Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-01
THE CONFEDERATE STATES AND
THEIR CONSTITUTION.


THEIR CONSTITUTION.
The time has probably not yet ar
rived when tie ideas that gave exist
ence to the Confederate States and
their Constitution can receive calm
and impartial investigation by the pub
lie, and be judged in accordance with
the soundness or unsoundness of the
principles involved; but 1t is an evidence
of increasing evenness of temper, and
of more kindly and charitable feeling,
when a Northern literary periodical ad-
mits an article intended to picture the
South in colors not so black as the
popular taste at the North has hereto
fore demanded. Every friend of right
and truth must rejoice at this
favorable change in the moral
sense of the country; and the
thoughtful paper from the pen of
Hon. L. NJ. Curry, in the Matchmaker
of the GALAXY, will increase the gene
raj respect for the old Federal Consti-
tuition of the last century, as amended
by the Montgomery Convention to
suit the progress and experience of
this. Experience had proved that the
reelection of the Federal Executive is
unwise, as it offers great temptations
to pretty large army of office-holders,
with a political, and generally ambi-
tious President at their head, to neg
lect their duties as faithful public
servants, and lay pipe, distribute
electioneering papers and documents,
and otherwise expend both public
money and time not their own, to pur-
chase, at whatever cost, an extension
OF their hold on the pub
lie crib four years longer.
This is the Washington, the 'loyal, !"
and right royal way of administering
republican government. Different no
tons prevailed in the minds Of South
ern statesmen. The Chief Magistrates
was elected under theirimproved consti-
tuition for six years, and was ineligible
| thereafter. In this matter, progress
and wisdom are clearly with the South;
old fogyism, and government that is
expensive beyond all precedent in any
nation, to say nothing of its notorious
dishonesty and rottenness, are with the
North. A Northern Statesman origi-
mated the maxim ITO the victors belong
the spoils," and the President Of the
United States may remove as many
subordinates as he pleases to make
room for his personal friends or politi-
cal tools, without giving any
reasons to Congress or the people.
Under the Confederate Government,
the President was required to give his
reasons to the Senate for all important
removals from Office. The Washington
Government organized in 1873, fol-
lows the practice and uses the right Of
Kings and Queens In executive power,
while the Confederate system dimin-
ished the power of the executive and
increased his direct responsibility.
The Confederate Constitution imposed
on the President the duty of calling for
appropriations, and when the money
was asked and estimated for by some
one Of the heads of the departments
and submitted to Congress by the
President, a two-thirds vote of both
Houses taken by yeas and nays, was
required for an appropriation" This
is a most salutary restriction.
A check Of this kind in force at Wash
ington since the war, would have saved
the pockets of the people from the loss
Of hundreds of millions of dollars voted
to subsidize steamship companies, rail-
way construction companies, and to
build up and corrupt odious monopo-
lies in every form. Recklessness, ex-
travaeance and unmitigated despotism,
have passed for distinguished patriot
ism, great economy and purity. The
general welfare" clause in the FEEDER
al Constitution, which is used as an ex-
cuse for every conceivable usurpation
by Congress and the Executive, was
expunged from the Montgomery Con-
stitution, which did not attempt the
mischievous absurdity of trying to
make the peoples servants
greater than their masters. If
we are to have a responsible,
representative government, why put
the cart before the horse in Congress?
Our system cannot long live unnatu-
rally bound up closer than the Siamese
twins, one half monarchical in theory
and in practice, and the other moiety
republican. Some say they want a
"strong central power" to bind in
chains that cannot be broken all parts
of nation that extends across a CONT
nent. This is an autocratic and des-
potic idea, as incompatible with our
voluntary accession of new States and
territories as any antagonism can be.
1t reduces all State authority, State
pride and growth, to mere corporation
insignifcance. In word, it is not i'm
provcment at all, but a disgraceful
turning back to royal imbecility and
nepotism; from the weakness and fail
ings of Grant to those of George Ill,
Grants English if not "illustrious
predecessor.
By many the peculiar institution
is supposed to present weak point in
Southern statesmanship-an opinion
that need not be feared when examined
on its merits. The Southern mind was