The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1876-09-02
The School Amendment.


We had partly prepared an article on thu
proposed amendment to the U. S. Consti
tuition on the school question, but the un
fortunate calamity which befel our Office
has prevented its appearing in as full :
form as we had intended. Still we deem
the subject of too great Importance not tC
submit it to our readers even in part.
The article proposed by the Democratic
House, under the leadership of Mr.. Lord,
of New York, is as follows:
Art XVI. No State shall make any law respecting
an establishment Of religion or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; and no money raised by taxation
In any State for the support OF public schools, or de-
epeo e
troll of any religious sect denomination nor shall
any money raised or lands so devoted be divided
between religious sects or denominations. This ar
t:cle shall not vest enlarge, diminish legislative
| power in the Congress.
Without commenting at present on the
peculiar and specious wording of this Ar
ticle, or the want of mode of its submis-
sion to the several States, we affirm that
its adoption and incorporation into the
Constitution would have no more effect
than that of dead letter and this is just
what the Democrats intended The last
sentence of the Article is conclusive of
this to the most ordinary mind
Mr. Lord. who had the management of
the debate on the Articl !, said that it had
been before the Congress for nearly eight
months, but he studiously avoided saying
that it had been quietly sleeping in Proc
tor Knott's committee room. or in Proc
tors pocket where Caldwell's despatch and
letter remained so long, and not before
Congress.
We would like to know if this Article
had not its eight months sleep while the
Democratic Judiciary Investigating Com.
mittee were in consultation with the Pope
as to what form of amendment on the
school question would suit him and his
church best? We ask this for informa-
ton, because of the letters of the two lead
ing Roman Catholic Archbishops of this
country appearing simultaneously with the
introduction of the Article on the floor of
the Democratic House. This, apart from
any other evidence, showed unanimity
and harmony of action on the part of the
t,oo old allies which needs much explana-
ton to prove that they did not act in con-
cert.
One of the most distinguished members
of the House, speaking by the magnani-
nous consent of Scott Lord who gracious
accorded him ftve minutes to speak on
the subject, said: eff the amendment be-
comes part Of the Constitution by the
concurrence of the States with Congress
the amendment declaring that the powers
of Congress shall not be enlarged or d.
minished on this subject, then Congress
aoiu hare no more po,eer to legislate on the
subject than 1t has nov 1t absolutely ex-
cludes and precludes any Legislation by
Congress, therefore this amendment takes
out Of the Constitution that power guaran-
teed to Congress by the old Constitution"
We will refer to this subject again and
give the comprehensive Article submitted
by the Senate, which the Democrats voted
solidly against and thereby defeated its
submission to the State Legislatures for
ratification.