Year: 1868

/
auire much consideration hy the
General Assembly. Works Of q
magnitude to great to be unlertl-
ken by individual enterprise, will
! hereafter be, for the most part, ae-
complished BY the Government OF
the Nation.


The part which patriotism requir-
ed Ohio to take in the WEI to sup
press the Rebellion, demanded i'm


portant and frequent acts of legisla-
ton. Fortunately the transaction OF
the State growing out of the wal
have been, or probably can be clio
sed under existing laws, with very
little, if any, additional logisla
ton.


If not mistaken as to the result
of this brief reference to few OF
the principal subjects ofthe legisla-
ton Of the past, the present General
Assembly has probably q better op-
portunity tltan any Of its predece-
sors to avoid the evil OF too much
Legislation. Exccssiye legislation
has become gSeat evil, and sub
NIT to the Judgment ofthe General
Assembly the wisdom Of avoiding
it.


One important question ofprinci
pie, as old as our State Government
still remains unsettled. All arc fam
iliar with the conflicts to which the
policy Of making distinctions be
tween citizens in civil and political
rights has given rise in Ohio The
first effort Of those who opposed
this policy was to secure to all cit
izens equality of civil rights. The
result the struggle that cnsucd is
thus given BY al eminent aad honor
ed citizen Of our State:


The laws which created disabiIi-
ties on the part of negroes in re
spect Of civil rights, were repealed
in tic year 1919, after an obstinate
contest quite memorable in the his
tory of the State. Their repeal vas
looked upon with great disfavor By
q large portion of the people, as q
dangerous innovation upon a just
and well-settled policy, and a vote
IN that direction consigned many
members Of the Legislature to the
repose of private life Bus am not
aware that any evil results justified
these apprehcnsions, or that any
.ei1ort was made to impose the dis:.-
bilitics. On the contrary, the new
policy, If / may call it SO, has been
/ found SO consistent with Justice to
the negroes and the interests Of the
whites, that no osie-certaiH no
party-in Ohio would be willing to
abandon it,


An effort to secure to all citizens
equal political rights, was made in
| the State Constitutional Convention
Of 1851. Only thirteen, ont Of one
hundred aud eight membersin that
fbodT voted in its favor, and it is
probable that less than one tenth of
the voters OF the State would then
have voted to strike the word
sswhite'' out Of the Constitution.


The last General Assembly sub
nitted to the people proposition
to amend the State Constitution SO
IS to abolish distinctions in politi
cal rights based upon color The
proposition contained several ciau-
ses not pertinent to its main purpose
upder which, if adopted, it was be
lieved by many hat the number of
white citizens who would be disfran-
chised woald be much greater than
the number of eolored citizens who
wonld be allowed the right Of suff-
rage. Notwithstanding the propo-
sition was thus hampered, it recei-
we'd 2l6,987 votes, or nearly forty
five per cent Of all the votes cast in
the State. This result shows great
progress in public sentiment since
the adoption Of the Constitution in
1851 and inspires the friends Of
equal political rights with the conf
dent hope that in 1871, when the
opportunity is given to the people
By the provisions OF the Constitu-
tons, to call q Constitutional Con
vention, the organic law Of the
State will be so amended as to secure
in Ohio to all the governed an equal
voice in the government.


But whatever reasonable doubts
may be entertained as to the prob
able action Of the people OF Ohio
on the question ofan extension of
tho right OF suffrage when new
State Constitution shall be formed.
/ submit with co1Gdeaca that moth,
ing has occurred which warrants the
opinion that the ratification by the
last General Assembly Of the Four
teenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the United States, was not
in accordance with the deliberate
and settled convictions of the peo-
pie. That amendment was, after
the auplest discussion, upon an is
sue distinctly presented, sanctioned
by q large majority Of the people.
Ii any fact exist which justiffes the
belief that they now wish that the
resolution should be repealed, by
which the assent of Ohio was given
to that important amendment, it has
not been brought to the attention
Of the public. Onitting all refer
ence to other valuable provisions,
it may be safely said that the sec
ton which secures among all the
States ofthe Union equal represen-
tation in the House of Representa-
tives and in the Electoral Colleges in
proportion to the voting population
is deemed ofvital Importance by the
people ofOhio. Without now raj
sing the grave question as to the
right of a State to withdraw its as
sent, which has been constituted