cccesase0f o'd The right Of residence is not lost by
absence ic discharge Of public office under popn-
The article following this in the Constitution is
also significant, inasmuch half dozen deputies |
have been elected who hold fat offices under the Gov
eminent: ,,,,., ,., 49, |
commission employ ment OF the Union where salary
II Is Therefore presumed that the deputies so
elected wi not endeavOr 10 two offices, or viii
only tate salary Tor one of them But to return TO
Article 5 the general Justification whereof Is 10 be
found IN an article of the Constitution which ex-
pressy provides for its suspension IN specified cases
s bubble peSe ses or G any other events that place society
mnent danger or conflict oy ne Di d @
Win he appobstion OF the Congress of the Union, and
IN the Iees'sS rs OF SIass o. 1s%os f IN his Cosaon
always rScepng those which guarantee the is OF man
tral IaVs, and such suspension should not be 10 me
prejudice Of any particular nalydus & ~ .hS 'u Sgss
shall the powers deems necessary IN order tna
shoud the suspension take place during recess Of Con
Il shall be summoned immediately ID oruer 10 k'o
Thess extracts comprehend the matter at issue be-
tween the ample pOctT of the President ana the on
sttution The latter provides for its own sacrifice
by means of the former as IN the case IN debate
article - slaughters article S. BY virtue OF s am
pie faculties the President claims the night to DO an
ply: What right have you TO break the Constitution
In order to amend it, and If you have the night whefe
is the tisof Still another element enters INTO the
dscus<on-that of the prescribed term OF the Presl-
dents full powers. Under act OF Congress these
were to last until the with France had ceased
or till thirty days after the meeting OF Congress
Arguing that no sufficient proof existed that the war
OF Intervention really at an end. the PRESIDENT
cautiously retained his powers for months aiLer tne
war was recognized by the world as oyer. and untl
the meeting of Congress, when he made sagacious
surrender of them, thirty days before the utternoSt
limit of time into which they might be construed
His opponents cOntended that the Constitution re-
vived, and the Executive amphtudes deceased aller
.he war was practically at end. and that the Convo-
catorio was therefore nulhty. But was IT safe 10
declare the war over within any Drlet perod aIteI
the execution of Maxmillan and the capture OF the
capital' symptoms of lingering fever nave been
hscernible since those events and Just now the news
j. brought to hand that flibusters and lnperaists
have pronounced in Yucatan, a state RON M wnich a
peril is most likely to be apprehended on account OF
ong-standing Indian feuds and foreign indictments
both British and Spanish to disaffection Is the war
Much il To Be said upon both sides OF the Consti
tutonal debate. Looking at the whole question I'M
partially it would be hard TO decide tha eltnet mas
been positively wrong-ceItalnly; heither arc ~
meaning IL the President has been cautious IN
Wishing 10 retain his ample facu ties and has Dee
earnest to expedite Constitutional reforms oy 1reet
appeal TO the people, his critics, on the other ahn
have not dshonored themselves or HIM 0y manifest
ing their jealousy Of the Constitution Itself fres-
dent Juafez is sensible TO venture rishlnR upon
the Qucksands Of such another pohtlcai aDstrac'4h
"a that wherein Mr. johnson has lost hnnself-the
ouastjon whether States needing recOnstructlon arc
sotually States in the UniOn or only terrtores De-
ing similar in effect to the question Mheher Ample
faculties are Constitutional not. lie mas agreed
,S;.h his Congress, a majority OF whom are DIS
f,iands in dsInissing this question. and taxing an
nndisputed Constitutional position. =.
J'ha recent address of the President 70 the Depn-
"a. nifests that his severity TO the chief criminals
of the Intervention enabled HIM 10 DE cieineht 20 e
rest This sentence viii help you 70 account iot .ns