The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-04-27
HENRY ST george



repeal them, and no executive order
can uproot them. They can only
changed BY that difficult and %eambrods
method Of amendment laid down III
the Constitution and which has not
been accomplished in the history Of
our government for over one hundred
YEAR, except in the distracted period
following the Civil War.
10 addit Ion 70 this security, We can
claim another for these rights, I'm.
Known 70 other countries. For, II
hey be invaded by the Legislative or
executive power the judiciary may de.
clare the act null and void. The right
% the Judiciary to declare an act Of
The legislature null and void, because
in conflict with the Constitution OF
the country, has well been termed the
American Discovery In constitution
making. No English court can declare
q law unconstitutional as against the
Constitution Of England; and in all
Gof the countries namea, these great
rights Of civil liberty, secured not q
their constitutions, but by statutory
law may be taken away by the same
power, with no power In the courts TO
restrain them. 1t is thus seen that
by the law the constitutions Of Eng.
land, Japan and other countries, may
be changed, which in England practi.
cally means the House of Commons,
for the veto power Of the Crown has
not been used, except In one instance,
In two hundred years; and the House
o Lords cannot resist when the House
Of Commons insists upon a measure;
while In Japan, under Article v, Chap.
ter ] Of their constitution. "the Elm.
peror exercises the legislative power
with the consent OF the ImperialIDIe "
and Article XXXvII, Chapter 2, pre-.
scrlbes: Every law requires the con.
sent OF the Imperial Diet" 1t. is thus
seen that the Emperor Is the real
source Of legislative power, only TO
be restrained by the refusal Of the I'm.
perial Diet to give It's consent; and
this consent is rarely withheld against
the insistance OF the Emperor. And
SO 1T must be admitted that when the
Emperor desires q change, 1t Will 90
had.
10. France, the vote Of the two cham
bers is sufficient to change the consli.
tuition (Article III OF the Constitution
Of France) without the sanction OF the
President; so In Germany, without the
consent Of the Emperor tArticlc V.
Constitution Of Germany.
The change OF our Constitution Is
far more difficult: by n OF The meth.
DDS two.thiris Of each house OF Con.
gress must propose the amendment,
and not until It is ratified by the leg.
%islatures Of three.fonrths Of the States
will 1t he effective.
have attempted thus imperfectiy
to sketch the causes that led to the
settlement at jamestown, to enumer.
ate the principles by which those who
first sought this goodly country were
moved and 10 show how well their
descendants have developed them in
the broad fields OF American HE. Ny
solemn conviction is that by Just so
much as we cling 10 those principles
and never relax u faith In them, by
Just that much will the future glory Of
our country be determined.
Our foreign and internal commerce,
Tie number Of bushels of wheat and
Of barrels OF corn we produce, the out,
put OF our mines, and the product Of
our factories, as collated In the cen.
sus returns at successive eras. lnflame
the Imagination lend a pleasing charm
o.. ~. N"
TO our vanity. and tell the valued
story OF our material advancement.
But, Mr.. President, these are but as
"a sounding brass and ttnkiing GYM
BALI unless the Spiritunl. the idealis.