The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-10-08

ted freely, without the compuls1on OF law,
from the good will, the religious feeling,
and sense of right found in the Ameri-
can character. So in regard to the ne.
groes, if the Southern people had been
let alone they would have aided time
and circumstances in facilitating eman.
cipation, and putting ths emancipated
negroes in condition of ease and COM
fort. All this would have been dicta.
ted by the kind feelings which rise No
between the master and slave, and es.
pecially between the master and the
slaves of the domestic household. L
have been in slave States; have, been
a long time in the District of Columbia.
and l know there is something more
than law which binds the negro to his
master in the South. The negro recog-
nizes his master as his protector against
all trouble and all danger. He recog-
nizes his master as the fit, permanent
and sure source of livlihood throughout
the entire year. No solicitude on that
score has the poor negro. If he has the
misfortune to work without having the
price of his labor counted out in coin,
he has the qualification of knowing thas
he is never in danger of wanting bread
and meat. (Applause.) Strong and
powerful passions spring up in this way;
and those are greatly mistaken who sup.
pose that if there was dissolution Of
the Union, the North would have moth
ing to do but call on the negroes to riss
and put down their masters Not one
in 500 would rise against their masters.
Some of the strongest defenders of the.
domestic households of the South would
be their domestic servants. There Is .
feeling of attachment between master
AID slave little dreampt of in the free
States, because the Abolitionists have
continually represented this relation Of
that of tyrant and oppressed.
told you this much in regard to the.
institution of slavery, from my own
knowledge of its workings-not that
would recommend it to you. If slave.
ry were proposed in my State to-mor.
row, l would oppose it to the bitter end.
on the soundest political and philosoph-
ic reasons. The people of Kentucky
would probably get rid of slavery if they
knew what to do with the slaves; but
to abolish slavery in the South, is to
tear up root aud branch the whole So,
cial organization of their communities.
Can any good be accomplished by eK-
asperating the Southern people and ma
king them our enemies, as though they
were hostile nation instead of I" bone
of our bone and flesh of our flesh ?"
Instead of encouraging the purchasers
of the products of our labor in the South,
there is an effort to destroy our beauti-
full cities, to bankrupt our Industrious
people, by interdicting all commerce.
with fifteen of the American states, for
cling them to hate US, and to form ALLAN.
ces, we with Great Britian aud they
with France, against each other
stand for the old partnership of the Rev
olution. App.ause.l stand for the
union of the States-all the States, and
all the people of all the States. If IL
were my right to address prayer To-
God on this subject, it would be pray
er for every State, and for every man in
every State. [Applause.] say yos
will iDjure yourselves more than you will
injure the South by dissolution; but
L will not compare the extent of calam-
ity that would befall this country in the
event of that terrible catastrophe.
We have now presented to us another
phase of the old problem, which has so
long been debated in the political and
politico- philosophical schools of the
world-wbether man is capable of self.
government. We have had little
more than half century's experience.
God knows, every one knows that We
have rospered under our organizations
to an extent which has astounded and
confounded all reasoners. We have
amazed the world by the spread Of our
the increase of our power,
the immense augmentation of our wealth,
the general elevation of the great body
of our.people in point of social comfort
and happiness, the fact that our federal
government has never shed q drop Of
blood for political offence, the fact that
we have no national gibbet, no national
We have run the career
Of peace and war with strong nations
abroad, and feebler nations almos: at
home. We have passed through all
stages of political humanity and now
ind ourselves the most happy, the most
the most free people on the
,arth's S surface, with school houses,
churches, court houses, State govern
nents, Federal governments,-alls stand
ng on single pivot, and that pivot the
public will. If the people in madness,
;hoose to will this into a scene of blood
md carnage, they have nothing to do
but dissolve the Union. Then indeed
shall we commence the bloody and mel
lncholy career through which the ms
ions of Europe have been passing for
5000 years-the career of mutual hs-
red, war, massacre, and bondage. In
order to crush forever the hopes Of the
riends of Freedom throughout the world
We have nothing to do but destroy this
model government in tie midst of its
and do it in fit of national
insanity
We have great obligations, my friends,
.esting upon us-obligations not only
o our wives and children, to the memory
# our sires, and our posterity, but we.
ave obligations as trustees for the hu-
nan race, to preserve this great model
'mong governments. Fulfill your trust.
will not detain you longer. / am
exhausted by the effort of speaking; bus
f I were sure that I should fall lifeless
n the act, would put up one more
prayer for the preservation of the Re-
public. Do not neglect the ballot-box
IN the second Tuesday of October. Up
IN the success of the Democratic party
hen, under the lead of Buchanan and
Breckenridge, depends in my Judgment,
The fate of the Presidential election. and
lpon that election the fate Of the Unions
md upon the fate of the Union, the
hooea of the human family and of frea-