Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-05-25
LNU.MBER ISL.

be excluded from C0nsrcss, ana our laws
be made by the Temainucr OF tht. States!ii
There is not wOnl M the Constitution
or in the history of the Republic thHt gives
the slightest sanction to such an idea 1a0n
the contrary it is directly subversive ofthe
COnstitution,and, carried into practice, isan
overthrow of our Government. And inas
view Of these facts, ! do not hesitate TO say
that the dOings Of the present so-called
Congress Of the United States are plain :
usurpatons7 Of power. It is not the COn-lf
gress ordained by tho Constitution, but is
an inchOate, imperfect, fragmentary body.
unknown TO that Instrument. We may be
bound by its acts as the acts of Govern
ment de fdcto, just as the acts Of7usurpeis
exercising de fuct0 the powers Of Goyern-Ii
ment,. have generally been held binding ~
but to solemnly call it Constitutional Con-id
gress is u mOckery of the Constitution. 0msI
Gentlemen of tile Convention u 4 cannot O
detain you by referring in detail to the do q
ings OF this so-calledB Congress-; buGtheregO
is one grneraviPw of them that 1 wish to-
present very briefly before take my seat. d
No one can have attentiVely and Impair
tially observed the events of the last fiVedt
years. and especially of the last six nIOnths,Hs
Without being convinced, that am orr j
ganized conspiracy exists, having for itsds
object fundamental change of ourU
system that shall igmake the General 4
Government supremeg not only In those Gi
matters now confded to it by the1Y
Constitution, but also in nearly, if not in
every matter, now belonging to the State
Governments. There is nothing more
striking in our history than the attachGOo
ment OF our ancestors to local self-Govern-
ment. 1t was this feeling, more than any
other that led them TO confne the powers
OF the Federal Government to matters of I
general concern, leaving to the State Cow
ernments exclusive jurisdiction over eve ,,
rything OF local or domestic character.
And 80 far did they carry this spirit, that
even in the States an administrative, and, in
some eases, quasi legislative power, has al
ways been conferred upon their various
civil divisions. Thus we have boards of
County Commissioners for counties, of
trustees for townships, of directors for
school districts, while every municipal cor l
poratlon, from the largest city to the small
est village, has its council, enacting laws
under the name OF Ordinances, to regulate
matters of local concern. ...uI a
Ihis Is the true spirit and idea of our
Republican Institutions, and never was
anything better devised to secure good
Government, to educate the people in the
science and practice of political power and
to preserve their liberties aud tree institu.
tiOnS. Opposed TO this idea of local seli-gov-
ernment, Is that OF consolidated central
power, huge, unrestricted, supreme and
Irresistible National Government. This
was the tavorite idea of Il certain class Of
politicians at an early day; but was de-
| cisively defeated in the Convention that
framed the Federal Constitution, and was
so repugnant TO the feelings, sentiments
and habits of the American people,
that 1t was n not until our late
terrible civil war gave rise to the exercise
OF "lmperial powers" by the General Gov.
ernnent Ito use MIR. Stewards language),
and to the creation of an immense national
debt, that any one dared to revive the
scheme. But no one can now doubt that
it has been revived, or that the Radical lead T.
ers in Congress are straining every nerve
| to carry it into effect. ....
One of the means employed for this pur-rJ
pose consists OF amendments to the Consti-
tuition, and one of their chief reasons for
excluding the Southern States from repre-
sentatiOn in Congress is, that in their alb
sence, propositions to amend may be
adopted, that, were they represented, would
surely fail. ar 'H .rI
Gentlemen, need not say to you, educa-as
ted as you have been in the Democratic
faith. that such a consolidated Government
as these men are striving to establish, would 1
be one of the worst and most corrupt of
despotisms; and that if the people wish to ]
preserve their liberties and their substance,
to have good laws, equal rights and light
taxation, they must never surrender their
| admirable system of local self f-gOvernment.
Mr. Sawyer, of Auglaize, moved that the
Hon. George II. PendletOn be invited to
take seat on the stand, which motion was r.,
unanimously adopted, and Mr.. Pendleton
was escorted to the stand. 44n STOW
Rep ort of Committee ON state Central
Committee.
Mr.. II. I Van Fleet Chairman of COM q
mittee on Central Committee made the fol- z
lowing report which was unanimously
adopted: ......rd