Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-01-15

mitted to you my views in favor O.
amendments providing for an impartial
distribution, of political power among al
portions of the State and for the ade.
quate representation of every interest by
single districts; and securing effective
Supervision over every department of Id
ministration and a ready adoption O
Legislation to the wants and wishes oftht
people by annual sessions.
Much dissatisfaction is expressed will
the constitutional organization of the
Judiciary, and particularly with the sys
tenn of District Courts. Some relieffron
the Inconvenience complained of may
be gained by repeating the Legislative
provisions for jury trials in the District
Courts, and by relieving them from
holding more annual terms than the
Constitution absolutely requires
Whether for the present the evils of ths
existing system shall be redressed as fan
as possible by these or other e~xpedients.
or an attempt shall be made to effect a
more radical cure through an amend
ment of the Constitution, I submit, re-
spectiyely, to your better judgement.
Other amendments to the Constitution
may, doubtless, be made with advantage.
[ suggest only those which seem to be
most essential, and most generally de-
manded by the public sentiment:
The internal concerns and interests
of the State will chihey engage your de-
liberatioas; but its relations to the Ma
tional Government, and to the other
members of the Confederacy, cannot be
altogether disregarded.
Having surrendered to the Federal
Government, among other great prerog-
atives, the important powers Of main
tanning an army and navy, and Of raising
revenue by duties on imports, itebecomes
the duty of the States to observe its ae-
ton with even jealous vigilance.
The tendency to wasteful extrava-
gance and to Capitalization of power
which alarmed the fears of the carly pa
~triots, has, of late years, become more
and more conspicuous. Enormous rev.
enues, contributed by the people, almost
unconsciously, in the form of enhanced
prices, foster in the National Legislature
a contempt of economy, and encourage
combinations for the pillage of the treas
ury under delusiye pretexts of public
good.
Ohio, paying one-tenth of these con
tributions, has a substantial interest in
these matters which should not b. over
looked: and it cannot be deemed unfit
that her General Assembly should give
expression to her demand for retrench-
ment and reform, and for a reduction OF
revenue, the only sufficient security for
both.
Immediately after the close of your
last session, in conformity with your in
structions, L transmitted to the Governor
of each State a copy of joint resolutions
of the General Assembly relative to
Kansas affairs. The Governor of Miss
issippi has returned the copy transmit.
ted to him, in pursuance, as he states, o.
the requirements Of Joint resolution OF
the Legislature of that State, of which
he transmits a copy. l submit his com
munication to your consideration with
out comment.
The relations of the National Govern
ment to slavery still engross a large
share of the public attention; but L have
little to add to the considered views
which I have already expressed.
That slavery is contrary to reason anC
natural justice; that it is of such a n
ture that nothing short of positive law
can sustain it: that no power to enact
such laws has been granted to the Ma.
tional Government; and that slavery,
therefore, outside of slave States, can
have no valid legal sanction, seem to me
incontrovertible propositions.
The original policy of the country
was in harmony with these ideas. L
contemplated the exclusion of slavery
from the National Territories; the exer.
ton of the legitimate influence of the
General Government on the side offree,
dom; and the amelioration and final era.
diction of the great evil by the action Of
the State Governments without inter
vention or interference by national leg.
islation.
"The abolition of slavery said Mr.
Jefferson, at the commencement of the
revolutionary struggle, lis the creates
object of desire in these colonies" 81
is the pride and boast of America" sale
Mr.. Madison, speaking at the close o
the war in behalf of the American Con
gress, "that the rights for which she con
/ tended were the rights ofhuman nature.
r There is bit one proper way" saiC
George Washington, speaking at a still
later period of the abolition of slavery
'by which it can be accomplished, ane
: that is by legislative authority, and this
: SO far as my suffrage can go, shall not b.
wanting"
!, We need not hesitate to walk in tn
i paths marked by the footsteps of tn
fathers.
Within the last two months I hav
t received several communications fror
: emigrants to Kansas from Ohio, earnest
ly appealing for protection and aid. O
: these appeals one was. in the form of a
= affidavit from eleven citizens imprisoned
t under Various charges at L~ecompton.-
Ten of these prisoners, though formerl
t citizens of Ohio, are now residents il
| Kansas. The eleventh, an old man o
| seventy years, a soldier near half a cen
fury ago under Jackson, was still a citi
zen of Ohio, on a visit to some friends il
the Territory. The real offense of all
was the defense of Free-State home
pei Tn .