Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-03-03
John S. Cock.

A letter from John S. Cock TO Enos Hills
Of Mt. Uuion, will be found in another col
umn. Our upon it will be brief.
We hold that a Representative has no au-
1hority TO trample under foot the right OF Pc
tition, even though he regards the thing ask
ed for absurd, demoralizing, and reasonable.
Ii he believes this to be the character of a
petition, it is a sufficient reason why he
should vote against granting il, bat does not
Justify him in assuming to Judge for the House
without suffering any other member to see
it-this would indeed be making himself
"COck of the walk" for how does he know
but that every other member may consider
the request reasonable. the object elevating,
and the petitions highly patriotic.
1t is a matter of opinion whether a State
Legislature has authority TO act on behalf of
the people Of the State. and withdraw from
the Federal Union. Those who believe that
1t has, certainly have a right to ask it to act
in the premises, leaving it to Judge in its col
lective capacity of the propriety of the re-
quest and the expediency of granting it,
without having their petitions stopped in
transit by any individual member. If the
Legislature, acting on behalf of the people,
has a right to withdraw, and does withdraw,
it becomes, as a matter of course the duty of
that body to notify those who represent the
State at Washington, that Ohio is no longer
a member Of the Union. If our memory is
not at fault, ''instructing Senators. and re-
questing Representatives. is no new doctrine
on the floor of our Legislative Halls.
The fact that John S. Cock has sworn 10
support the Constitution Of the L.. States,
and of the State of Ohio, we hardly deem a
sufficient reason for his gagging all those who
wish that bundle of compromises destroyed;
nevertheless his view of the right of petition
is doubtless in accordance with the views Of
modern democracy, and has for its precedent
the high authority Of a Dutch country Justice
who rebuked a certain defendant that made
too free use Of his tongue, and concluded by
telling him "Iou may tink and speak vat
you will, provided you tink nit de court,
and speak as de court speaks" We suspect
the great difficulty in the case under consid-
Grafton, is to be found in the fact that such
petitions lessen the reverence of the people
and bring the Legislative craft into danger;
therefore must the cry be raised "Great is
our Diana :"
John S. Cock, though not one Of the sim
mortal fifteen" Senatorial revolutionists
whose action virtually abolished for a time
the government of Ohio, is one Of the ''glo-
rious twenty six" democratic Representatives
who fully end that movement. He re-
CARDS the Apportionment Bill as absurd, I'M
constitutional, and reasonable, and if the
Wings of his district should send him a Pc
tition to present, asking that the bill be pas
sed, he would refuse to don on the same
ground that he refused TO present Disunion
petitions; for he assume. that in all such
matters the judgment of John S. Cock is in
falliable, and that his mandate must be law
TO his constituents.
But John, what would you say about the
rightof Ohio to withdraw from the Union
provided that the Governor and Legislature
of Ohio, failing to reduce to obedience the re-
fractory members of the Senate, should in
woke the aid Of the General government, and
with United States ~bayonets compel the ff-
teen to remain in their seats while the Wings
passed the Appointment bill; would you
not then advise Ohio TO dissolve the Union,
and maintain against the world her right so
tn do! There is not the shadow of a doubt
Of it John, and we should hear no more
iwGdde from you about it being impossible
for her to withdraw without the consent Of
all the other States, if her remaining in the
Union crippled the Democratic party.
Ohio would indeed be enslaved, if-as
John S. Cock intimaies-she was compel
led to remain in the Union under all posi-
hle and conceivable circumstances. Is il to
be supposed that she must-whether she
wishes or not-sit quietly down in sisterhood
with Texas, recognize Sodom and Gomorrah
or any other Dead Sea territory Congress
may choose to annex as part and parcel OF
the Federal Unionl Has she no right to
withdraw from such accursed fellowship q
The idea is too absurd for even John s.. Cock
to entertain, and We must believe he but as.
sumes the position that Ohio is thus irrevo-
cably, e~ternally bound, for political effect.
THE SATURDAY EVENING PosT, of Phila
delphia-and who is not acquainted with the
paper!-has now become the property of Ed
mund Deacon and Henry Peterson, who de-
sign making it one fourth larger than its pre-
sent layna size Tbs fact that tkis nanar ba,