The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-09-08

WHcH IL - hHoWH tidt ilOt SlIlSle uelIlt
cratic member was elected to any office
profit by the Legislature. If they are cor
demned by their democratic consttuen,
they will most sincerely regret it. Tn,
they have been and will be condemned b
the wings, they know full well. And whe
was the course of any democratic legisla
ture ever approved of by that party9 |
tany indication that the democrats of tn
lastlegislature are nottrust-worthy becaus
the wings oppose their action?
We make the following extracts from
Mr.. Dinmock's Address:
ia From the Holmes County Farmer
10 the Democracy Of Knox County
1T cannot have been forgotten, fellow cit
izens, that the Democrats in the late legis
lature were elected under the most extra
ordinary circumstances-and upon mos
extraordinary issue-many of them pledg
ed not to take their seats if elected-oth
ers pledged to resist the operation of the
Apportionment fraud-myself among the
latter. / do not charge there was any er.
ror committed by the democracy of the
State in making this issue or that it was
wrong after having made it for the demo.
cratic members to take their seats. Your
Senator and immediate Representative
were certainly opposed to taking their
seats-but were invited so to do by the
Democratic State Central Committee, and
the unanimous advice of all democrats
then present, and by majority of the
Democratic members-under the impress
ion that there was a clear democratic ma
jority-and that new apportionment law
could be enacted. In this, they, as we'll
as the democracy Of the State, were disap-
pointed The Democratic papers through
out the State had classed Mr.. Van Doren.
of fSandusky, as a democrat, and he pro-
fessed to be in favor of the admission of
Pugh and Pierce, up to Is minutes before
the vote was taken-but he voted with the
wings on that, as we'll as on almost every
other question. With these impressions,
however, the democrats took their seats,
and attempted an organization. | need
not recapitulate the scenes which occurred
during that eventfnl crisis. You have no
doubt been apprised Of them through the
public press-but no pen can paint, no
tongue express, the violence and dangers
and difficulties which surrounded us. For
three weeks, the members held their seats
night and day, at the peril ofther lives, to
the exposure ofhealth, and at the sacrifice
ofease and repose, and only yielding up
theHall on the Sabbath, for purposes of Di-
vine worship! No man need covet the re-
sponsibilities and perils of their station,
and no liberal minded Democrat, will ever
impugn their motives! .-..
1t has been suggested to me, by prom
inent Democrat in Mt. Vernon, who dis.
approves our action, that one great error
Of the Democratic members was in not for
cibly ejectng Holcomb and his band of
disorganizers. But this would have been
the commencement ofa bloody revolution.
The democrats had not effected an organ.
ization; they had not quorum present, ac-
lnowledging their Chairman-no Speaker
had been elected, nor could there be with
out quorum. Hence the Democrats had
no legal power to eject them--no Speaker
to issue his orders-no sergeant-at-arms
to execute them-and any overt action on
our part would have been urged by the
wings, as an attempt at revolution, the
whole responsibility of which would have
oeen thrown upon the democracy. Be-
sides, it was the unanimous, advice and
of all the Democrats then
n the city, that violence and force must
rst come from the federal usurpers! But,
that was. an error, it was one of judg-
aent and not of pinciple-and not suf-
icient justification for slaughtering the
Democratic members.
AT the close of the third week, PROPOSE {
ions were. accepted for taking vote upon !
he admission of Pugh and Pierce to seats
1.-The wings abandoning their organiza- {
ion,. and recognizing the Democratic
chairman. For the terms ofthat arrange |
nent, if wrong, though involving no prin- ,
cipie, neither your Senator or Representa-
lives are responsible advised
against them. The error was in tact not ,
principle. But upon taking that vote Mr..
Van Doren voted with the wings against {
the right Of Pugh and Pierce to seats and !
tisvote decided the question against them,
and left the House completely in the pow
Of the wings! At this point, it has been {
urged that the democrats ought to have LEFT {
their, Seats, and returned to their constitu-
broken up the Legislature before !
. III I