Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-06-18

Nsi
gOnOred BY your sOffases with a seat in the
Seate Of Ohio during the last two sessions Of the
legislature. upon my return home desire an op.
pctunity Of communicating with you as to those
p'blic affairs which have demanded my action and
faleR under my observation. Our opponents
haze created an impression, at least 10 their own
TaIks, that the last two sessions of the Ohio Leg.
islture we're barren Of results, Some few of our
frinds have apparently fallen into the same way
oflhinking. In this brief article cannot more
thu ance at the measures perfected and adopt
ed The mere title Of the acts, measures and res
ohtons which have received the sanction Of the
Legislature would fll FIVE or six common newspa-
per columns
Over seven hundred Of these acts, &C., were
Introduced, and over one half of the same passed
By the Constitution, every bill must be read in
each branch of the General Asse,nbl', on three
different days. Here is SIX readings Of each bill
required before il can ordinarily be disposed Of
These bills are as usual thing again read in Com
mittee o! the Whole. 1t will be seen that seven
readings Of seven hundred measures must necessa.
rily consume great deal Of time. 1t is not my
purpose to explain the length Of the sessions, be
cause every candid man, acquainted with the facts
will admit that the members as whole, accom-.
pshed more labor than has been done in the same
time BY any preceding Legislature. The Repub-
lcau party came into power mainly in conse,
quence Of the wrongs Of the Slave Democracy
upon the interests of free SOIL free speech and
and freemen. 1t however very distinctly propo
sed to reform t e abuses practiced for years by
the Locofocos and rttrench the exorbant and in.
crsasing expenditures of the same party. With
these pledges warm upon their lips, the first Repub.
lcau Legislature assembled at Columbus. They
came together with but few views in common
save upon the question of the non cxtention Of
slavery Many were from the old Wing party,
deeply imbued with prejudices against any one
who had ever acted with the so-calel Democracy
Many were fresh from the ranks Of the Demccra.
cy, loving liberty more thad before, but not whig,
and whiggery. Many were from the Free Sol
party, aud wiling upon the great question of bu-
man liberty to trust men only as they proved
dhemselves worthy Of confidence. To do any
thing, all these elements must he combined, and
ITO combine them, great forbearanee, mutual con,
,cessions and confidence were necessary. These
qualities among men thus situated are of slow
Growth. mention these matters 10 r.mind you
that although strong and victorious party, we
were by no means without serious embarasments
in a,temptstO harmoniEe upon matters upon which
I'VE had before entertained antagonstic views
These circumstance, w,re unfavorable TO a rapid
dispatch Of business. Having made these prem-
i,ary remarks, / now wish to Il your attention
TO few of the reforms effected, the abuses corr
rected the measures instituted, and the results to
which the Legislature arrived.
On tie subject of slavery, its action was such
as should cheer the heart, inspire the confidence
and strengthen the purpose of ali true anti slavery
men. lst Tbree separate times did the democ-
racy stteRpt to strike down tie sacred right Of
petition, and three times did the RcpuLIicans with
emphqsis vindicate that right.
81, The Legislature could not reFeal the Kan
sas act, but it did instruct our Senators and request
our Representatives in Congress so to do.
Sd, lt.could not repeal the odious Fugitive
Slave Law, but it unitedly asked those who had
the power, to doit
ss 4th, It could not extend the ordinance of 1887
over cur Territories but it demanded in no min
cling words that Congress should.
5th, 1t could not prevent the admission of slave
States into. the Union, but as one man it called
npon Congress to avert the outrage
9Th, Il could not prevent the officials, minions
and bleed thirsty followers of Pierce, Buchanan
and Douglas from bu;chering Free State men in
Kansas. but againstthei gigantic crimes it stern.
" raised It's voice. and to arrest them, members
gave freely of their individual means.
9Th. It closed the doors of our prisons against
those who would incacerate human beings there,
an, for the crime Of loving liberty better than sla.
very, , .......
9Th. It visited any citizen Of Ohio who shall en-
gage in slave-csiching. with severe pains and pen
y, alties.
9th, It made slaveholding 10 Ohio crime.
10th, It, in the teeth of The infamous bred
Scott decision. declared that the moment the foot
of slave Ly The consent Of bis master, presses
our soil, that instant he is Free and that whoever
shall deprive him Of that freedom, shall for se-
s:es of years be incarceated among feIOns, in the
PeniteDtiary'
1tL Enaliv II Ta alaeIod that staICart cham.