The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-04-02

too--Old demOeraiic Pchnsylvania-~l mean
tho Pennsyvanis Of 1883, moi l646--John
Sergeant was. chosen President. Aud Is il
IN Ohio alone that the ihraldom OF party Is
90 monslrous that convention il not TO be
called, and not even tho people consulted
whether they desire il, fer fear that the in
fluence Of rariizan politics will corrupt it's
delibsraticnsf Sir, was born in Ohie, aAd
will never sonsent 10 brand upon her brow
the inlamy Of such an impulaon. Your
best and purest men will 6nd seats in this
convention, and lheywill vote and speak as
honest mea and as patriets 9s1to7.s
But il the fear Of party is to defeat this
measure, ishen wiIl Is passi Now submit
II to gentlemen az to members earnest in
their desire 10 vote for the hest interests Of
the people ;--if this bill is nsver to pass---if
iho constitution needs no amending, and is
neper 10 be amsndsd---ihis objection is at
least consistent. But if you leok forward TO
time when the constitution Of this state Is
10 undergo the process of revision, thea let
US hear no more Of party, for its corrupting
infiusnce will be far greater and more peril
Gus half a century hence, than in this com
psrl,ively healthy age Of the commonwealth
certainly as great in Eve years or ten as al
this day. Sir, protest earnestly against the
dsfeat Of this measure by the votes Of those
who, admitting the necessity Of change in
our consultation, desire and expect 10 see it
carried out at soms future day. What! OBJ
iect TO this bill now, aad vote against it be-
cause you are afraid that party corruption
will steal into the convention and fasten upon
the state a constitution verse than the pres
eat, aad yet think to call just such cenven-
ion, for just the same purpose, at some
other time--as If party spirit and party dis
tinctions we're at their last gasp and never
more to be heard, d,ef! Sir, i repeat it: thar
day will never dawn. have no faiih, not
the slightest, in the coming Of political
millennium when the lion and the lamb shall
lie down together Such visions are Just
"ihs stuff that dreams are made Of" The
moonshine's watsry beams"havo ten times
the substance of such shadows. But why
fear verse constitutieni The people are
frst 10 oresolve whether they will have con.
ven.on. They are then 10 elsct the mem
bers ol that convention, and finally the con-
stitution itsslG isto be submitted to them for
their approval or rejection. The PEorLE
are 10 deeids that question also. And how
AMI whence comes this fear Of q worse cen
stita,ien, but from secret distrust in their
virtue and intelligsness
Again; | have heard it said, "New York
has just adopted new constitution, and let
us wait till we see how it works" What
kind Of an argument is thlsf This bill does
not propose to adopt the New York eonstiia-
ton, or any other already formed. What
has il or what have they TO do with the
question Of convention in Ohio, that we
shall wait TIL they have been trisdf Their
principles are not nsw; and II thsy were,
how know ou that they would be introduced
into ours; OF il they were introduced with
the sanction of the public, who should say
augkt against IN Waltz And how long?
One, two, Eve yearsi Hsw long shall the
rest bsi Why, sir, by that time Virginia
shall have 70 yanized her constitution, and
then we shall be told, "waii ill she has
tried how il works" Every year some nsw
constitution is framed, and thus there never
is or will be tine when this objection may
not spply With just as great force.
When iAe proposition sinar to this, Mr..
Speaker, was under debate, at the last sss-
sion, the Argument most urged against il, and
that which, I feel and know, will 60 farther
toward The defeat Of this bill than all others
put together, was the fear Of unifisd and
dangerous Innovations. The diro spirit of
radicalism, they told us, and some now will
tell Us, is abroad in lis rage, and threatens,
like the Apostles Of old, 10 turn the world
upside dewm. Sir, this fear of innovation,
or rather Of progress. is morbid affection to
be dealt with as other hypocondriac diseases.
And would lament beyond tho power Of
words 10 express, that its influence should be
allowed TO defeat this measure. But how
comes such an objection 10 be urged By
these amsng the majority Of this House I?
Have not the whig patty sworn upon the
horns Of ths altar, eternal hostility to all such
inHoyatisns as are thus feared and abhorred,
and does not that party beast Of a permanent
majority in this State reckoned by thousands'
Havs we no, heard it proclaimed times cut
OF number, that Ohio is unaltsrably a whig
Statss Now, sir, this question must FIRST be
submitted TO the people; and upon the new
constitution also they must decide. And
think yo,i, sir, ths people, large majority
Of whom are claimed TO be whigs,-conssr-
valve whigs and opposed to oil Innovations
and radicalism, to hard money and legisla-
tive supremacy over vested rights" SO call
sd--will FIRST demand such convention, thus
exposed to such dangers, then elect a majori-
" OF msmbsrs to serve in it, who Will pro-
pose radical, impracticable constitution:
and finally, support, tha. constitution by