Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-06-16
Frt m the Wilmington Post
Letter from Judge Cantwen.

Mr. EDIT Under the existing State
c,nstitu ion neither the Gsnerat Aes- mbly
- n the pc pple have 'Inhereut" or o her
ourr to C Ill, aud none to authorize" q
r. INVENTION, except in the manner pro-
V,ded by that instrument The existing
State Con tltLtipn provides for its own
am udmtnt. The method Is the fam With
tnat prescribed iu the Constitute II 1885
~: by d Oonv eutiun or by legisla i've en-
oc,meUt. By way of chez it IS proVi led,
that 10 Convention shall be- called ny the
Ge.eral ASS mbly uuless two-thl' DIS of al
the me.nheIs of eacn house concur Also
nv way of CT eek against hasty legislative
ae.ion it Ia provided:
lat. That he proposed amendment shall.
in The first pIare, receive a three-hfths
of each hOuse respect.V IL.
2l.rTLat it be- published six months
or .vious to a new General election.
81. Two thirds of ea,h house of the As
seub'y thereafter elected must app rove,
a. after that majority IF the people IS
til tOiis.
Nov tae act entitled An act to submit
thu question { Convention or no COnVei-
tI,u 10 tue pt Jlo and provide for the
eec.luu IF del Gates, passed by mHJ r1ty
Of sasL G, n-ra. A ,semby, pr o .Joses another
ard a short r pan, 10 VT: A majority If
tue people rcpI, s9uted in COnveutiou, and
majority u tAo unq daihod voters at the
polls.
IT, 1t author and empowers su"h Of
TIE 80 -rs az Oh he 3 of August, 1871
shall hOos- n - al q. tn.I II resStc;-
i've PIE Z s AN. to ~1:e ''fGr'Or against"
&C INVENTION. Ii m rlty Of the v,te.
snuli r, decide, de.sgat.s elsct arr to
O. ssubl st Rtit;gh on tuo Dist S.ptem-
Der, AID. under u re-srictiuns Set
iortn the a., they may dept AID agree
to auy h1neudms nts and alterations
wnch, b~rng ratlned by bare majuritS I'll
tie talh q vJece OF the state, shall be
c.ue part aud If egr-l value with tn,
S ave u lnhti u 10 +. 2 AMY, this ac:jou Of
III G4uera! As elnb'y Is 10 ended To a
bro btr- f,umersc4, majority of tle votaTs
or the 5 att to make Ue tain amend uI~u s.
deem u cess"ry. Ia way not prov d
f I kept ~ TIM, lay. To tia: extent 1t
supetc, de- aid ee.e asi 'e the two meth
o1e . T >id ii b. tue d and the presen.
Co.'S IiuIUn.
Now, certaiu amaudmenS arc doubtless
poce s,rJ. and the mo,nod thns provided
my ne very convenient aud ecJnonioai
way OF ptocur ny thrm, but 1t Will scar"e.y
tnluk to preteu'ltd III At IL Is c''nstita-
tInuat, IL III s-uss that these ttbaz
eek el.ive "a INC n7enl' Mt metBOds ST.
cnus,llut ,nat Pegceiviag the difficulty
here tarely ,ugge-tCC, aid dotermlutd to
hav- &C lea t nbcH OF reverence for tho
il strumeAt az be ameL drd, the friends OF
tie lneas0Ie contend that although the
rlan Iopts4d may Vory from tho-e pre-
alIib d b, the & ,itution it docs not
VIC IL that Instrument. because by tie
fGuuamen al primer pies enUuCis Ell IN the
declaration OF Itgu.s ell political DO Her is
veete III aud d rived f ON tue people,
ami tine people OF the S .sle." (me ,uiDg
thereby, OF C nrSp. the ma 1rity # tt,.'
duahtird va eis) have aa' il erent 'rik chs
10 ait. AMI 2oollsh fh7Ir Q. Institution aud
e uho ~ he.
oe g: SIS ar" Aud, it IL true, there are
sue i { auses in thu oil of ghls. 1t may
al be C needed for "a sAke of the aryu
N Mt that The power to smenu one or more
claus-s /, neces. airy ipcladed In that 20
aDonsh hen all ot,li it IS observable,
1t That orr B,l of fights is explicitly
an e-.umerntiou " of poll ical privileges,
i not q grant or eetr ,ctIon If htical
pp~trs [ i inserted IN nj pre-, edes the
CONSTITUTION by Way vi pr, eau ion. IL AS
strt- axiOms ~hIch are or have breu DIS
putable CtEtaILIy the trainers Of the ill.,
rumeut did not intend u to regard tue
pu~,r OF amendment DIS di potable or a
H. h vi Extraordinary Character, like
that to abolish the government for in-
ance, cr hoy would evHr have prOvid.
meth ID by VII ch ii might be exercised
BY the "rdluury Legislature.
81. II IS Ubse. vAble that the right refer
red 20 IN the e:tIon We are cunkI1eri, 6
d claiu ed to b "IL b repb" in the pro-
pc is also s vie d exclusive" IN them. Il
ctLno the o be. i say. that the power
TO IN nd s u.pl, Is intended, for that Is
xcIu i've Oei1g by the Same inslr0-
nent, We d III the G neral Assembly. /.
b pJeUs, however, Iha. this Inherent a-d
eA 'uslvo lower OF the peupe Is ciog9td
with provi,O, aud rtq iced to be exer-
cl>-d - III pursuance Of law as weu IS
C nsIs ENTITY with the Constitution OF the
United STA es.
TIL question is at orce presented, what
law re Intended
Mr. Moore, III a published letter have
seen answers "Wny such law as my be
provided for thas rur ose by the Lrki Ia
I've authority" r IL iesi lative O nh L ritz
IS the Gebrr ! Asse mbly. Buf ii the p OIL
eau only txe CiSo their I'm lorent aud eX-
elusive p w r-, Ill pursuance o: sn aeS o1
the Gen rai AS ,emby, then the Leglsla
tive 4uUhuri can, l. 1t chooses, nudity I
r. trc or even ! rOhlblt the exercise q
such ,nu r-rt aaA exclusive power, AM
wGelheI OF the present OF ~tuture gen
erati us AN cute s"re tbs Uonven
On meant no sucL thIng, and the talac
& he q. gumeut Is Apparent wGen ii IL
Consider d at the iegls'at. We authority l.
this III -tnLc9 expressly declines dlr~cti,
To at any &c u, leaving chat t.
tue co 10 tLemselv, s, aud no one et el
fr ny fu"no rutenUr to Tie C,nver-
ii n. What 'ia~ tn u Is intended y h,
pr ,VIso II govern tue people IN the sx.I
else o his Intl, rent power? respect
FUZZY ubmu that it l. ''the law cuncr u
& amendm 'uis con a ned a1d provided
by tue Go rVeotlu" IL eGbse Guent claus
OF the same Cons 1t ton.
IF ave the misfortune to diff-r witt
N Moore, aud 1t Ir u M 'sfortuu+, in THE
e'nclnSI Il nm happy o b. sustain. d b.
j dge Pea II md It ID ] 'r,ty of our gu
pre- ue q UT VITO i a t., To Gov G aid
we'll dad FeUIutty IL 1871, 'leclsrr, no
WI hStandtua any p wer supp eed "r IreCe
dent r'et tia uLu III pr Ut nm u
'vernmen', tn p=upi: of this State have
Ao poN er to Gait Convention at all
g. Ct fl It IL IT., with ali others o. a gi "a
tive ca rae er being sol -muly deIesa ed b1
ton 10 tie q LIE al A mbi.. Tue Con
slit II N irseIi coru.n9 To Mr.. moore /,
isW III nh To-