Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-07-03
JUDGE HAMMOND.

JUDGE HAMMOND,
The democratic candidate for Lieutenant
Governor, addressed large and attentive
audience at the court house last Friday. OBJ
the questions at issue between the Union
loving men, and the different factions of
the north. We say, without fear of sue
cessful contradiction, that his reasoning on
the temperance law, and the legality Of the
acts Of the Kansas legislature. was unan-
swcrable. Tie showed conclusivcly. that
the citizens Of Kansas were under the same
obligations to obey the laws enacted by
their legislators, as we are to obey the laws
of Indiana. He admitted that there had
been Illegal voting, both by Missourians,
and abolitionists who were sent there from
the eastern States but the legislature had
been recognized as such by Coy. Reeder,
and a quorum of members were acknowl-
edged by him and the abolitionists, to be
legal Y entitled to their seats; and were
proof required on this subject, the fact of
Reeder giving them certificates Of election,
and no proceedings being instituted to test
their right to seats, would be sufficient ev-
idence for any sane man, that they were
regarded as being legally elected, and that
the laws enacted by them were binding
lie argued further, that no matter how OBJ
noxiouS those laws were, they should be
enforced until they were set aside by the
legal tribunal; if they were unconstitution-
81, carry them up to tho Supreme court,
and let it decide on the constitutional qGeS
ton; but instead of adopting that course
each abolitionist has resolved himself into
a supreme judge, has decided the laws
void, and lives and acts in conformity to
that view. He said there was no doubt
but some of their laws were unconsti:u-
tional, and that some were odious to a con-
siderable portion Of the people such had
been the case even in our own State, but
we, as a people, are not disposed to rise in
rebellion against an obnoxious law, but to
bear ii as best we can until it is declared
10 be unconstitutional by the proper tribu-
nal, or until we can remedy the evil at the
ballot-box. This seems to be the course
pointed out by the law, and all Unionlov
ing people will cheerfully avail themselves
of the constitutional mode of dispensing
with an Objectionable statute. He said,
suppose that Congress should admit Kan
sas with the Topeka Constitution, would
any man be So insane as to aguc that they
would not have power to call convention
and make q new constitution which uouM
sanction slavery? That they would have
that power, no reasonable man would de-
ny.
His remarks in reference to the tempe
rance law, and to the position Of the dem
ocratlc party on temperance, were clear
and forcible; that they were in favor Of
temperance and sobriety, lie proved by
reading Tie resolution on that subject which
was adopted by our State Convention on
the 9th of last January. We were oppos-
ed to the odious features of the present
law which the supreme court has decided
to be unconstitutional, and has been so de-
cided in almost every State where there
boc ham Gin, 1o,,r
We have given but an imperfect sketch
Of the points that the Judge made, merely
enough to show the ground which he oc-
cupies on those subjects. We delight to
hear a speaker come out clear and plain on
the topics of the day; he reasoned lagical-
ly and met the issues fairly. How differ
ent are the fusion orators of the day! We
have not read single fusion article on
Kansas matters that meets the question
fairly, neither have we heard one of their
speakers that seemed to have an incina-
ton to do more than abuse the present adj
ministration, and represent the democrats
as being in favor Of slavery, and of justi-
fying the border ruffians. Were these ar
guments true, it would not affec. the argu-
ment; they are merely used by those who
have espouscd bad cause, for the purpose
of misleading the unsuspecting. We would
travel miles to hear a fusion discourse on
the issues of the day, could We be assured
that he would come square up to the mark,
and advocate his sectional doctrine like a
man This, however, they will not do;