The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-07-17
3 CADIZ OHIO WEDNESDAY, JULY H. 1857

7 q
/ ing Of this purpose, ar able historian saws:
! Determined, however, 20 enjoy in the
new world those blessings and advantages
! Of which they were deprived in the Old, no
! hardships discouraged. 10 dangers appalled,
them; and here, by divine assistance, they
laid the foundation Of those happy forms
Of government. and these valuable instim-
! tons. the benefits Of which are now enjoyed
( by their posterity"
The truth Of this remark is verified By
our whole colonial history. Whole vol
| umes are filed with the proofs OF ii; some
| OF which it may he instructive as well as
/ entertaining to refer to.
Thus, as early as March, l64l, the people
of Rhode Island unanimously declared that
their government was a democracy, or
| popular government, and that the power
was in rhe body of the frcemcn orderly
assembled, or the major part Of them, to
make or constitute just laws, by which they
| should he regulated and TO dypute from
among them such ministers as should see
them faithfully executed At a still
earlier date, the Maryland charter required
the advice, assent and appreciation Of the
greater part Of their irecman Or deputies
to all laws enacted in that colony: and this
Der and could easily assemble, was given
! directly by themselves; and when they be
come too numerous for that, by House Of
REPRESENTATIVES elected by them.
A like provision is found in the charter
Of the Carolinas
Tie Constitution framed by Wm. Penn.
for Pennsylvania, was submitted to and
adopted by the settlers who accompanied
him into America. 1t provided for "a Gov
cnor Provincial Council and General As,
semdy, and required the fundamental laws
OF the Province ito be read every year, at
the opening Of the council and assemble,
or courts Of justice, and their assent to the
same to be testified by their standing up
after the reading thereof And it sol
enuly declared that the end Of government
was TO support power IN reverence with
the people, and secure the people from the
abuse Of power. "
The first legislative body that ever con-
veued in America met at Jamestown, in
! Virginia, in '6lQ. 1t was ordered to con
Sist Of 1.-TWO burgesses, chosen trcnl every
town. hundred aud plantation, by the in
| hjbitants, to decide conformity with the
Governor and Council, by the greatest ma.
| jority Of voices, U aH matters of concern re
dttag TO tie col0DY. Two years later, some
changes were made in the system, but the
General Assembly retained the power to
make the laws, reserying, however to the
! Governor negative voice, or veto power.
Without further multiplying examples.
it may suffice it to say that the moment
| their feet rested on American soil, our an
ceStors set t, work to establish free Gov IN.
ment; and So successful were then effort,
| that cur State Constitutions Of to-day are,
to a geat extent, mere copies nj wdat they
| ordained more than two ceutnrlea ago; some
| times with and often without, The consent
of the British Crown. And when a huu
drrd years later, an imperiouS and obstinate
! King sought to take away thejr privileges
and 'reduce them under absolute des
potism," they drew the sword in defence OF,
their rights, and p'edgiDg to each other
| their lives, thciriortunes and their sacred
honor struck for Independence as well as Tor
! liberty They succeeded: and the effect of
! tn ir success was to e large, confirm and
( c0n,oldate the principles OF hberly for
which hey had so long struggled with an
unialtering attachment. The Great Rebub
| lie sr,ung into existence, the freest cOun-
try on the tace Of the globe. and the asy
| ltun Of MI who flee from oppression i'll other
hands.
And now, my fellow citizens, need | qsl
you to contrast the America of to-day with
the America Of 1901 2G0 years ago, when
the first little band Of lOj c0lonists settled
on the shore of the James? Then, in all
the vest territory embraced in our present
uiitS, these lO5 were the only white men.
Then. in all this land no din OF machinery,
no sound Of the work shop, no hum of
business. no shout Of the school boy, no
sound Of the church going bell bad ever
broken the silence Of the prlmeval forest;
the rIrw had turned no tulrOw, the mine
had yielded no wealth, and from no dwell
ing Of civilized man did the smoke ascend
to the sky.
What is our county now? will not at
tempt the description. Suffice it to say
that il is the abode Of twenty-seyn millions
OF ourrace; engaged in ali the support, the
imurovenient and the happiness OF man
kinda people renowned throughout the
world fer their achievements III peace and
their Pre- wess III war.
And now let me ask what has brought
about this wonderful result-or rather is II
not main owing to the free ins itutions un
der Which we and our ancestors have lived
to the self-government of our race? To he
; il seems so: | cannot doubt ii. ] read in
history Of powerful empires where des,
potism prevailed but | find that they were
the fruits of wars and conqucsts, and not
the peaceful growth OF prosperous and hap
ny people. And read that, sooner or later
decay set in and the places that know then
vast portion OF Europe and stretching fal
a., ~ A. vol