The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1862-05-14
Adjournment of the Ohio Lcyis.
laturP.


This public body of law makers, ad-
journed on last Tuesday night, after
four months session, to meet again on
the first Tuesday of next January
The BIENNIAL clause in the Constitu-
ton is thus rendered nugatory, and
members cheat the people regularly
out of one session. How long the peo-
pie will be satisfied with this practice
of doubling their time we cannot saw.
We always opposed this change in our
Constitution, and still believe our cleo
tions should be annual and the Legis-
lature also, but. as the Constitution
reads differently we cannot see the
propriety of the Legislature wilfully
and continually violating it, without
even submitting change to vote of
the people. 1t is species of popular
sovereignty which we neither under
stand nor approve of. We suggested
to the members the great propriety of
their resigning and letting the people
elect a new Legislature, thus conform
ing to the spirit of our Institutions
But as Mr., Jefferson truthfully said,
'few die and none resign" We except
the case of Mr.. Kcnnon, the member
from Belmont county. He resigned
his seat in the House to take that of
Secretary of State, to which place he
was appointed by Gov. Tod, to fill the
vacancy of Mr.. Cowen, who had bet
ter post in the army, not compatible
with that of Secretary of State.
The Legislature has been very un-
fortunate in every way, and if it can
survive the abuse of ALL parties, and
EVERY BODY, and meet again, it will
be in condition, we should think, if
it has any SPIRIT left, to rectify some
of its sins both of omission and COM
mission. So far it has but disgraced
itself, the State and FUsIoN-yet it is
not without some acts deserving of
congratulation. They did notre-elect
Wade-that is something. They did
not authorize fresh spawn of ire,
deemable shinplasters--that is another
thing, If we find anything else of a
very high Importance we are ready to
give them credit for it.
From the best information we could
get, there were FORTY THOUSAND petit
TONERS to the Legislature, for a law to
prevent the negroes settling in Ohio.
Put this question to the people and it
would carry by more than one hundred
thousand majority on a full vote. In
many counties the vote would be al
NEST unanimous. Yet the Legislature
refused to listen to the prayers Of the
petitioners-in fact treated them with
as much contempt as it was safe, and
on several test votes in the House, the
question was lost ou every trial. The
majority of the House Committee did
condescend to make Report against
the petitioners, and such Report!
In view of the abolition action O
Congress and the conduct of some few
abolitionists in position in the Army
such as Phelps, Garfield, Fremont ant
Hunter, the Legislature committed ;
very.great crime by not protecting Ohic
against the influx of negroes, being
precipltated upon our State. Mex
year they willraise the cry that as the,
are now among us it would be yer,
cruel, very barbarous, and entirely un
constitutional to remove them! It i
by such deception and hocus-pocus con
duct that they expect to succeed il
driving out the whites and filing u,
their places with the negroes. And
it is true, as the Ohio State Journa
Sntorms us, that the Administration ha
decided to send arms and munitions o
war to the Yankee negro colony a
Port Royal, and muster them into tn
army, then the last act of negro out
rage has been determined upon, an,
reasons and excuses will not be want
ing to arm the negroes everywhere
To this most alarming condition W
seem fastening every hour, and me
elected to the Ohio Legislature b
white meas votes are found desertin
their voting constituents, and givin
their aid and comfort to race Of nol
voters, whose very introduction int
our State will lead to consequences th
most serious and alarming.
The Republicans placed tlhemselve
inrather an awkward position Just b.
fore they adjourned, on the bill al
thorizing the Ohio Volunteers now i
the field to vote in the camps by com
panies and regiments. They becam
very testy and excitable, showing tha
they felt as though they were treadin
upon delicate ground, THEY--an
nobody else--had. any right to spea
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