Year: 1861

F. Vinton, Hon. Henry Ledyard.


THE ASPECT OF THE DAY.


Events of great interest ore being crowded
into the last four days Of this week, commen.
cling with the conclusion reached by the Peace
Conference on Wednesday.


The whole subject-matter Of that Conference
is now with the Senate and House, and the
precise issue is made uncertain by the variety
Of the solutions which are possible, by the di.
versity of individual views, and by the extreme
shortness Of the time within which the decision
must be made.


The House yesterday, by little more than
the necessary two.thirds, passed the resolution
reported by the committee of thirty three, pro.
posing such an amendment of the Constitution
as will preclude any future amendment which
shall put it in the power of the Federal Gov.
ernment to interfere with slavery in the States.
If this resolutionlstood by itself, unembarrassed
by preferences for other measures, such as the
assembling Of National Convention, it may
be assumed that its passage by the Senate
would be certain, so far as the Republican Sen.
stors are concerned. 1t is, in fact, precisely
what was proposed from the Republican side Of
the Senatorial committee of conciliation, which
was appointed at the commencement of the
present session. But those who are now look.
ing to National Convention, as offering the
best means Of composing all controversies, may
not incline to any partial and isolated measure.


Without intending to recapitulate all that is
said for and against this particular proposition,
it is urged on the one hand, that as the final
secession of the Gulf States and the addition of
two more free States will put it in the power of
the latter to amend the Constitution by a three
fourths vote, the slave States adhering to the
Union ought to have the new security which is
asked for, and on the other hand, that what is
States, from an indisposition to alter the Con.
sttution at all, and that their possible refusal
to assent to it, will be capable of misnter.
probation, which would leave matters worse
than they we're before.


So far as the Territorial question is con-
cerned, the pendency and uncertain result of
the proposition to pass an enabling act for the
admission Of New Mexico as State, leave
everything connected with that branch of the
subject, in a dubious condition. The admission
of New Mexico extinguishes the territorial
question, and until New Mexico is disposed of,
it is not really certain that any such question
will survive the existence of this Congress.
That is the great merit of the proposition Of
Mr.. Adams on that point, counterbalancing, as
we have never ceased to think, all its disad.
vantages. But it remains to be seen whether
that is the view which will be taken by those
who have the power to decide in the premises.


If New Mexico is not admitted as State,
and q territorial question, even if an imaginary
rather than practical one, is thereby left to
be settled, there are likely to be in Congress the
same diversities of opinion as are well known
to have existed in the Peace Conference.


Shall amendments proposed here, be submit.
ted to the States, with the mere power left to
them of responding in the affirmative, or mega
tive, or shall the States participate in framing
the phraseology, details, and precise points of
amendments, through the medium of regular,
national convention, elected deliberately, and
celebrating deliberately?


On this point we recollect remark of Col.
Benton, made to US twenty years ago, that the
right Of amendment is the essence of the legis.
lative faculty, his illustration being the differ
ence between the English Parliament, as it has
always existed, and the French Parliament as
it existed before the great revolution, with only
the power OF registering, or refusing to register,
the DEGREES Of the Crown. The power of max.
ing propositions, is really greater than that of
accepting, or rejecting them, in gross and with,
out alteration. And it is matter of serious
question, whether this great power of framing
propositions, only to be accepted, or rejected in
that way, ought to be left even to such body as
the late Peace Conference, distinguished as it
undoubtedly was by the age, public services,
and all the circumstances which make up
weight of character and position, of its mem.
bers.


But while it is thus extremely uncertain
what may be the precise result to-day and to-
morrow in the Senate and House, it is consol
ing to be able to believe, that in any possible
event, great good will have resulted from the
discussions here during the winter, both in the
Pesee Conference and in Congress, of the high
matters of national concern which have been