Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-01-27
The ReDcaI Principle.

that body, 1t was induced by powerIut
expression of public opinion throughout
the state, against several corporate nssoci.
ations that had violated the conditions Of
their franchise, and had for series Of years
persisted in q course Of policy. flagrantly
hostile to the public welfare as well as Sc.
riously injurious 10 the interests of the peo-
pie as mass. 1t then, as now, excited
high interest in the public mind, and mark.
ed pretty fair political division Of parties.
There were few exceptions,on both sides,
AS there ore new,-but the exceptions
then rested, entirely, their doubts of the
legislature having the power properly to
enforce such principle simply upon tho
ground that no such power was conferred
BY the constitution. I'VE never heard the
power called in question, when it was urged
TINT such q principle would be Incorporated
into q ,esv constitution. Wing and Dem.
ocrat alike conceded it's soundness, and as
sented to its Justice. The democracy
mainly, commended, in the many protrncteo
and exciting controversies involved in its
discussion, that, whether expressed in the
constitution or moi, the power Of repeal was
inherent, and the right inalienable,- that
no legislature could delegate power away
from the people which succeeding legis.
lature could not resume for them;-in the
simplest and plainest language,tha the leg.
islature Of this winter is not more power.
ful than the legislature Of she nexi;-ihat
iflast winters legislature, through mistaken
policy, or through corrupt influences, con-
ferred franchise upon IN individual or es.
sociation which the people, in their expert.
ence, found hostile TO their welfare and ut
warfare with their natural rights, it wus
the incentestible right Of a succeeding leg.
islature to amend or repeal it, as the peo-
pie might exact.
The Wing partizans generally took the
antagonist ground-maintaining that
charter is Contract" and, Whatever the
nature Of its organization, a corporation is
q @vestea right" 10 do IN act in an inde.
pendent capacity, and even if exercising
its privileges 10 the acknowledged oppres-
sion Of the people, its acts were beyond the
reach of correction and must be tolerated
ill their powers cease by the limit of tho
franchise. Democratic side: "if you
would have the people redressed, why do
you not take the proper steps-cdN Con-
and snUest the principle in that insfrsi.
ment, arhere it bsLongs?" .s.a.E
Well, time has passed and the Democ.
racy of Ohio, after violent struggle, ,loDg
protracted and often defeuted,at last were
successful in their cherished wish-suc-
cessful, too, we hesitate not to say,as much
through the settled determination of the
people to be redressed Of these srestsd
right" grievances as through all other mo-
tives combined. s,-sJe rs
And now behold the RESULT Witness
the action Of this Convention, on Monday
last, in rejecting sach principle from the
new inslrument-done, too, we scorn 10
say it, by men elected as Democrats. Ly
Democratic constituencies. re csc
} The motives Of this act, on the part Of
Wing members, we can fully understand,
without the least mental difficully;for when
or where did ever Wig politicians shrink
from the protection Of monopoiies and cor.
lporate associations with guarantees op.
pressive to the producing classes, when o
question came up involving the people on
one side and they on the other1 But The
motives of the slsrsn Democrats who vo-
ted with the Whig solid column, and there.
by defeated the measure-what are theyf
what can they BET We would like 10
know; we think the people have right to-
know. Was there only difference Of
opinion upon the phraseofogy Of the Sec
ton proposed, or was there absolute apos-
tacy from principle? We nre aware
that some Of these gentlemen will chnrac>
terize our inquiries as Interference beyond
our baiiiwick that they are only respon-
sible To- the communities whence they
came; but we shall respond, that they are,
instead Of progressing, absolutely travelling
backwards, and, in this vote, have taken
stand one long step still behind Whers the
Wing party stood auhen this issue aoas
first made some sixteen years ago!-that
they have rejected from the Constitution
what every Democrat in Ohio will expect
TO find in it,-that they have defeated one
Of the cardinal principles which for years
their party has maintained. nnd, in word,
that they are false to the faith which trust
ed Them with the high place they have so
mischievously filled. r,adt
7 We muy justly say more; They have,
by this vote, ropudiated the settled doc.
trines Of not only tho a1hoJe DeNocracy Of
Ohio, but of goodly portion Of the Wing
party also. They have rejected confirm
ed principle Of their several and separate
local constituencies. They have sci their
own judgements up against the long con-
frmed and unfaltering wills Of their party.
For, when did the Democracy ever meet
in conclaye,in any enc of the counties and
districts thus misrepresented, during nnY
portion of the exciting period when the
heghhanded usurpations Of the corporate
iterests of the State had intiamed the pub.
lie mind to a lawless resistance 70 their
outrages upon the rights Of the people,
without asserting, in the most emphatic.
deliberate and solemn manner, that RE-
PEAL svas a natural and inGlisnd1h
right belonging TO the Legislative poweri
Let the history OF agitation in Batisr, Bel
mont, Licking, Hooking, Morgan, Frank.
Jim, &c, whose democracy are now aban.
doned, in the Hest perilous hour, by their