The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-06-13
MIR. Campbell,s zone Iaea.v

for existing ills, real or supposed sort
of Universal Panacea. All other remedies
are excluded. He will have none of the
means provided by existing law for max
ing amendments or revising the whole in
strument Nothing but Constitutional
Convention will suit his purpose Con
vention, not called, mark you, in pursu-
ance of the forms prescribed by the para
mount law of the State, but aLiunoe, out
side of these forms and in utter disregard
Of them. The last Legislature, by a con-
current vote of majority of the mem
bers elected to each House, adopted a
resolution looking to Constitutional
Convention. In doing this the Legisla-
ture followed the forms prescribed by the
Constitution and the precedent set in
1877. This resolution will come up for
action again in January, and if adopted
by the requisite vote, will then be sub
mitted to the people for their approval or
disapproval. These regular proceedings
by the Legislature this following the
law as laid down in the Constitution-dis-
gusted Mr.. Campbell. 1t is too slow
for his purposes. Though great stick
Ter for law, seeing that by the prac-
tIce of it he thrives, he wants the Con-
stitution, which prescribes the steps to be
taken either in amending or revising it,
to be MrO,cn aside and treated as of no
binding authority, and the members of the
Legislature, who each take an oath to
obey the Constitution in all their acts and
doings, to Gala Convention By short cut.
He wants to resort to q quasi revolutionary
and dangerous proceeding and expects the
members of the Legislature to make
themselves parties to it. The Constitu-
ton requires two formal actions by two
separate Legislatures, and the consent of
a majority of the voters at regular cleo
ton, as preliminary to the assembling of a
Convention; Mr.. Campbell demands that
these requirements shall be treated as null
lities-that a bare majority of quorum
in each House-2O in the Assembly and
0 in the Senate, these being majorties of
quOrums i'll the respective IIouses-shall
call the Convention and the consent of
the people to the dangerous proceeding
be asked ottcr'cdrtls. And this consent"
be it borne in mind, will be claimed to
have been legally given if bare MINORITY
only of those who vote on the question,
whether the number voting be ever so
small, favor the unauthorized movement.
This is the position of Mr. Campbell
and of those who sympathize with him.
To accomplish this was the purpose of
his letters four years ago and is the pur-
pose of his letter just given to the pub
lie. We have characterized it as "auasi
revolutionary" and as dangerous. y
That it is both no one will deny. 1t is
outside Of tie Ia,o and tie Constitution,
and finds no justification anywhere, GER
tainly not in the Bill of Rights, so often
misquoted, for while that section simply
declares (what no one denies) that all
political power is inherent in the peo-
ple-government is instituted for the
protection, security and benefit of its
citizens, and they have the right to alter
cor amend the same whenever the public
f "good may require it, the mode and
manner of effecting the alterations or
amendments, and of ascertaining what is
, for the "public good" is prescribed in
Article II of the Constitution, which is a
limitation upon, as well as protection to
the minority against, the unwise exercise OF
the political power inherent in the peo-
pie" The great Constitutional Expoun-
der of Massachusetts declared, in his ia
nous argument before the Supreme Court
in the Dorr case, that ''the law and the Con
f &c stitution, the whole system of American
institutions, do not contemplate case
Sin which resort will be necessary to
proceedings aliunde, or outside of the
law and the Constitution, for the pur-
"pose of amending the frame of govern
"ment"
Does it require argument to show that
the advocates for assembling Conven
ton in way not contemplated by the
law and the Constitution, chief among
whom is Mr.. Campbell, are neither states
men nor politicians, or safe party leaders
And the more strikingly does this appear
+ when it is considered that the ends sought
to be accomplished by proceeding preg
nant with political disaster can be law
! fully and peacefully gained, without be
ing obnoxious to any revolutionary
charge or liable to brighten capital or de,
{ ter immigration, by pursuing the better
Il modes contained qcithin tie Constitution
Once let the experiment of the extremists
be successfully attempted, and the cry o
l. recOLttiOn will be raised as certainly as thai
), the politicians of the Republican persua
sion are anxiously hoping that the Demo
. Gratis will commit the blunder of trying
J. it. We warn the Democracy against thil
Pandora's box, for concealed therein arc
> the evils of disruption and defeat. There
g are thousands of good and true Demo
y Gratis in Florida, and they are not confined
a to the black belt =" either. but are to b.