The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-12-07

which is expressly reser'cd to thom, bJ
the Constitution, the right tic regulate its
own Internal affairs, eufrahchise its own
voters, and choose its own rulers. Will
cut this right, republican lib'fy
lis farce. and the States become
mere provinces, dangling on the skirts OF
a centralized Despoti.m. We admit, oil
cBafse, that the XVIII Amendment is now
being enforced, and that We arr for the
time being, compelled to submit, but We
are not Impatient to lie ID tie bed of our
rayishrr The XVIII Amendment is upon
Us, but We deny that It is an accom-
plished fact" No such monSirous uSrr-
patton cab crer become an accomplished
fact" until the people become accom-
plished' kuavcs. No usurping act eqn
ever wear the sacutity of law until it is
volu .tarily acqaiesccd in by the whole
body of the people. No despotism ever
grows into law by being forced upon the
people by force. lift is lawful to resist
and kill the thief before he has taken your
property, is it not equally lawful 10 kill
him af.er it Is tases! Docs the time
ercr arrive when people can be lugy"lIy
compelled to accept the situation" Of be-
ing rubbed Of their liberty or properly:
Never. The right TO resista situation"
imposed, as in the present instance, by
fraud and violence, is indestruc,ible aud
inalienable. 1t never dies. 1t ou,lasts
the separate life Of all generations OF men.
1t is duty tha, is transmitted from gen.
Grafton to generation. Resistance to
Tyranny is fealty to Cod. Therefore it
is that we are opposed to this,ns would be
I to any measur, which even squints at an
endorsement Of the unconstitutional legis
latiou to which we have referred. Let Us
keep our cstcutcheon untarnishcd, aud We
shall at least have the proud con :ciousno-s
Of never having assented to our own dis
honor. gat nc oppose it for another
reason: 1t has never been published for
the time and in the manner prescribed by
the Constitution. and consequently it is
as dead "at the corpse Of thousand
years" No legislation could cure this
defect; for, as We have seen, by the au.
thoriiies cited in another column, every
requirement Of the Constitution must be
complied ~i'h, and enc of these is the
publication of any proposed amendment
for tire months prior to the general cleo
lion, in some newspaper in every county
in the State Wherein there is paper
printed. This has not tcsn done, ana The
Flick Amendment, to asu slang
/ phrase, has ''fickered out"
We also oppose it because i; IS unneccs-
sary, as We irus. we will be able to den,.
onsJ ste in the consideration Of the next
proposition, which isl
STATE CONVENTION.
This proposition we favor most decii.
cdly. 1t will accomplish all tina. is
claimed by the friends of the :hrcc other
propositions, and do i. in a,apncr that
will leave no room for qribbEng or
charges of being revolutionary. The
present Constitution Of our State WAS
formed amidst great revolution, aud OK.
perience has demonstrated, that there is
in it mtct' that could be improved, The
people demand the reduction OF the ea;r.
nous swarm Of officers who absorb the
public funds; and this can be accom-
plishcd in no other wo;. Many impor-
tant changes are now necessary, which We
would be glad to notice, bat for the cx-
ttremc length Of our present article. As
) it is, We caa only sqy that, in oar iuds-
mcnt. the first proposition, to- amend the
| Registration Law SO as IL require record
, eyiastse Of conviction for some offence.
befora any person should be deprived OF
the right Of franchise, should be adopted
, as soon as tbs Legislature sliaN assemble.
That Immediately thereafter, a Convcn.
, ton should be called to amend she Con.
sitstiou oftbc State in relation to all such
] matters as tue. wisdom Of the Convention
may sec M. A vote OIL TIC call Of the
Convention eau be taken rs early as April.
and for Delegates in thirty days thcreaf.
;er, aad the result Of tho delibera,ioEs o.
. Lthe Convention can DO submitted to the
people at any time tl.ctcafter, certainl,
, not later than October. THIS will nc.
complish everything that is sesircl, and
to our mind it is the most speedy, thor
Z Cugh md effective measurc by which 10
do SO: It does away with he necessity Of
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