Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1842-08-27

forward, and few new measures had
been introduced, all Of the highest inter-
est to the State and the welfare Of the
pcople--some Of which had passed one
house, and reached second reading in
the olher--when the withdrawal Of the
insurgent members put sudden and ia
tai chccl, TO the whole.
The prejudices Of party may excuse
an outburst Of passionate feeling-but
nothing can excuse q bas. evio!a,ion Of a
public trust, or a wanton trifing with the
highest interests Of people Partyism,
no odds how just in itself, sinks to a,
worthless insignifcance when contrasted
with the constitutional rights and the
largest and best interests Of the great
mass Of the people.
| The first principle in this government
Of frecmen is, that The majority shall gor-
ern. By the canning application Of a
parliamentary rule, majority is some
times defeated in its purposes-but while
the wit Of the thing may excite a smile,
the sober and honest operation Of the mind
will reduce it TO moral wrong, and the
best light in which we can view it is that
Of an undue triumph. For this there is
neither rebuke or punishment, save the
stings Of conscience and the silent sense
Of honesty. Where fraud, SANDER, 5ribe-
ry and the other appliances Of corruption
become the means, in the hands Of a mi
nority, Of circumyenting the majority and
preventing the accomplishment, fits will,
the laws Of the land provide remedy
and punishment within the walls Of a
prison.
But for the fragrant outrage just COM
mitted by the insurgent lederaists Of the
Ohio Legislature, upon the rights and in
,erests ofthe people, there is no pallia-
tive in the existence OF precedent or the
cunning Of the devise, nor any punish
ment in the provisions Of the crimina
code, as the most sagacious OF statesmen
never could have conceived the design
much less the commission Of such an Of
fence against the public voice and the
public interest. But there is corrective
still left in the hands Of the pcople-Mci7
right to rote--and that that corrective
will be applied with severity is as GER
tain as that it is merited.
, In conclusion we will state that the
. wings offer this in apology for their ex
traordinary conduct that the democrats
had passed through the House an untai'
apportionment bill, which they fearee
! would also pass the Senate-to proven
: which and defeat the final enactment o
the law they abandoned their seats.
The tacts arc briefly these. The cen
Gus was taken in 1910. In that year the
wings carried the State by large ma
jority. They now contend that the State
should be SO districted as to give Thorn a
majority Of Congressman.
!, In reply to this it is enough to say
that if the districts, as formed by the bill
Of the cmocratic members, would vote
now as they did in 1910, the wings aoouh
have majority Of Congressmen-ls
wings TO democrats.
But the trouble is, these di ;tricts ma,
not now vote SO overwhelmingly whig.
J glsh as they did in 184O--hence the
{ wings would like to gerrymander the
State to suit then,selves-and failing in
THIS, they abandoned their seats, leaving
the legislature without quorum, and
thus defeating entirely the districting OF
the State.
] The public may Judge of the purity
and the patriotism Of these revolutiona.
{ ~ proceedings.
The consequence will be 10 present tn
election Of any Congressman from thai
State until after it shall be districted by
the legislature Of next winter.