The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-03-08

icalism. That The year 1850 will be
fraught with the deepest interest to the
citizens Of Ohio. is fact made manifest
by the hurried events which are Gro wd
ing fast. nne upon The other. A change
Di the fundamental law ,f any State is
at all times attended with difficulty, and
1t depends entirely upon the good sense,
Intelligence aud just discrimination Of
The people, whether it shall be fnllowed
by prosperity aud greatness. There has
probably been no period in the history
of our State when her citizens have been
called upon to examine into, aud decide
upon mure important question.
Iii is generally conceded, even by those
who opposed the calling OF Convention,
that odn present Constitution is defective
in many particulars, and that it can be a.
mended to advantage. The opponents
of the measure were candid enough to
admit the obiecions to that instrument,
aud a large portion of them based their
opposition TO the Convention only upon
the ground that there was danger Of a
spirit Of radicaLsm infusing Itself into
that body, which might not only destroy
everything that was good in the old, but
render the new Constitution absolutely
obnoxious to the best interests and pros
perity of the State. We, however, be-
lieve that the people of the State will, IN
their choice of delegates, guard against
any such results, aud especially will they
take care that no wild and visionary no
lions of progress and reform will be a
dopted into the new instrument.
There is vast difference between
Progress and Radicalism-the one looks
to an improvement upon old things, a bet
te:ng of the condition of human society;
the other looks to an upturnng of every.
thing that has the marks Of age upon it,,
wild and incoherent idea that mankind
have been grievously imposed upon and
that nothing that has ever existed should
be allowed to exist any longer. II the
latter is carried into effect it disarranges
the whole system of social economy,
throws governments and society into a
state of anarchy, aud puts an end to re-
al progress for the time being.
Principles never change. The foun
dalions Of Democracy never change
There can be no progress here; and
these principles that form the basis of d
free government-brought into shape
rendered ineligible and made the land
marks, upon which to build liberal code
of laws to guide the footsteps Of free
people--are all that should be adopted
in their Constitution. 1t is the only way
in which room can be left for progress
and reform. Otherwise, an intermnable
system of restrictions and privileges, un.
der the solemn form Of fundamental law,
ties the peoples hands and allows them
no opportunity to change it until they 60
through all the forms and ceremonies oI
adopting another Constitution. To ex
emphly:-ln the constitution of the Uni
ted States, a manner is pointed out by
which the people are to choose lheil
President. 1t is mere restriction upon
the right Of suffrage, a farce. nay more
than that it sometimes gives to the mi
noriiy the power to say who shall be the
President. Yet this cannot be changed
by vote of Congress. To abolish it re
quires the long and tedious process poin
ted out in that instrument, aud rather
than adopt that the people suffer on.
We do not say that there should be NJ
restrictions in Constitution. What W.
mean to say is that there should be none
upon the power Of tho people. We ne
cessarily have a representative govern
ment-we must have Legislature, Courts
aud other bodies and individuals for car.
,ying on the machinery of government
The people in their constitution must no
cessariIy point these out and put them
under such restrictions as they see pro.
por. But measures of public policy, Of
expediency...means employed to regu-
late aud control society. To put into effect
certain principlcs...t these should be
dop;ed or rejected as the people in their
good sense aud sound judgment, ripened
by experience, may dictate, A system
of public policy which may be demand.
ed to-day by the Interests Of she people,
may be wrong tomorrow. A measure of
eSpediency adopted to suit certain
state of affairs to-day, may be required
to be abolished tomorrow on tho simple
ground that the reasons of its adoption
will not then exist. IT, for instance, il
be established as a principle that the ma
joriIy have not the power to tax the mi.
uori'y for the purposes of education, of