Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-02-27
NO. 81

Iaio ~ many ueeiucu tests OF pu0llc
lopinion on this subject, that he who
will observe cannot mistake them.-=
| The citizens of the mining portion of
THE Territory, having suffered terribly
by the failure of the Mineral Point
Bank and others, are now practically
Ia hard-moncy people. The North
has suffered equally by the Wisconsin
Bank. No bank influence would be
feared from the newer counties. In
my own county, there is scarcely man
OF either party who is in favor Of char
tering banks. But the great bugbear
lis Milwaukee county; and pray what
lis the public opinion there upon this
subjecte Why two years ago The can
didates for the Legislature could not
be elected until they had publicly
pledged themselves 10 vote against all
banks; and even the members of ths
late convention were instructed by the
body which nominated them TO oppose
banks. The political conventions OF
both parties 10 almost every county in
the Territory have passed resolutions
against banks, and no such convention
of either party has ever passed resolu-
tons in their favor. No other politi-
cal question has been so much discuss
Jed, and upon no other has tho decision
Iof public opinion been SO unanimous.
There is one other reason for a new
convention, which ! intended TO have
noticed before. Although many dis
tinguished statesmen, and amongst
them Franklin, once thought that leg
i.lation might safely be trusted to sim
gle body of men, experience has shown
TO the contrary, and il is now settled
maxim in the science of government,
tpracticcd upon by all civilized nations,
that the legislature must be composed
Of two separate and distinct houses
Where there is but single body, laws
will often be passed in haste, under
the influence Of impulse, excitement
or passion, al d the members once COM
mitted are 10th to change their votes.
Docs not this maxim, and the reasons
for it, apply with greater force to the
making of constitutional law9
4th. "Some Of these Objectionable
provisions are so impracticable and un-
popular, that they will not be obser-
we'd. but remain dead letters in Tho
constitution, and therefore they can
vote for it," This is TO my mind a
most pernicious and dangerous doc
trine. All governments must be sus-
tanned either by the respect which the
governed have Tor law, Or by Tire phys
ical power of the government. As
you decrease the former. you must in
crease the latter, and hence the neccs-
sity for all monarchies to keep larg,
standing armies. The people Of the
United States are emphatically law
loving, and law-obeying people, and
il is by this feeling alone that our gov
eminent is sustained. Go through the
country, from one end to the other,
and you will scarcely ever see the
hand or the power of government; and
this remarkable feature in our instilu-
tons has been often commented upon
by travellers from other countrieJ.--
Clothed in the majesty Of the law, the
Sheriff Of the county, elected by your
own votes, goes forth unattended, and
unarmed, and takes away the property
and the liberty of the proudest and
most powerful citizen, and none dare
interfere. Shall we blunt this sacred
feeling OF our citizens, and strike at
the very principle which supports oil
our Institutions? II is true, and il is
most unfortunate too, that there is now
and then statute which is not regar-
lded, but in what constitution can there
be found a single provision which does
not have full and perfect operation?--
Besides, the constitution itself requires
every civil officer TO take an oath to
support it, and do you expect they will
enter upon Office with perjury in their
hearts' If they neglect this part Of
their official duty, can yon expect that
they will perform all other parts of it
faithfully
9Th. Frhese provisions are so pop
ular that another convention will not
change them" This is directly con-
ltrary argument to the former. But
where is the evidence Of this popular
lily? The large number of the House
of Representatives was unpopular even
in the convention. Nothing was said
before the convention met as to the
rights Of married women, or exemp-
tons, except that the Dane county