Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-07-18
SPEECH OF THONlS II. FORD, OF OHIO.

Inc following Is correct report o
the Speech which Capt. Ford. of Ohio
delivered in the Philadelphia Know \ 9th
ing Convention. 1t is one of the most
truthful: comprehensive aud bluntly elo
quent Speeches we have ever read
| Mr.. President: | feel much embar-
rassment when [ reflect that | rise to rep
| resent the views of the mighty West on
this vexed question of Slavery, now un-
der discussion. | would to God that
some gentleman more competent to the
task had undertaken it. Gentlemen from
other States have shown a strong lnclina
ton to discuss party politics in this de
bate With the dirty details of party
politics we have nothing to do in Ohio =
Our principles are patriotic and pure, our
purposes high and holy
The gentlemen who proceeded me have
all mistaken the policy of the founders of
the Republic They never intended to
tolerate Slavery. or even be responsible
for its existence With the trainers of
the Constitution, Freedom was the rule.
Slavery the exception; Freedom national,
Slavery sectional But those patri otic
gentlemen from the South are desirous of
changing the rule, so as to make Slavery
national and Freedom section al to ex-
tend over territory now free, the soul
withering, God-dishonoring curse Of HUI
man Slavery.
We, on the other hand, are desirous of
sustaining the policy Of our forefathers-
a Bible based, law loving, liberty built
policy, And here we take issue The
honorable gentleman from North Carroll
nj, pointing to me- tauntingly says: = You
of the North refused to extend the Mis-
souri, Compromise line to the Pacific
when we offered it to you" To this l re-
ply, we did so refuse and for this reason
He are desirOtks If eztcuoiHg the area Of
Ffeedon1, a1aStead Of the curse Of human
bondage
The honorable gentlemen from Tennes-
see and Alabama have said that we at the
North were generally opposed to the es
tablshment of that Missouri Compromise
line at the time the compact was entered
into, In 1920. On what pretext can you
base your opposition to its repeal 2" In
answer to the gentlemen. | say that the
people of the North acere opposed to the
esta tablishment at that time. and for this
obvious reason 1t was a base surrender
of territory to Slavery that had been by
the God of Nature and our laws conse
Grated to Freedom That at this moment
instead of the voice of freemen ascending
to heaven In ardent prayers for the per
petuity of this Union, thousands Of hu
man beings were clankIDg the chains of
abiect slavery there. Those men who
were in Congress from the North and vo-
ted for this Compromise. lie forgotten
somewhere-their memories have perish
ed with them. So hare IRE sent tlose 1rto
C0ieI f0r It's repeaL tc their 2)OkttjcQI graCes
10 be remembered no mare by rs erceDt IN
the 0ng-llging annals If iafun1y
The gentleman over the way asks me to
reconcile that position. | will, sir The
territory the South acquired by virtue of
that contract is already nlggerell, yes, nlg
eered all over. The crack of the drivers
lash Ito the disgrace of humanity be it
said) is this day heard on its every acre
The voice of Freedom is not heard there
but Slavery dark and damDing, curses
that otherwise beautiful country, having
territory sufficient to make an empire Of
freemen That as the reason 1Ce OpD0Sed
its repeal, and 7l01o ask tor IT'S resi0f atj0a
We cannot recall Slavery there now--it is
TOO late If we could place that terrific
ry in the same situation as it was in 1920
there would be no trouble from our State
about the repeal of the Missouri restric-
ton. Nol we would like men, enter the
arena and fight manfully the battles OF
Freedom Yes. sir we would see that
Freedom, our inheritance, was not turned
to strangers and our homes to aliens. aud
Liberty left desolate in the land of our
forefathers,
But the dark and damning deed is
done and, regarding the rights of the
States under the Constitution, we cannot
change it now And now, after our sub
mission for thirty-four years to that in
iauitv. YOU come forward ana infict this
renewed outrage upon us You say, 1t
IS true. north of that line vas set apart
by solemn compact for Freedom; but the
contract was unconstitutional, and c0nse-
quently null and void"
[ care uot from what point you view it
YOU have taken under that contract and
of course are bound by it. You now
come to Us whiningly aud say, :" This con
tract is void, do not attempt to enforce
it," Suppose you give your note to
friend for one hundred dollars, borrowed
on the Sabbath and afterwards to avoid
payment, set up for defence that the note
was given on Sunday, and consequently
void. and you would not pay 1T. La what
light do you suppose all honorable men
would view youl In no other light than
as c0aS1i1lnldte UsllalJ1S, alnleOrthy The con-
felellce of all honorable men In this
light Ohio and the teemlng millions Of the
mighty West, whom [ feebly represent
aare. view you. Gentlemen. in relation to
this Kansas Nebraska iniquity | appeal
to Repr esentatives from the South. ia the
name of all that is houorable-in the name
of God. to be this once Influenced by the
pure promptings of right and justice, and
restore this compromise line, or from this
day hide your deformed heads, and make
your appearance no more among lntelli-
gent beings
But l am resolved to place the gentle
men-those chivalrous Southern gentle
men-right on the record Many Of them
do say that the repeal Of that time hon
orei line Ito use their own WOrdsl was a