The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-09-19
- AsHLAND. ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO, WEDNESDAY NOR

islature. Third: The endowment oi
( Mr.. Medary with all the rights, pfivile-
ges, immunities and profits of the pub
ilic printing. And fourth: The great
s.cap, by which Mr.. Chase took the
} Senatorship, and the Locofocos took all
the rest. efi
Il, As lawyer, would condemn the
first of these acts, if the drama is to be
divided into acts, as the greatest out
rage of all; because it was the settle
meut, by Townsend and Morse, Mr..
Chase's two friends, of simple ques-
tion of law, whether the apportionment
act wa or was not constitutional, for q
consideration, thereunto, moving them.
No question of fact-no question of ex-
pediency-no question of personal or
political preference, was involved. The
sworn judges of the law in the case de-
cided this question Of law for a consid-
Grafton. Iusuch case, it will be diff
6cult for casuists to distinguish between
a consideration in money, and a consid-
GRAFTON in Office, or consideration in
legislation.
That which approaches nearest to in
nocency, perhaps, was the sacap, ofwhich
Chase and his friends are trying not to
be ashamed. The stoap, if it could be
separated from the other acts of the
drama, and made to stand alone, would
come within the PRECEDENT of the alleged
bargain AMI sale" by which John
Quincy Adams became President, and
Henry Clay Secretary of State, in
1925.
Mr.. Clay and his friends in the House
Of Representatives, had voted for Mr..
Adams. George Kramer, of Pennsyl-
vania, made the charge of bargain and
sale" against them. This charge of
"bargain and sale" shocked the moral
sense of the whole nation. There was
no difference of sentiment between the
enemies and the friends of Mr. Clay as
to the nature of the transaction charged
All admitted it to be utterly disgraced.
The only question was as to the truth of
the chargc.-His enemies said it was
true, and his friends declared it was
false. No attempt was made to raise
such an act of respectfully on the plea
of usage, or "to quench tic bushes of
ingenious shame" by pleadings that the
ends justified the means. Mr. Clay i'm
mediately rose from the speakers chair,
as unfit to occupy it while such charge
rested upon him, pronounced the charge
base falschood, and demanded an in
vestigation. The investigation was had.
Nothing was proved, and the charge and
its author sunk into contempt together.
Yet Mr.. Benton regarded the fact that
such charge was once made against
a prominent public man such a blot on
the history of our country, that, with
out any partiality for Mr.. Clay. he felt
called upon, is his valuable book, enti-
tied: "Thirty Years in the Senate" J" to
disabusc the public mind of this false
hood, and put it at rest forever. Will
anybody tell me, who it is that an act,
which in Mr.. Clay would have been a
damuing sin-an everlasting blot on his
great. name, is excusable when Mr..
Chase does it? and how it is that the
eame public heart which few years ago
grew sick at the thought of 'bargain
| and SALE" now feels no shock when the
same is admitted to have been done?
These are the millstones by which we
may mark the progress of public senti-
ment in the downward road to corrup.
tion and deep decay.
/ have heretofore done the talents and
private character. of Mr.. Chase justice,
and shall I not retract anything 1 have
said in his praise. I oppose his cleo
tioni not because he is deficient in abili-
/ ty, but because he is master of new
school in politics, where the highest of
fees in state are bargained for like
common chattle, and because neither he
nor his friends were ashamed of such
bargains. am not the keeper of his
conscience. He Eay think all this
right. Orae may think, like all fanat-
les, that the ends justifes the means
His friends may think the same thing.
But I have not so learned the duties of
an American citizen. My lands are my
own. and may let them to whomsoever
[ will to Craze cattle or to feed swine.
My money is my own, and I may pur-
chase with itwhatever I fancy. My
horse is my own, and I may ride him
myself or lend him to my neighbor to
ride. But I hold the right of suffrage
in trust for my country, and have no
right to barter it away. By my impli-z
ed oath Of allegiance, L am bound to
use this right as sacred trust, and
have no right to trade it away for Office,
any more than for money. It is not a
marketable article. Nor can I entrust
it to man who believes in the morality
of such traffic Whatever the right
of suffrage, either in private citizen
cor representative, comes to be bought
and sold. and bartered like goods and
ehattels, it will find its price in money,
and then oligarehy and corruption will
sweep away what is left of Republican
liberty. e
I speak to Wings alone in this mat
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