The farmers of Ohio are a class of people about equivalent to our second and third rate farmer, inasmuch as they work themselves, but possessing infinitely more independence in their character and deportment.  Every white male, who is a citizen of the United States, and has resided one year in the state, and paid taxes, has a vote.  The members of the legislature are elected annually, and those of the senate biennially; half of the members of the latter branch vacating their seats every year.  The representatives, in addition to the qualifications necessary to the elector, must be twenty-five years of age; and the senators must have resided in the state two years, and must be thirty years of age.  The governor must be thirty years of age, an inhabitant of the state four years, and a citizen of the United States twelve years,—­he is eligible only for six years in eight.

Notwithstanding the numerous religious sects that are to be found in this country, there is nothing like sectarian animosity prevailing.  This is to be attributed to the ministers of religion being paid as they deserve, and no one class of people being taxed to support the religious tenets of another.

The farmers of this state are by no means religious, in a doctrinal sense; on the contrary, they appear indifferent on matters of this nature.  The girls sometimes go to church, which here, as in all Christian countries, is equivalent to the bazaars of Smyrna and Bagdad; and as the girls go, their “dads” must pay the parson.  The Methodists are very zealous, and have frequent “revivals” and “camp-meetings.”  I was at two of the latter assemblages, one in Kentucky, and the other in Ohio.  I shall endeavour to convey some idea of this extraordinary species of religious festival.

To the right of Cheriot, which lies in a westerly direction, about ten miles from Cincinnati, under the shade of tall oak and elm trees, the camp was pitched in a quadrangular form.  Three sides were occupied by tents for the congregation, and the fourth by booths for the preachers.  A little in advance before the booths was erected a platform for the performing preacher, and at the foot of this, inclosed by forms, was a species of sanctuary, called “the penitents’ pen.”  People of every denomination might be seen here, allured by various motives.  The girls, dressed in all colours of the rainbow, congregated to display their persons and costumes; the young men came to see the girls, and considered it a sort of “frolic;” and the old women, induced by fanaticism, and other motives, assembled in large numbers, and waited with patience for the proper season of repentance.  At the intervals between the “preachments,” the young married and unmarried women promenaded round the tents, and their smiling faces formed a striking contrast to the demure countenances of their more experienced sisters, who, according to their age or temperament, descanted on the folly, or condemned the sinfulness of such conduct.  Some of those old dames, I was informed, were decoy birds, who shared the profits with the preachers, and attended all the “camp-meetings” in the country.