The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1849-03-20
WHOLE NO. 4le,

tie vehicle of falsehood and injustice; that il
is an nsrumentality through which bad men
can crafty their private or public malignity
upon other men. Be it 80. In the West
there is a grea, river known as the Mississ-
ippi. Sometimes this river breaks over its
banks and overffows the adjacent country,
sweeping fences and crops, and even hou-
ses, away in its course Upon i, float steam
boats, which sometimes get 91Agged 2Ha.
wrecked with great sacrifice
and hundreds of thousands d1pysIi| i a. Il
of property. But, sir, will you oirsel these
unavoidable evils against the mighty advan-
tages of that stream, and say hat, because
of these Incidental evils, the stream is OF no
account, aud that il would be well il were
dried up? So precisely may il be said, ex-
cept with more force and effect, in regard TO
this great medium through which flow the
ideas of this country. There may be- ills and
injustice arising from free press. There
may be falsehood promulgated through il.
Malgnity may sometimes be gratlied, and
innocence be made TO suffer, through its in
strumentality. But what are all these evils
compared to the immense benefit ofkeepng
an open and free communication between
twenty millions Of people, and between each
one Of them and each public functicnary of
the government. For i. is through this
great book of the people, unfolded in every
mans house, open 10 every mans inspecta-
ton, that the opinions and wishes Of the
nation are concentrated, and brought 10 act
upon their government. End, sir, am the
more in favor Of this proposition because it
chimes in most tremendously with every
proposition have ever laid down touching
this subject Of open communication with the
people. Year after year, have stood up'
here, and demanded, la the behalf and in
the ma ne Of the American people, that
these doors should be open, aEl that the
whole of oul transactions in tie name Of
our constituents should be porfa Led in the
view Of our constituents. So. too; have
stood up here. whcc:. j: vas thought unpopu-
, , ..aT 10 do SO, in support of the tranking pri-
vilege for the same reason. In every in
stance where have acted or voted have
sought to do i; in such manner that it
would open the doors wider 10 the inspec-
ton of the people, and pour stronger
light upon their representatives. l have
done this because have believed that in
this thing consists our only security, be-
cause | am not one of those who suppose
that this government consists in written
constitution. No, sir, am not child enough
for that. know what this government
consists in. If i, consisted but in a written
constitution, where would it have been
now, when that constitution has, confessed
ly, So olion been inffacted? No, this 60.
vernment is to be found at the firesides of
the people If this country. 1t is TO be found
in the sentiments, in the judgments, in the
predictions, in the hopes, in the sympa-
thies, Of great people, who make known
thor sentiments 10 each other and TO their
political agents through the medium of the
press. This city, sir, is not the seat OF our
government. No, sir, it is seated III the
heart of the nation, and there, upon that
strongest of all foundations, it will stand I'M
shaken and secure so long, and only so long,
as free press stands by its side.
1t does not beboove us, then, who are tho
representatives of the States and the people,
10 do anything which shall veil our conduct
in the slightest degree from the open in
spection of our constituents. 1t does not
become US, upon whose conduct, let Inc tell
you, sir, public liberty depends, to attempt
10 shut out the people from the watchful OBJ
seryation of the actions and deliberations OF
those whom they have selected TO do their
bidding; for the right of suffrage in the peo-
pie would not be worth larthing 10 them, if
after they had exercised that right, they lost
| N al fxx,hn ho Ind In,
pointed. In that case, the choice OF their
representatives would amount to the delega-
ton of absolute authority. AS it is, although
the form of power passes out Of the consti
tuent 10 the representative, through the 'ac-
ton of the ballot-box, yet, by having open
communication between The two-by bring
ing the actor, who is the representative, di-
rectly in front of the men in whose name he
acts, and holding him there while he acts
the constituents secure, TO some extent, the
Just exposition of their wishes. | say, sir,
to some extent, because truth is my object.
and because truth compels me to say, that
even with the aid of the press the people
are rot always able to make their will and
their interests, as they should be, the solo
rule of our legislative action. Sir, many a
time and oft does it happen that things deep
|ly injurious TO the public interests are done
here under influences mighty indeed, but
quiet, and which are unseen and unfelt be-
yond the limits Of this city. What, sir, do
we behold here session after session. Do
we not see the crowd Of cunning jobbers
and spectators, who flock TO this city every
session, devising and contriving schemes to
enrich themselves out Of the public treasury
BY Obtaining acts of special legislation? Do
Lsse moi see these men, by solicitations, by