Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-01-30
Wraklq 9anliIq saurlaL, DauoteA
WARREN,

agree, and where we disagree. This
! discussion would have arisen very appro
priately after our organization, but, as
it is conducted courteously and in good
feeling. We shall actually lose no time
by entering upon it now. In l849 the
discussion prior TO the election of Speak
er was more constant and more unlimited
Than it has been at our present session
IL then resulted in good, aud 1 ,hink it
viii now The real and indeed the only
question OF difficulty now before US is
that Of slavery For twenty years it
has oceui led the attention and disturbed
the action Of this boly. exciting dissen
sions and calling forth the warmest emo
tions of our nature. well recolleci
t5at, fourteen wears since. this bOly was
thrown into the widest confusion by the
agitation of this question /; the passions
of members were lashed into fury at the
presentation of petition by the Hon.
John Quincy Adams. The shafts of
calumny. detraction, AMI SANDER, were
hurled at him; there he sal quietly
in the seat now occupied BY my friend
from Connecticut, Mr.. Woodruff. while
the waves of denunciation and detraction
were rolling and dashing around him in
wild disorder: venerable for his age,
with countenance mild and placid as a
summer morning, he rose from his seat.
and having obtained the floor, called ON
the Clerk to read the first paragraph of
the Declaration of Independence.
In imitation of that example, i now
ask the attention Of the House while l
repeat that emanalion from the intellect
of the great apostle of American Repub-
licanism, sanctioned AMI approved by
Hancock, Franklin, the Adamses. and,
indeed, by the unanimous voice of the
Continental Congress. They declared
that:
4"When, in the course OF human events,
it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolved the poll ical bands which have
bound them to another, and TO assume
among the powers of the earth. the sepa-
rate and equal station TO which the laws
of nature and of natures God enille
them, decent respect to the opinons OF
mankind require that they should declare
the causes which impel them to the sep
aration-" asr v..f y.
And what were the causes which led
them to separate from Great Biitain ?
They placed those reasons on record,
proclaiming to the world, that
I'VE hold tsese truth TO he selfevident: that aiimen
created equal; that they endowed by their CIe
ator with certain uaalienaie rights; that among them
are life, LiBERTy, and she pursuit Of happiness.
THAT these rights. governments insti
uted among men, deriving their just from the
consent OF the governei that, whenever any form OF
becomes destructive nf these ends. ii Is
tine right OF the people alter abolish it. and TO in
siiiute n~w government, laying its ou;dation on
sueh principles aud organizing as Po~srs in such
tOrIn 10 them shall most likely to elect their
safety and happiness" t -'e tNa
/ This Government was founded for the
purpose, design, 'aud end of securing call
men under lis Jurisdiction in the enjoy
ment Of life, liberty. and lia pi6ess" Itis
now placed IN our hands. We he Rep
resenuves Of the people, are, bound TO
wield lis power and influence in aeeol-
dance with those intentions of its found.
ers. On this the Republican church was
founded, and | speak reverendy when 1
say, 1.-The gates OF hell shall not prevail
against it.''
This House and the country are aware
that The present Executive, in his inau-
gural address, denies these truths, de-
claring that domestic servitude (slave-
y is based'upon the same principles as
other recognized rights" That in the
other end of this Capitol these ''selI evil
dent truths" have been boldly declared
TO be '.self-evident lies - That in this
Hall they have been treated with con
tempt; and this Government, Instituted
to secure freedom To all men, has been,
and now is, welded to destroy the lib
erty of portion of thelpeople. and 10
render them slaves. Against this pros.
tituiion of our nalionalinhaence The peo.
pie have spoken in the must emphatic
and unmislakable language. Yet the
advocates of those doctrines of our faith
ers in this Hall are denounced as '.tanat
ics, " 'sectionalis.s," 'A6oLGonists, +" and !
nearly all the epithets furnished in the
English language are heaped upon US.
Gentlemen, in the paragraph quoted |
frCm that immortal instrument which,
as it descends to coming generations, |
and its doctrines shall he better under
stood and appreciated, will reflect great
er and still greater honor upon its au-
thors.-in that, / say, you have the
creed, the "platform, the doctrines of
the ReI ublican party of 1855. They
are the same now as they were held by
the Republicans of 1775. and will con-
tinue the same while Go shall govern
the world. These doctrines were then sus-
tanned upon the battle field /; they are
now upheld BY the more peaceful oper-
ration of the ballot box. Our father
bed to sustain them. and W ). shall provs
ourselves unworthy descendants of those
noble sires if we shrink from the frown
of shareholders, Or the m serable assaults
of doughfaces. se5g
2 In the language Of those patriots, we
hold that ''aIl men are endowed with
his ri; ehf3 m, 1;Bs.,,, hv ff,s.;, r,-.. -,