The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-03-20

2
j. II. Acklen, introduced in the house
of representatives the following pro
posed amendment to the constitution
of the United States:
BY Mr.. AclSlen, of Louisiana--Proposing Q
constitutional amendment. Itrecites the faei
that evidently the growing tendency in the
United States to Capitalization of power in the
Federal government has awakened throuhou1
the country a just fear that In the near future
the perpetuation of this Union may again be
impenlled by internal fcommoti0n, thereby
wrecking the peace and prosperity Of this re
public, and breaking down those doctrines oil
the perpetual Union OF the States finally and
fully settled by the war, as well as infringing
upon the home rule of States guaranteed
by the constitution, and proposes a con
stitntional amendment declaring that the
union of these States shall be perpetual,
and that all acts or attempts to separate OF
destroy this union shall be treason against the
Federal government, and shall be punished as
such I; State lines and boundaries shall be in
violate, provided that new States may be
formed with the consent of the States from
which they are formed; and the right Of a
State TO make, execute and enforce its local
laws, by or through its chosen Representatives
or officials, shall never be interfered with by
the Federal government
The Houston Daily Telegram Of the
10th inst, says:
Whatever else may be said of Rep
rescntatiye Acklen, of Louisiana, he
has, in his proposed decentralization
amendment to the constitution intro
duced in the house yesterday, displayed
the wisdom of a statesman, combined
with the sagacity of true partisan.
The amendment takes the wind ont of
republican sails, and out-Herods Herod,
so far as the republican cry of another
war of secession is concerned"
Themost painful reflection connected
with this proposed amendment is that
the undisguised contempt for, and VIC
lations of, the federal constitution, by
the most distinguished republican lead
ers and officials, in their reckless de-
termination to destroy the autonomy
of the States, and to substitute
" strong" centralized government for
the government of the fathers and
the constitution, should have sng-
gested snch constitutional amend
ment. Yes, there is a moro painful
reflection still; it is that the adoption
of the proposed amendment, or any
amendment aiming oprotectthe States
from unconstitutional encroachments
Of national power, will be utterly abor-
tive so long as the republican party has
control of any one of the three great
departments of the federal government.
Organized in spirit of bitter hostility
TO a large section of the Union, and
10 the constitution which was framed
with express recognitions of those rights
Of that section which the republican
party was organized to destroy, that
party has never abandoned nor abated
It's revolutionary instincts and purposes.
With a hideously disgusting profession
If devotion to the Union and the con-
'titution, it has never lost an opportu-
lity to stab both; and those of its
eaiers who have been most conspicu-
ms for violations of the constitution,
nd for their contempt of its wise sys-
EN- of checks and balances Of federal
md state power, are precisely those
whom it has most delighted to honor.
There is no use in attempting to dis
,uise the patent fact that the federal
constitution, the sheet anchor If the
government, has been wilfnlly broken
" the mutinous crew which has CON
rolled our ship of state for nearly
wenty years past, and that unless that
rev is disloged next fallby the demo-
ratio party--the only champion Of tho
;onstitution--the final wreck of the
epublic is close at hand.
II