Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-01-13
Trust to the People.

No, say the Wings. We cannes trust
any thigh TO the people which we can Sc
cure in any other way. They are neither
intelligent nor honest Legislative grants,
no matter how faudulently obtained, must
be irrevocable, We mus. have our chart.
ers, our incorporated franchises and exclu-
sive privileges. We mus, have favors de.
MED 10 the many, and these must be held
Ss1ofate. The Representatives Of the peo-
pie who are invoked TO grant charter
must not be entrusted with power to revoke
it. They are perfectly competent to vote
through measure for the exclusive benefit
Of incorporated wealth., but they have no
power to re'cohssden that vote. This is
the doctrine Of Whiggery. endorsed by
few spoiled Democrats now in the Consti-
tutional Convention. Of course this Con-
vention, whatever may be its decision on
this subject, cannot settle it, for so long as
the right to vote is not chartered away to
these privileged orders, SO long will the
people contend for equal rights. If it is
commended that charters connot be repealed,
then none will be granted. and whether
the Repeal doctrine prevails in the Con.
venticn or not the effect will be the same.
We are glad TO see the Wings, without
dissenting voice, voting down the doctrine
of repeal. We are glad to see the Wing
papers all over the State singing hallelu-
jahs to this old federal doctrine Of vested
rights. 1t is showing Of hands that mus,
convince the people, the ~nineorporated
people, the working classes, who are their
real friends. The Cincinnati Nonpareil
we'll remarks.
That the lime will come, if the present
rate Of speculation aud monopoly be con.
tlnued, when the right to repeal the chart.
ers will be exercised by the pe"ple whore
they and all the wealth of the country, ,and
all the proceeds of their toll flowing into
those mammoth establishments which will
have grown up under the fostering hand of
the law. The time is rapidly hustening
on when speculation at the expense of la
Dor, will be held as robbery, and Then in
corporations for purposes of monopoly
will no, be tolerated. A sense Of justice
of every mans reaping all the profits Of
his own labor, is growing in the public
mind, and all the talk of the legality Of re-
pealing charters will be drowned by the
general outcry agains. oppression. Here
it is 'higher law Of truth and right which
will ovsrule all human laws that attempt
to force the peoples wealth into the hands
flhe few. The time will soon come, when
every man will be placed by the law on an
equal footing with every other man, and
when all legal favors extenied to a few
| spectators, will be regarded with scorn
and abhorrenee.
Talk Of a contract which individuals
may make with the government for Ger.
tain franshises. 1t is all nonsense. The
granting of franshises is on attribute Of des-
potism ard not Of democracy or Repub-
licanism. The Chiettaln of Feudal times
granted Franchises 10 his great captains
and when the captains grew into proud
nobility and attempted to strip from the
King his prerogatives, he turns to the cler.
gy Tor support, and grOnted franchises to
them as the price of their support. But
when the clergy also grew too strong for
the King. he turned his attention to the
people, and began to purchase their support
by granting franchises.
Ii will no. do. This thing Of despotism
must go by the board. No franchises are
in the power of democratic governments
to grant; and if one legislature should
grant them, when they have passed away
that grant is null and void by the law Of
nature and Of human equality, and any
subsequent legislature can rightfully repeal
the grant ii, is lis duty to do so.
But the true ground, and the only repub-
iican one, on which to put this right Of re-
peal is this: that the people aoiu do no
,1rong! Ii innocent individuals were made
to suffer by the repeal of a charter, an hon.
ost constituency, through their Representa-
tives, will always make ample amends.
they will not allow their servants to violate
any mans rights with impunity, if we can
conceive Of such case. The Legislature
would have no motive in doing so. The peo.
pie, their constituents, would not allow them
to do so. But the doctrine Of Whiggery
is aass CANNOT trust the people," and it is
becoming the doctrine of the people shat
,Us cannot trust corporations. "-Cere.
Plain Dealer. .s-
O. Great interest is manifested by the
citizens of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls in
the proposed Branch Rail Road from Ak