The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-27
CHARACTERISTICS Of THE OoNsT1.
TUITION.

Il Is presumed that all good citizens will
carefully and thoughtfully peruse the cor
rected copy OF the new constitution. which
was Issued from this press yesterday. II
Is q long document, necessarily, from the
great number OF changes from former con
stitutions Of the State, and the more express
and definite provisions and limitations, which
the experience Of the last quarter Of century
and the great progress In constitutional re-
form and ideas have demanded.
The constitution proper consists Of 264
articles; that Of 1868, which 1t supersedes,
consisted Of 161 articles; that Of 1862 of 155
articles; that OF 1916 Of 153 articles, and the
original and first constitution Of 1879 OF 100
articles.
The additional number Of articles in our
new constitution mark the progress In con
stitutional ideas and necessities during the
long and eventful period Of Louisianas exist
ence as q State. The science Of governmental
structure has kept pace with the wonderful
development of every other branch of science
and knowledge.
Our late Convention was composed of gentle-
men, many OF whom had thoroughly studied
and mastered the new ideas developed during
the last half century. They were greatly
aided by the studies and labors Of the cons;i-
tution-makers OF other States which have re-
Gently revised or reorganized their State
governments, notably by the conventions Of
Pennsy lvania, Georgia and Texas, to whom
they are indebted for some OF the wisest pro-
visions of the new instrument.
In thus availing itself Of the practical ex-
perience and results Of these States, our Con-
vention illustrated Its most striking and
eommendable characteristic and, we may
add, q characteristic Of the age. This Is a
constant reference to the circumstances and
conditions Of the State, a practical adapta-
billty to the demands OF the will and charac-
ter of the people, and an application Of etI1ca-
cious remedies to the abuses and evils from
which our people have SO greatly suffered.
Their method has been the Baconian instead
of the old style Of notwithstanding of
the closet philosophers and statesmen, who.
like Sir Thomas More prepared q frame OF
government for an imaginary community, or
like John Locke, who, In his study at Oxford,
wrote q constitution for North Carolina,
which, by It's lack Of adaptability to the peo-
pie and their circumstances, proved an anus
ing hasco and was quickly abandoned by that
community.
Our constitution-makers have exhibited a
thorough knowledge of the present demands
Of our people. They have even changed and
modified abstract principles where experience
had demonstrated their inapplicability and
At the same time, they have
conserved and guarded more strictly
those fundamental doctrines Of republican
truth and principle which are eternal, I'M
and applicable to all free comm,l-
mites, and which are essential to enforce the
guarantee Of the Federal government to every
State Of q republican form OF government.
The guarantees OF our new constitution are
more specific and practical than those emu
nerated in former instruments. The
irst of these is the distribution Of
bhe powers Of the government into three
distinct departments. and the emphatic In
hibitton to any one Of the departments or to
any person or collection Of persons holding
office i'll one OF them, from exercising power
properly belonging to either OF the others,
except IN instances expressly directed or per-
mitted by the constitution.
Herein Is embodied the form and substance
Of republican government. And the gov
thus constituted Is subjected to the
control Of certain principles Of freedom and
popular rights, which are enumerated, as In
Ill other constitutions, in the form of bill of
lights.