Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-09-13

maintain slavery, and resist agitation against
slavery. Why, am aslOnished TO see many
ofyou here tonight, to see you come here and
countenance agitation! My brother Democrats,
why are you here! Why are you not at home
resisting agitation? Or, why not here give some
practical effect to your resistance of agitation?-
But you do not propose TO resist it here but at The
ballot boxes. Yon are not going to give your suf-
| frages TO anti. slavery men. Well, much good
may it do you. What will be the practical effect
of your resistance? Already we see the demo-
cratic party divided into two parts There are
the Liberal, and there the Hunker Democrats
And there the Wings, just as liberal and just as
lndnlgent, supporting the candidates and rejecting
the platform. They are divided, and remarka-
bic fact Is, that the Hunkers of both parties have
greater affinity for each other than they have
for the other faction Of their own party, and vice
UerSa.
This shows just this, that the time is coming in
the history OF the land, when, by the common
consent of the slave power, and Of the ant-slavery
sentiment Of the country, all their old issues are
to be temporarily set aside, and this question of
slavery or freedom is to be settled. (AppIause0
When the slave power went into the Baltimore
Convention and forced the two parties to abandon
their own issues, and unite in this new issue,
they accepted the issue which had been rendered
TO them for long time. For twenty years
pressed
We now see this independent democratic par
tyswelllng In numbers, and the question taking
possession OF the literature of the country and
even the theatres, and finding its way more and
more into the pulpit,and asserting more and more
It's supremacy over other questions. We see the
people gathering in immense crowds, as | have
seen them for the last few weeks in Ohio, utterly
refusing to listen to the discussion Of any other
political question. We see it taking possession
OF the minds and hearts of the people, and we
see, too, Hunkerism and slavery arrayed TO stay
the onward stride offreedonl. The issue is i'm.
portant. The shareholders made it, and the anti
slavery men of the country join in it. For whom
are you to join in this struggle? ''If the Lord be
God follow him, but if Baal, follow him. If
freedom be dear 10 you, and you love and cherish
1t, and mean to maintain 1t, join with those faith
fu men who are maintaining the defence of free
dom. But if slavery be dear to you, if whips,
and gags, and chains, be the emblems under
which you prefer to march, array yourselves I'M
der the standard ofsavery, but do not stand neu-
trail. Nay, upon this question you caunot stand
neutral. You must be upon the one side or upon
the other.
| have said that this question was agitated
throughout the length and breadth of the land; SO
II is. But there's another thing. 1t has gone all
over the world That remarkable book, the ere.
alton OF a woman's genius, borne upon the wings
OF inspiration, has passed from land to land max.
ing It's way as if the gift of tongues had been re-
vived for new apostle of liberty, and is fixing
the gaze of nations upon our system of slavery,
here in America. The world is now looking upon
US, and the Democrats of England have lateS
| sent over to US Democrats in America, appeals
TO remove from our land this stigma which i'm
| pairs the weight of our influence and glory in
fhor +,
stantly from all who struggle against despotism.
On the other hand, tyrans of the old world, as
they look at our institutions, take up the taunt
against US and say: "Thou America art thou not
become like unto us?' When we see these
things, we know that we cannot Withstand the
influence Of the world. We have got TO take up
and settle this question, which the worlds opin-
ion, and our own consciences and honor combine
10 force upon US.
Our first business is TO declare our own person.
al independence, to refuse our support to anything
which degrades our humanity, or any mans hu-
manlty. Our next is, 10 relieve ourselves of all
responsibility for this matter of slavery. Does
any man doubt that Congress may relieve us of
slavery in the District of Columbia? Nobody
We can remove it, know it is said we cannot
have heard Of member of Congress, who,
when asked by his constituents, why they did not
abolish slavery IN the District of Columbia. re-
plied 'sDon't you know that the District of CO.
lumba has Legislature of its own, and that it
would he unconstitutional 10 interfere with the
| legislation of that Legislature (Laughter.)
Bnt we are too wise for that, gentlemen, now-a-
days We know that slavery there is repugnant
TO the express terms of the Constitution.
Then there is the coast wise slave trade (which
| gathers up its victims from Virginia and the
Northern slave States; and from Alexandra Nor
| folk RIchnnOnd and other nitioe Hal
forth the miserable creatures of slavery upon the
southern plantations. The ships which are freight
ed with them are registered and controlled by our
laws We can repeal those laws
Then there is the sale of men women and chill
dren, under DEGREES issued out of the Courts of
the United States. These sales take place under
laws made by the voters of New York, and other
free States; and these laws can be repealed by
the voters of the free States If you can exempt
the homestead from sale,canhot You exempt men,
women, and children? No one doubts that
Then you can prohibit slavery in the Territories
When you have done these things. you have met
the practical questions of this day, and have said
that the slave power shall no longer rule over us.
You have settled this great question Of freedom
or slavery, IN favor of freedom-this great ques-
ton whether this country shall be democracy
| or despotsm, in favor of dem0cracy-this great
| question whether The land shall be ruled by the
| people, or by class ofslayeholders, in favor of
the peope--and that your government, instead
Of being the representative ofthe spirit and idea
of slavery, shall become the representative of the
idea and principles Of freedom
Let us do our part of the duty in this great
work. Ohio will do hers We have gone into
this battle not with view of increasing our vote,
but for the purpose of elecling our candidates.
! (Applause.) We may fail, as other parties fail,
but we shall go to this work again, and shall sue
coed tell you we will give an utterance at the
ballot boxes, which will make people lake note
oflhe signs Of The times, and send CONSERVATION
into the camp of Hunlersm. We intend to cast
sixty thousand votes in favor ofour candidate for
Governor. We do not intend that you in New
York shall lead. Ohio intends to lead the van
guard for freedom. She has right TO do it,
The last act of the Federal Congress, and The
first act of the Constitutional Congress pledged
her soil to liberty, and excluded from it, forever,
the footprint Of slavery. She has since pledge ed
herself upon the altar Of freedom, and the chill
If ,k..'t e. 4 !