The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-14

IHURSDA1 MOhNINOs -OC1
the Improvement of our harbors, and the re
! movinr of distinctions in our river naVlga
| tion. iI all which cases such duties shall bt
laid on the navigation facilitated thereby, as
may be necessary to pay the cose ana eA'
penses." ,. g., .,o INV,
vention and explained its operation, Ar Mar
shall. of louisiana came to my seat anu ex-
nrpssed his apprObatiOn of 1t, and asked me tC
| Iet him take q copy of it for consideration
fold him to take the amendment and offer II
himself. as ON amendment to the constitution
He took 1t and the day alter onereu IL as an
amendment to the constitution, and lt was
adonted. The whole clause, as modified
stands in the Confederate States Constitution
Article /, Section s, Clause 3, as follows:
ssTO regulate commerce with all foreign ma.
tions. and among the several States, and
among the Indian tribes; but neither TINS nof
any other clause contained IN tne constltution
shall ever be construed to delegate tne power
| to Congress to appropriate money for any IN
ternal improvements, intended to facilitate
commerce, except for the purpose OF furnish
| jno liphts beacons and buoys, and other AID 10
nayiration upon the coasts, and the improve
ment of our harbors, and the removing OF oD-
structons in our river Navigation, IN all Wnicn
cases such duties shall be laid ON the naViga-
/ tl00 IaClllIdleu tlcICuy % h..-J w -O~S-1 ~
nav the costs and expenses"
/ The election of President every four
wears and the abuse of the official patronage
of the government that the electlons produced,
were great evils under the Constitution OF the
United States. The re-eligbility OF the Presi-
dent was not without danger, as Inc re-ellglDl-
lity of the Consuls of Rome opened the way
iect before the committee preparing the con-
stitution, and proposed the extension of the
term of service of the President and Vice.
President of the Confederate States 10 SIX
wears. and that the President shall be incligi-
Bile to the presidency after his term OF service
expired But 1 submitted also To their con-
sideration that the same END miSnt oe oDtalnea
by making the President ineligible after an
Intervening term of service Of six years had
taken place. BY this policy, the existing
President would have no motive to use his
patronage In the election, and the services of
very able,man might be obtained Tor O second
term. This latter view was favored by the
committee, and / reported the clause to the
convention accordingly, with six years ten
urc of office. But when 1t came up for con-
sideratiOn in the convention, Mr.. Boyce, of
South Carolina, moved to strike out the condi-
fional re-eligibltty. .As this made the clause
AZ had dsoridnaily proposed 1t In committee, l
expressed 6y appreciation of it, and voted for
it with The majority which adopted y, as fol-
lows: A'ArticIe n, aSeeHoRI 4. The Executive
shall be vested in President 6 the Con1ed-
crate States. He and the yice-Presdent shall
hold their offices for the term of six years, p"
but the President shall not be re-ellgibe.
5. To make ability and worth the sole critic
rlon for hslding office, and to prevent the cor
rupt use of the official patronage OF the Gov
ernment in elections, offered In the commit
tee the Sd Clause, I'd Sec. Art. II, of the Con-
stitution of the Confederate States, which was
nn1 tni inn n q
consent, was also adopted by the convention:
''The principal offices In each OF the executive
Departments, and all persons connected with
the diplomatic service, may be removed from
office at the pleasure of the President; all
other civil officers of executive departments
may be removed at any time by the President
or other power, when their services are un-
necessary, or for dishonesty, incapaclty, inei-
ficiency, misconduct, or neglect OF duty: and,
when so removed, the removal shall be report
cd to the Senate, together with the reasons
therefor"
G. Amendments to the Constitution Of the
United States proved to be so difficult IN the
course of its administration before the war,
that it amounted to prohibition. SINCE the
war, the country has been In condltlon ol
revolution, and practically with no constltu-
ton but the despotlc will of Congress OF
part only of the States. proposed In the
committee the fifth article of the Confederate
States Constitution which, both by them ana
the convention afterwards, was unanimously
adopted as part of the Constitution OF the
Confederate States. If it had been part oil
the Constitution of the United States, the vast
discomfort which preceded the war and made
il inevitable, would have been easily arrested
and alayed; and the States assembled In con-
yentlon would have settled amicably all their
differences. 1t reads as follows: Upon the
demand of any three States, legally assem-
bled in their several conventions, the
Congress shall summon convention OF
all the States, to take into consideration such
amendments of the constitution as the SAID
States shall concur in suggesting at the time
when the said demand Is made; and should
any of the proposed amendments to the con-
stitution be agreed on by the said convention,
voting by States, and the same be ratified by
the Legislatures of two-thirds OF the several
States, or by conventions of twO-thirds there
of-as the one or the other mode OF ratifica-
ton may be proposed by the General Conven,
tion-they shall thencelOrward form o part OF
this constitution; but no State shall, without its
consent, be deprived Of Its equal representa-
ton In the Senate"
have thus, hope, satisfactorily answered
your inquiry. Yours, truly,
r. BARNwELL RHETT.
T. NJ. S. RHETT.