The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-12-20
MR.. F0RD-REPUBLIcANIsM IN OHIO

The Portage County TO- Democrat, after
quoting the remarks alleged to have been made
at Auburn, New York, by Lieutenant Governor
Ford, says:
The 18th Of July Convention was called, and
met at Columbus, as a Republican Convention,
and put Mr.. Ford and his associates in nomina-
ton as Republicans, and nothing else; and put
the ticket nominated upon an exclusively Re
publican platform, in which platform the pecu-
| liar, distinctive features of the American Order
found no place. The members of the Ameri-
can Order, generally fused with the Republican
movement, and in their action acted as Repub-
licans, and not Know Nothings. The fac
tious Trlmbe movement had its origin outside
OF the Know Nothing Order. 1t was stimua
ted, primarily, by ProSlavery rancor, and
made vain attempt to WELD the influence of
the Order against Mr.. Chase. But the Order
itself was not compromised by this factious
movement BY its resolutions at the State
Council, i'll Cleveland, prior to the 18th Of July
Convention, and by the resolutions of the State
Executive Council at Columbus, subsequent to
that Convention, the Order itself declined taking
any political stand, as an Order, and left its
members to act and fuse = AS they might deem
best, without being either restrained or impel-
led by the obligations of the Order To pretend,
therefore, that Mr.. Ford was nominated and
elected as an " American" and that " the late
election in this State was thorough and COM
plete American triumph is TO falsfy facts
The disparaging remark about Mr.. Chase is
equally without foundation, as every intelligent,
candid man in Ohio believes and admits We
are unwilling to believe that the Lieutenant
Governor elect made that remark No other
than tho Republican ticket could have been
elected in Ohio. and no other name than that
of Salmon Z. Chase could have led it TO such
triumphant victory. No other man could have
sustained such a shock of opposition, and come
out of the contest so triumphantly as did he.
This the candid men, who opposed Mr.. Chase's
nomination, now admit. AS a sample of this,
we give the following from the Cincinnati Ga
7efte whose editor was originally opposed to the
nomination of Mr.. Chase:
1--WE supported Mr.. Chase after he was nom
mated, and we are free to say that we now re-
gard his nomination by the 18th of July Con.
yention as the best that could have been made,
and that he contributed more than any man
upon the ticket to the success of the ticket, and
with 1t the Republican cause. The nomination
OF Mr.. Chase was a wise nomination.
We are reluctant to believe that Mr. Ford is
either so weak or sinister man as to have
made the foregoing remarks which have been
| so freely attributed to him. Yet many believe
IL, anu III tnAt Dellel Is involved the injury which
is resulting to himself individually and to the
| Republican cause with which he has been iden-
| titled.
The National Era assumes that he made the
remark attributed to him by the Auburn editor :;
and If the assumption is correct, the remarks
and criticisms of the Era are emnently Just,
and this will not be the last of it.
We trust this matter will arrest the attention
! of Mr.. Ford, and that he will promptly purge
himself Of the implied imputatiOn, which the
| statement of the Auburn editor casts upon his
| integrity and sincerity.
The Republican party is the party of Free
DOM and all the true friends of Liberty, who
would not throw away the staff of accomplish
ment, will wisely act in connection with it.
The great and paramount question for the
people of the United States to meet and decide.
is that between Freedom and Slavery; and in
reference TO this, parties will be arranged, and
we shall be much disappointed if the stirring
| scenes about to be enacted in Congress will
not render the existence of more than two par
ties an impOssibility- one the party of Free
dom, the other the party Of Slavery. The at
| tempt now going forward to re.unite the Know
Nothings (who divided at Philadelphia on a
national basis, is futile, and will prove abortve.
Let Republicans and the friends of Republi-
| canism wait, watch, and be firm. Let there be
no hasty or unwise committals to, or entangle
ments with. side issues. The great and para
! ,nou1 question of Freedom must be settled
first, and in that is involved even our very
brthright.