Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1856-07-22
Col. Ersmont's Reply.
Nrw Yopr .Jul,

NEW lOhhs July " iooO'
GEsrLEMEN: You call me to a high re-
sponsibility by placing me in the van Of a
great movement Of the People of the Uni
ted States, who, without regard to past diff
ferences, are uniting in common effort to
bring back the action of the Federal Gov
eminent to the principles Of Washington
and jefferson. Comprehending the mag
hitude of the trust which they have declar-
ed themselves willing to place in my hands,
and deeply sensible Of the honor which their
nnreserved confidence, in this threatening
position of the public affairs, implies, I feel
that l cannot better respond than by sin
cere declaration that, in the event Of my
election to the Presidency, 1 should enter
upon the execution Of its duties with sin
gle-hearted determination to promote the
good of the whole country, and direct sole
| ly to this end all the power of the Govern
ment irrespective of party issues and re-
gardless Of sectional strifes. The declara-
ton of principles embodied in the resolves
of your Convention expresses the senti-
ments in which | have bsen educated,
and which have been ripened into convic-
tons by personal observation and expe-
rience. With this declaration and avowal,
l think it necessary to revert to only two oi
the subjects embraced in those resolutions,
and to these only because events have sur.
rounded them with grave and critical cir
cumstances, and given to them especial i'm
portance.
concur in tie views Of the Convention
deprecating the. Foreign policy to which il
adverts. The, assumption that we have the
right to take. from another nation its do
mains because we want them, is an aban
donment Of the honest character which oul
Country has acquired. To provoke hostil
tiles by unjust assumptions, would be tt
sacrifice the peace and character Of the
County, when all its interests might bt
more. certainly secured and its objects at
tair1ed by just and healing councils, invol
wing no. loss OF reputation. lnternationa
4mbarrassments are mainly the results OF
ltsecret diplomacy, which aims to keep from
the knowledge os the People the operations
Of the Government This system is incon
sistent with the character Of our institutions
and is itself yielding gradually to NOR
enlightened public opinion, and to the pow
er Of free press, which, by its broad dis
semination Of political intelligence, secure
in advance to the side Of justice the judg
ment of the civilized world. An honest
firm and open policy in our foreign relations
would command the united support of thu
natien, whose deliberate opinions it woulC
necessarily reflect
Nothing is clearer in the history of ou
institutions than the design Of the nation, il
asserting its own independence and free
dom, to avoid giving countenance to tn
Extension of Slavery. The influence of tn
small but compact and powerful class of mel
interested in Slavery, who command on
section Of the country and WELD vast po
i ltical control as a consequence in the other
is now directed to turn back this impulse o
the Revolution end reverse its principles
The Extension of Slavery across the Con
tinent is the object Of the power which nov
rules the Government; and from this spiri
has sprung those kindred wrongs in Kansa
SO truly portrayed in one Of your resolu
tons, which prove that the elements of tn
most arbitrarily governments have not bee
vanquished by the just theory Of our own
II would be out Of place here topledg
'myseltto any particular policy that has bee