The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-02-26
The democrats then in the Gener.

~. The democrats then in the Gener.
al Assembly, admitted that no man
could sit there unless voted for by the
entire county, but they commended that
this applied only to the old county oI
Morgan, as it was at the time when the
apportionment bill was passed, and moi
to the new county Of Morgan, as gerry.
wandered for base political purposes.
These our incontrovertible positions
were met by a logged silence and we
were pointed to the opinion Of the At
torney General, as the only authority
to our posilions!! Poor whiggery ne
yer worships the one man power! A
whig never pins his faith to the sleeve
Of any man, however exalted! The
grea, opposition party never bow their
necks 10 the dictates of one man, and
much less 10 that Of an executive off.
Ger.
Oh, wings, how have you fallen from
your high degrees! How pitiful are
your turnings and twistings in the po-
litical arena! Oh how does the heart
of an honest republican Ionth at your
hypocrisy and your prohigate prosli,u-
ton OF the great cause of honesty, jus.
tice and the rights Of the people to the
behests of base party purposes.
The bill passed the Senate by a strict
party vote. The heightened promises
of a regard for the constitution were
forgotten; their consciences had been
put to rest by the opinion of the A,tor-
ney General, and their oaths were for
gotten in the ecstacy of the moment,
when gazing wishfulIy into the vista Of
thefuture, for power and uninterrupted
political %ascendancy. Democracy, so
horrible 10 tyrants, then stood before
the eyes OF the fascinated whig parti.
IAN stripped Of even a vestige ofpower.
But there is many a slip between the
cup and the lip.
The passage Of the bill through the
House was a repetition of the scenes
in the Senate. The same efforts, the
same arguments, the same appeals,
were met by hat same bull dog silence
and the opinion of the Attorney Gen.
eraI. Wings, that is, those who had
any conscience, Rugged close to their
bosoms this opinion of their Attorney
General. 1t proved the only saIvo, the
only hope in this struggle for poIilica!
power.
The amendments that had been made
to the bill in the Senate, were mostly
again stricken out, and the bill came
again into the Senate, almost in its or
iginal shape. The Senate disagreed to
this, and the bill again went to the
House. Symptoms Of restiveness now
to show themselves among the
majority of the House. There were a
men who had not sinned so long
md so often but what they would yet
still have some computations Of con-
science. The Senate disagreed to most
If the House amendments, and the bill
once more went to the House, There
several members had become seriously
disposed TO retrace their steps; and it
became evident that the bill, as it then
was, could not pass the House. A
was made to reconsider the vote
on the passage Of the bill in the House.
That motion was decided out Of order,
and to get at their object, a message
was sent TO the Senate requesting a re-
consideration of the vote on their disa-
greement to the House amendments
The democrats then began to suspect
foul play, and only on the full and open
voluntarily given on the part Of
The majority, that the object of recon-
sideration was to enable the House to
retrace its steps, was the vote to recon-
slider suffered to be taken. Sunday in
.ervened; the wounded consciences o
he few refractory wings were again
patched up; the House now again in.
sisted upon most Of its amendments.-
The motion to reconsider on the pas.
age of the bill was Withdrawn in the
House, and the bill was once more be-
ore the Senate almost in its original
hape.
The democratic members had watch
d anxiously the progress of events
hey had received information strongly
ending, that on Monday morning the
ill should be passed in violation Of the
hedges given on Saturday night previ-
us. 1t no W became a matter Of life
nd death to the right Of the majority to
.overn, a right forever endangered by
he bill before us, and on our action
ung the fate of our Constitution the
OF our oaths-the cause of
he people against corporate privileges
the interests of the laboring thousands
gainst those OF the idle few. We
ouked all around US for relief. No ap-
eai could be made to the Courts of JUS
MI tho oornototo 81, &c Al. 49,.