The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-03-26
MIR. VALLANDIGHAM'S SPEECH
ON THE
amendment Of the Constitution.
OHIO LEGISLATURE, ls47.

| MT. PALLANDGlTAM SAID: lhlS oil pro
poses the inliatory step towards a change il
the constitution Of the State. Ii provides
way for resolving again into its original ec
menis the machinery Of our slate govern
ment for The purposes Of lts reorganization
by those from whose hands il came, anS
whose creature il is. With that object il
view, and in pursuance Of the mode poniet
out in the existing constitution, it propose
10 submit 10 TIE pEoBLE whether they de
sire sny amendment or change in that ins,ru
ment.
1t is now foriy-four years, Mr.. Speaker
since our present constitution was establish
ed. Al that period of our history, the State
of Ohio, stretching from Pennsylvania 10 the
Indiana line, and from the Ohio river 10 The
northern lakes, with an area of thiry-nine
thousand square miles, was an almos, un.
broken wilderness, with a population of but
forty-eigh thousand Inhabitants, settled q,
intervals, in the openings, where " the arm
Of the fionlior-man had levelled the forest
and let iu the sun" Few in numbers, these
inhabitants were simple also in their habits,
and fewer still in their wants. The hardy
poneersy who, penetrating this wilderness,
had expelled It's native savage occupants,
and built few log cabins in its sofitudes,
till then undisiurbed by the reforming axe
Of the European race, made few contracts,
committed not many crimes, and needed
bn, the simplest forms Of Government
Courts Of justice were held, at ,ha, early
period. vt not above nine or ten different
points within the whole territory Of Ohio;
aud the lawyers oflhe Cincinnati bar of that
day, prac'sed regularly in tho courts Of
Detroit, (then within our limits travsrsing
for that purpose tho whole distance on horse
back and sleeping often in mid-winter upon
the bare snow Of the forest, because, in mauy
places, for forty miles together, neither cabin
nor other dwelling Of white man or savage,
chearsd with its friendly smoke the inhospi-
table quietude of that unbroken wilderness.*
1t was for such people, living in such u
territory, and with habits such 40 have des-
cribed, that the convention, assembled a,
Chilhcothe on the Gsst day Of November,
1902, ordained a constitution. The men
who sat in that convention were men Of
great singleness Of purpose, great native in
telligence, and earnest, for the most part, in
their attachment TO the true principles Of re-
publican government. But assembling at a
period when written constitutions were COM
paralively an untried experiment; destitute
Of that political science the amazing progress
Of which is one of the characteristics of the
age, und Of that experience which cnight-
ems and directs the more fortunate genera.
tion of this day, il is not 10 be expected that
perfect system Of government. should have
been ordained by them. And more than
this, circumstanced as they were, and with.
out that foresight and amplitude Of mind
VI ich profound and comprehensive survey
ofihe wants and necessities, as we'll prospeG-
tive us present, of mankind in organized 80
ciety, can alone give to the statesman, it is
still less to be expected that framing coll
s,iiution adapted to the government Of fifty
thousand pioneers in the midst of wilder
moss, they should have looked forward half
n century and SO moulded it MS 10 be fitted
to the condiiien of Two millions of people
Of every diversity Of habit and education,
and following every occupation and pursuit
known in a highly civilized State. The
most sagacious among them could no, have
foreseen--it was moi within the limits of
human foresight, for history mad then fur
nished no exampl ple-,hat within little more
than The ordinary life lime Of n generation, n
change so prodigious should mark the social
and political condition Of the commonwealth
which they were about TO establish. Not
foreseeing it, they corld not provide for its
occurrence, and not having provided, the
evil is upon US. They were ordering
written constitution, land written constitutions,
unlike those which are the slow growth of
centuries of usage, cannot adap: themselves
to the ever varying wants aud circumstances
of young and growing people. But they
did know that their work was not perfect,
and foresaw the necessity for change
which might at some future day exist; and
accordingly provided that way for securing
such change or amendment, in pursuance of
which this bill has been introduced.
l have meant no dsparagement, Mr.
Speaker, TO the wisdom and ability of the
convention of 1902. They framed a consti.
tuition full of much that is valuable, and well
suited TO the necessities of the people in
their day. But we have outgrown il. The
swaddling bands Of the infant have become
badly fitting 10 the stalwart limbs ofthc grown
up giant. The convention adjourned on the
twen,y-nntb of November, 1902. Forty
four years Of continued and rapid progress
in ali that belongs TO man as an individual,
or citizen, have obli,erated almost every
vestige of that condition Of things 10 which
the result of their labors was adapted. The
forty-osht thousand inhabitants have grown
to two millions, spresd over the entire ex-
tent Of the territory now comprised within
eBurnsrs letters. 1887,