SWEEPING RESOLUTION. 185 



out of office, every civil officer in the state! After a pause un- 

 til the 10th day of February, the legislature proceeded then 

 to fill in part the vacancies, thus made. On that day, they 

 elected Thomas Scott, William W. Irvin and Ethan Allen 

 Brown, judges of the supreme court. They then next elected, 

 Francis Dunlevy, John Thompson and Benjamin Ruggles, 

 president judges of the first, second and third judicial circuits 

 into which the state was then divided. Resting awhile from 

 their labours, on the 15th day of February, they proceeded to 

 elect associate judges for the twenty-six counties, (all indeed) 

 then in the state. During the same session they elected a 

 secretary of state, and auditor and treasurer of state. They 

 made provision for electing, as soon as possible, by the people, 

 all justices of the peace, in all the townships in Ohio. A few 

 remarks on this highhanded, unconstitutional measure seem 

 to be called for, here. As to vacancies in offices, such as 

 judges, the constitution provides that they shall be filled by the 

 general assembly, but when so filled it expressly declares them 

 to be elected for seven years. 



The motives which induced this flagrant proceeding in the 

 breasts of some of the actors were pure enough, but we fear, 

 quite too many of these men wanted offices, either for them- 

 selves or for some friend, and were quite regardless as to the 

 means which they used to obtain them: Mere demagogues, 

 like the mastiff" at his master's door in a cold night, that 

 makes such an ado, that his master finally opens his door to 

 assist his faithful sentinel in driving off" the robber who assails 

 him, when Caesar slips quickly in at the opened door, and lies 

 down quietly in a warm place, near the fire, where he is per- 

 mitted to sleep until morning. 



Many of the counties had not been organized one half seven 

 years, and the judges, in not a few instances, had not served 

 two years. In some such cases, both sets of judges attemp- 

 ted to act officially. The whole state was thrown into utter 

 confusion for a time, but finally, one and all became convin- 

 ced that the " sweeping resolution" was all wrong. All aban- 

 24 



