The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-09-30

would not only allow slavery there, and recog-
nize the civil code for eighteen months, but
would establish slavery there, and in all 9TH
er territories forever. This is the difference.
And Mr. McCleland is welcome to all the
laurels he can gain, and the votes he can
make by his exposition Of the case.
We shall not follow Mr. McClelland thro'
all his twisting upon all minor points--they
are well understood already in this communi-
ty. But to show how frank and candid he
was, and how strongly he feels bound 10y the
truth in political matters, we will say that he
expressly charged the Republican party with
being the abolition party confounded them
them all with the Garrison aboltionists; and
then, to prove the Republican party disu-
nion party, quoted from the Boston LiJerator
IA genuine abolitonist organ,) though he
knew, OF course, and this party oppose US rs
much as he does, and have the candidates of
their own. He pretended to quote the Ian
guage Of James Watson Webb, at Philadel-
phia, in way which we, who heard the
speech, we'll know to be false, and which
has a hundred times been denied. He at
tributed language to Mr.. Burlingame which,
we have reason TO believe, he never used and
drew false inferences from the language of
Others. And yet none of the language which
he condemned goes half rs far toward dis
union as his Southern friends in Congress,
and his own party papers in tho South, daily
illuminate in the ears of the nation. But this
seemed to have escaped hs memory. He
declared that he "believed the Unicn would
not be worth rush if the Republican Party
succeed" and closed with general flourish
about the Constitution and the Union.
Now, as to this threat of dissolution Of
the Union, which he brings up here from the
South, (for he does not pretend the North
will dissolve the Union, if they eject Fre-
mont,) we would cite, for his benefit, the Ian
guage of member of Congress, in reply TO a
similar threat of dissolution in l949, when
the South threatened dissolution if the Will
mot Proviso was applied to the Territories,
as Justify Us they do now, if tho anne doc
trines succeed. We believe this citation will
have weight with Mr.. McClelland, rs we
think ne esteeIns the man who uttered it, as
highly as any in the Union. The following
is the language to which we alludo:
"And although the population Of the Free
States Is tar greater Than that OF the Slave
States, yet yOu are not satisfied but are
grasplng for more, and threaten to dissolve
the Union II you 90 not obtain IL. But this
| threat has been made SO often that, even for
northern men, 1t LAS 10 terror; we are accus-
toned to 1t; ana although formerly We were
ofIenumes frightened from our propriety by
1t, We have ceased to be longer alarmed"
There is more of the same kind in the
speech 20 which We allude, and the speaker
more tIaal intlnetes that It the Northern peo.
| pie could look ia upou their covncils NJ Nash
lngton, they would soc that this threat was
but bug bear 10 iElgnten them. But who
was thai speaker. lie was the Hon. Robert
McCielland, and the speech Was made in the
House EeD. 10, 1910, and by him circulated
through the State OF Michigan. 1t was d
good speech too; ana much aoler, in all re-
spects, than his effort, to which we are reply
ing; because he had better cause, and did
not deal his blows, as he does now, like 8
man with his arms pinioned. That speeci
did more to give him popularity, and elevate
him to power, in this State, and thus to Sc
cure his present position, than any OF her Of
fort of his life. 1t fully, uareservedly sustaini
the ground now occupied by the Republican
Party, for excluding Slavery from the Terri
tories by act of Congress. If he denies it
We will publish it entire. 1t is good cam
paign document, and an able one.
This was good democracy then: he was
good democrat, and scorLei the falsehoods 0
those who called 1t abolition. Is nc dem
ocratnow! The public must judge. But WI
think his Southern friends required little
too much of him, to make him denouncc him
self as an abolitionist. They should hav,
been satisfied that he was willing to abandon
his principles, and support their measures; j
is cruel to have TO denounce them himself
But we should not forget to mention tha
the most remarkable feature of his who'll
speech was the entire absence of any reference
to the main, and only issue now before tn,
country. No one would suspect from hi
speech, that he was aware that his party haC
adopted any platform of principles whatever
He avoided the Cincinnati Platform, as if j
were pest house, rife with smallpox or tn
plague; and the Republican Platform, Us if
were battery loaded with grape. He dare
not come within speaking distance of either