The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-16
The Proposed Constitution, to be vo-
ted on the 4th Thursday in August.

unable TO see any necessity for the expen.
diture Of the time and money that would
be required. AConvention, However, was
called by vote Of about one.thifd ol the
voters Of the State, another third not feel.
ing interest enough to vote atall.
have always regarded the making, or
altering Of Constitution, in no sense q
party question; and though political, as
one ofsuch transcendant Importance, and
the instrument Of such permanent charac-
ter to shape IN a greater or less degree the
future organism Of the State, alter we are
in our graves and present political parties
are extlnct-as to impartially demand Of
every honest citizen to lay aside all the
little party prejudices, schemes and aspi.
rations OF the present hour, and approach
the subject simply as q citizen and man,
who has the future welfare OF his State,
and posterity, as well as himself, to care
for.
Entertaining these views need not say
with what regret, nay, disgust, regarded
the personal appeals to the most selfish
passions Of the voters that the Conven.
tion make In order to induce an adoption
Of their work. From their resort to such
unworthy means we may safely infer their
own estimate OF the intrinsic merit of the
work they offer. II Is always the vendors
of spurious articles-kn0pn to DO spurious
that resort to unworthy means.
The great and solemn duty Of adopting,
or rejecting proposed new or greatly
modified Constitution would seem to
merit an election for that purpose alone,
without coupling with 1t so many sordid
and purely selfish attractions.
propose briefly to notice some OF the
Objectionable features OF the proposed
instrument. In the first place, it is nearly
twice as long as our present Constitution.
Truth and true principles are always con.
slstent and harmonious, and require only
few right words to express them, as our
Federal Constitution so strIkingly illus.
tra.es. IT'S the enunciation OF false prin.
ciples, and untruths, always contradictory
that require an endless string Of words in
order to conceal the defects and give q
show Of plausibility and decency.
The second clause OF section 2, Art. !,
enunciates Calhoun's dogma Of nullitica.
tion and secession, which has proved the
source of so much national and individual
sacrifice and woe. Do they suppose that
we the people Of the State, who alone
hold the sovereign power, are going to in
trust to the Legislative, Executive or Ju.
dicial servants that may be chosen from
time to time-to decide for us whether in
any case the Federal Governmental has en-
croached on the rights reserved to States
or the people respectively; and If our
State servants decide affirmatively, then
making it "their high and solemn duty to
guard and protect us against such en-
croachments.h How are the State ser.
wants going 70 do this, unless in the way
the officers Of South Carolina attempted
in 1882? This tOay Mr.. Webster pointed
out to Mr.. Haynes in his celebrated reply
to that gentleman in 1880. No, should
think our people had got enough Of the
bitter fruits OF the. fatal heresy
already. In any act OF the Federal
Government that shall encroach on
our reserved rights the people of
of all the other States will be equally in
terested; and with them as co.sovereigns,
the sovereigns of our State must unite
and put the federal agent 'right-and not
make it, as proposed, the "high and SOL
emn duty" Of upstart politicians that for
the time being may compose our Legisla.
ture-to involve the people OF our State
in war with the Federal Government.
l have been informed that distinguished
friend Of the proposed Constitution in the
lower end Of the State, advises not to
vote for excluding colOred people from
holding Office, because II done, Congress
may undertake to reconstruct West Vir-
ginia. Would not the adoption of the
old notification and secession dogma be
more likely to induce that process9 Do
they really think that any OF US who were
loyal to the Government during the late
rebellion, will now consent to place in our
Constitution the same old heresy that has
led to notification, secession and rebel.
lion?
Sec. 6, Art. 2 places resident aliens on
the same footing with citizens as respects
the purchase, holding descent and dis.
posal Of the lands within our State.
| shall only suggest the door that the
adoption OF this would open. 1t would
make it possible for every foot of land in
our State to become owned by persons
owing allegiance to some foreign power,
and OF course none to our government;
and TO transmit the same by descent, the
same as citizens, to such kin as by our
law would be his legal heirs-regardless
OF the government they owed allegiance
to, or where they reside. Suppose every
other State in the Union should adopt a
similar provision, end the subjects of the
European powers should undertake
largely buy up our lands-how would
our National Government stand affected
in case OF war with these European
powers? Is would find the lands within
its jurisdiction, through State action,
transferred to and owned by persons
owing allegiance, not to itself, but to
the powers 1t was warning against.
Not owing allegiance they would
be incapable OF committing treason
for which alone forieitures are allowed
under tho Federal Constitution. Is It
likely the Federal Government would al.
low State provisions like the one propos.
ed, to be very extensively carried out9 ]
think not: Moreover, 1t does away with
one Of the strongest inducements foreign.
ers have to become ndtur dlized citizens, as
it allows them the fullest control of our
lands, while they remain aliens and for
eigners. 81.
As the getters up Of the wholly uncalled
for Convention-as the result has shown
which unprejudiced and unaspiring voters
( opposed from the first-have become di.
vided between Camden and Jacob, and
bitterly hostile as would seem-such men
should consent to vote for neither Of the
rival candidates without first having as.
surance that those they shall aid will aid
them in voting down the Constitutional
humbug. The Conyentionists last winter
formed the Camden ring, the same time
they did the proposed Constitutions Let
honest men unite and crush both.
Very resnactfnlly q p