Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-12-17

COnsttutlon lot OhlO anu when elected, IL
should be with instructions tesadvocate for
tee people, the right and true.poicy Of self Z
government. 1t may not be practicable,
nor perhaps proper, to constitute each town ,
ship a separate government district, Legis-
lative and judicial; but each Caanty should
be constituted a legislative district, and each
township should have court competent 10
try all causes originating therein. Laws
should be proposed in general terms, or in
detail, by the voters, in primitive town
meetings convened; should bo considered by
legislative committee of county, COM
posed of one or more delegates from each
township, and bills framed by the commit
tee should be published in the papers of the
county: and to become laws should have the
sanction of a majority of the voters of the
county, convened for that purpose, in their
several townships. No law could thus be
forced on the people without their direct
consent. And, each county being sepe-
rate district for legislation, every particular
provision or clause would be well understood
by ali the people befofe voting omit
Certain the northern section Of Ohio is
wei prepared for the change we advocare
prepared by intelligence and nearly
equal division into townships, each general
ly having populous place of business at
the centre, with roads verging from it in
various directions. ...'... l..
Mos, of the old settlers Of the Resere
counties also, emigrated from the eastern
States where the people are vested with
some little legislative authority, and where
the townships-or towns as they are there
called levy and collect their taxes, and
keeps records of lands entered for taxation,
and records of deeds, and lay out and record
roads the sa me as we do in each county.
What we would claim as expedient and
proper for Ohio, is, in addition to adopting
the New England system Of doing busi-
ness town wise, to also make each county,
a district for legislation, all laws however
to be suggested by the people in town meet
ings, and to require the sanction Of the peo-
pie by direct vote for final enactment. AL
SO, our present extremely vexatious and ex-
pensive system of legal jurisprudence..to to be
charged to simple and cheap home man
ner of settling legal disputes, in the town
ships where they originate, as may easily
be done.
The military organization of the State
should still be kept up, and little else, ex-
cept the general supervision of the great
State works of improvement, which should
include the improvement of harbors and
rivers, as more appropriate for the State
than the national government.
There should be a regular, graduated,
we'll balanced system of powers from the
people on throug b town, county ard State,
to the national government; and as the peo-
pie are the basis doall governments, there
in the town and county organizations
should rest the greatest powers and rcspon-
sibilities, under the immediate supervision
Of the people. All powers and duties that
most Immediately affect the persons and
business of the people, should be theirs to
manage and eontrel directly More distant
matters may be managed by agents.
The business of a national Congress,
should be but national. The busines of a
State Legislature, but sectional; the busi-
ness of town and county organizations, be-
ing under the immediate eye and supervis-
ion of the people, should relate to their own
local and particular interests, over which
no distant administration should ever as
sumo control, for such must necessarily be
ignorant Of what is most appropriate for
each particular locality. These may be
called assumptions, but they are facts that
deem so obvious as to need but little de-
monstra,ion to tho.e who observe the histo-
ry of passing events. All difficulties in
Legislation and civil administration, arise
from departures, or attempted departures
from the rules above hinted.
For instance, at the last news from Wash
ington City, our national Congress were in
great difficulty about an organization of
the House of Representatives ON account of
the slavery question, and other party issues
that should not have been vested in Con-
gress. One party of the Union contending
for Congress the power to ihterdict slavery
in the Territories, another ultra party claim
ing that Congress should guarantee to
shareholders the right to hold slaves in the
new territories, while another is willing to
leave that to be regulated by the local gov
ernments. These last must be the only tru-
ly democratic party. That was what onr
Iatbers fought for in ;76. Their complaint
was sagainst taxation without representation.
Have not the people of the new territories
right to pro est against the interference of
congress in which they are not represent
ed. A right of such interference can only
be justified by the conquerors claim, the
power Of the sword, certainly not in the alb