The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-15


" the delegates chotcn IN each state by the
"people thereof, under the recommends
d" lion of It's legislature, for their ascent
i" and satisfaction"
Congress, of itself, has no power to call
convention. 1t can simply, with the as
sent of two-thitds Of the members Ct both
houses, propose amendments thereto to the
several statep. But on the application Of
the legislatures oftwo-thirds of the states,
congress is required TO call such a conven-
ton, and the object Of these resolutions is
to procure such an application to be made
to congiess. Two thirds, or twenty-six
states, of the Union will have legislatures
In session during the month Of January,
namely: Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kan
sas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massa-
chutetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York,
New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsy l'a1ia, Rhode
Island, Texas, West Virginia and Wlscon-
Sin. The legislatures of three other states
California, Colorado, and Nirgina-are
now in session. 50 that If there should be
anything approaching to unanimity upon
this question, the proper Application could
DO made so that congress could call con-
vention in sea- on to have the delegate,
elected so as to assemble at Coumbus-or
such other place az should he designated
by the tecor Monday of May next.
We call the attention Of our readers to
this matter, lecause if The joint resolution
should pass 10th houses of congress, OF
which there is more or less CONTEMPORARY
more than less it might he deemed peces
sary and proper, in a case of 60 much i'm.
portance, 70 convene our legislature in
special session, 30 that Vermont might
join, or refuse to in, in the application tc
congress-
1t seems to us that the necessity for such
a convention exists, and has existed fol
some yeas. Jus. now, TIE necessity Is
more apparent than it has been before
| We have ju,t pas: c through presidentia
election; the electors have net and voted
and yet the result is rot settled beyond al
reasonable doubt. Result as 1t may, a sus
picion of fraud will hsng about it, Their
is no wey, apparently, now kncwh TO GU
laws, by which the real facts in the cas-
can lie judicialy a3cer!ained; by whicl
the honest expression Of the popular vii
can be declared For years we have al
seen the defects ia our system of presiGen
tial elections, and our wisest Statesmen
have labored in vain to remedy them
They have failed because, IN some instances
party has been preferred to country an
at other times, on account Of an homes
difference Of opinion az to the remedy
Constitutional amendment after oonstiiu
tioIal amendment has been proposed, bu
each and al have failed TO receive the as
sent of congress so as to be submitted t
the several states for fiual action thereon
and although the PIE ent crisis has bee
clearly foreseen for years, and attempt
have been made to provide for it, yet, who
| l
meet it.
So too, there has been a disagreement
relative to the length of the presidents
term, and as to the propriety of making
president ineligible to reelection; and ~
on these questions congress is not, and hf
not been, in accord with the people. W
refer to these two matters because they al
especially prominent just now, but thel
are other pats of the constitution that nee
amending. The COILS tuition, at the tim
it was framed, was, probably, as perfect 6
mere human instrument could be expec
ed to be; but within four years after il
ratification it was amended in several in
portant particulars. Thus amended, it 7,
manned until the adoption of the thirteent
amendment, which with the fourteenth an
fifteenth amendments endeavored to so alt6
it that it would suit the changed conditio
of affairs brought about by the rebellio
and its suppression. 1t did not wholly SUI
coed in this. Mere amendments, at tn
best, are very apt to make mere pate
work. What we need is complete an
perfect whole. This can only lie obtaine
through convention. Such a conventio
might fail 10 frame constitution accep
able to the people ; if so, three-fourths {
the states will not ratfy it, and the cons
tuition would remain as 1t is and we SHOULD
at least, be no worse off than we are now
We believe, however, that such a CONVEX
ton could agree upon, and present, "suc
" alterations and amendments in the L,
ture of an entire instrument" as woul
command the assent and approval of ii
people but, in any event, the meeting {
such a body of representative men, {
would naturally be chosen to such col
venton, and free Interchange of view
among them, would do more to brir
around a lasting reconciliation and unic
between the different sections of the coul
try than all other courses combined. 1t
too late, of course, to affect the presel
contest, but we all trust aud believe tn
there is yet long life before the natiol
and it is the part of wisdom to prepare ft
the future.