The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-08-05
ITDGE WALTER
CLARK.
,lJrs., 10 the Tennessee Law
verg, at Nashville, July
Goth, 1897.


Goth, 1897.
. Constitution of the United States has
nm. 10 Nt-ht-shouid be Revised
.,.t. rnpstItutIons-United States
,,Iss. ,od senators ought To DO Elect
ed by The People
,.... ..H. bar issofiation Of Ten
ro Norlh ,arOlinians, the success
,,nor.-. ol tennessee are almost
AZ" I.t,t,ipp a. our own. Tennessee
a. ,,t,1,gLtpr. and the mother State
! >" osyer forget it. When North
ca. caol,oa was reco ognized as q sovereign
| .,.ts by the treaty OF 1888 with Great
n".,.;n her limits extended from the
a,hpd Atlantic to the mighty
Wand river, which was then the boun-
,a.r of SPAN. When we set you up
Ttonse- keeping, we acted most gem
.,op.y. We gave you that portion Of
o", .oll- which Tennesseeans will
claim wa the richest part of our do
main I'm pNtent we gave you nearly
half Of our possessions. North Caro-
Gnian, first settled your territory and
then We sent you from time to time, as
rpinCorcrmrnts a large part of the
most energetic and enterDrising ele-
mppt of our population. You were
NOT unapurpciatIye. Three men whom
we sent you, you made
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
We sent you others that you made
Goyprnurs, senators Judges, Generals
and Bishops, and besides. you have
dotted your map with the names of
. countIr4 and towns which duplicate
the names of those in the old home.
. We have common inheritance of
glory. so small part of the North
Caroliuiana who swarmed up the fiery
crest at Kings Mountain were men
from Ilul,tOn and NOlachucky. When
the stress of the great civil war came
We were not divided, but the two
States stood together in good and in
evil fortune, and alike demonstrated
the native valor of the same hardy
race. If Tennesseeans rode with Nor
gan TO the farthest North" beyond
The ohio, it was North Carolinians who
carried the cross barred emblem of our
fiery southern faith farthest beyond
the stone wall at Gettysburg. To-
gether we endured the unspeakabje
horrors of Reconstruction, and to-
gether we have emerged from the fur
mace to take our places in building uI
a restored and glorious Union OF in.
desructible and co-equal States.
In peace and in war we have stood
together, and if Louis XIV could say
after his memorable treaty with Spain
"There are no Pyrenees," we can NOR,
TRULY say that between North CarOlins
and Tennessee there are no mountains
The land merely slopes both ways from
an imaginary line which marks bu
where we JOIN each other and whicl
has never divided us. You have nov
IN progress a canvass for revision o
tbur constitutions movement whicl
Yam informed was largely set on foo
by your Bar Association. OF course
however, on that subject there are law
Cers on both sides Our profession
loo broad minded and subtle not [
perceive that there are two sides to ev
Try question, and we take to arguin
hem as naturally as n duck takes t
kater. OF the merits and prObabl
ATT Of the pending question of the re
isiOn of your own Constitution, | ar
bot informed, and it would be bighl
improper in me to express any opin
pm upon subject which concern
ourselves alone. But the pendenc
that question has suggested a cog
late one which concerns the citizen
all the States, and which is begin
ing to exercise the minds of men ev
rywhere-
nE REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION
oF THE UNITED STATES.
Indeed, 1T is strange that the sub
pet has not heretofore more power
billy attracted the attention of tn
lectorate of the Union. Our Fedora
Constitution was adopted 40 year
go. In that time every State the
Nistiug has, one after another, radi
Ally revised its Constitution, an
post Of them more than once. lndee
here is no State that has not revise
: Constitution except those mos
htely admitted, and such have bee
he rapid changes from our growth i
opulation aud wealth and the net
angerS arising to be guarded agains
hat the nstitutiOn of New YOr
mperatively requires that the ques
Jon of n convention shall be submItte
the people every twenty years, an
ermits It oftener than that if tn
legislature shall think proper.
Even in so conservative a State q
North Carolina we have had three cor
ttutlOnal conventions since the wa
md have besides adopted sundr
mendments by. the legislative mod
(rescribed in the Constitution.
his is true as to the States, and tn,
'e SO rapidly outgrOw the organic la
described but few years before. II
stronger reason it is true of the Fec
raj Constitution which was adOpte
Philadelphia in September, 1877, ft
nentirely different people amid vast
llierent surroundings, is now like tn
lothing of boyhOod worn by the nea
mature man, which gals and binC
Is massive limbs and lnterferes wit
IS Development. TO say that the Fe'
rsl Constitution of 1877
Is NOW MIsFIT
many respects, is self.evidel
ropOS3hOn. 1t could not De Otne
lse. Great and wise as that instr
lent in many respects was, it was il
ended for the people and the su
Oundings of that day. Therein W
ich fitness as it had.
It's creators could not fOresee the
hlrements of this time, our prese
evelopment and propositions were b
ond their widest dreams, If by al
Disability they could have forese'
nat provisions were most suitable
constitution fitted for this day Al
uopted it, such constitution wou
ave been untitled for that time a.
unacceptable. Each generation has
ght TO enact its own laws and sha
own institutions. This is the sacr
ght of self-government. No de
ana from the past can lay its paral
upon the living and check our pr
ess and leave us defenceless agaiI
le enemies created by the rapid
panging conditions of modern life.
low could Federal Constitution
years ago be suitable to this d.
hen each State has 80 often had
ange its organic law? Not withho
any need of the praise bestOv
pOn Our EadaraI COuatitutiOU