The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-11-25
The Platform Of the Republicans.

The newly fledged platform of the Oppo.
sitiOn is bloody one, and contemplates O
bitter and unrelenting strife between the
great sisterhood Of States. Senator Seward
is the exponent Of this new principle Of war
and bloodshed in our hitherto peaceful Con-
federacys and as he is supposed to be the
Republican candidate for the next Presiden.
cy,the programme becomes of immense i'm.
portancs to the whole country. In bis cele-
brated Rochester speech, delivered few
weeks ago. he says: t. ...
''The United States must, and scin, soon.
er or later. becc me EITHER ENTIRELY
A SLAVEHOLDING NATION, OR
ENTlRELYA FREE LABOR NATION.
Either the cotton and rice fields of South
Caro- lima, ond the sugar plantations Of Lou.
isisna will ultimately be titled by free labor,
and Charleston and New Orleans become
marts for legitimate merchandise alone or
else tie rye fields and wheat fields Of Mes.
sachusetts and New York must again be
surrendered by their farmers to Slave culture
and the production Of slaves, and Boston and
New York become once more markets for
trade in the bodies and souls OF men,"
This. then. is to be the great question al
issue TO be decided in the next Presidential
contest. Stripped Of all its DISCUSSES, i,
means that the North, being the most pow.
erfnl in numbers, shall obl,erste negro sla.
very from the South, and reduce the fifteen
slaye-holding States to unconditional subiec.
ton and vassalage. This is the plain mean.
ing OF Mr.. Stewards declaration, for no sane
man would ever, seriously, think Of talking
about the possibility Of Massachusetts,, New
York and Ohio becoming again the seat Of
African slavery. e5' asst ~.
For period Of seventy years, this great
country, composed Of free and slave States,
has existed under our glorious Constitution
leach State being sovereign in itself and
left perfectly free to manage its domestic af-
fairs in its own way. But 10 these latter
dogs, new light is thrown in upon US from
New York and New England. Our sister.
hood Of States has existed in peace and har.
mony fortwo generations, and we have pros.
pered and become great ss no nation ever
did before--the wonder and admiration of
the whole world--but this state of things is |
foeontinue no longer, ii that gets the sway.
The sympathy of Seward and his followers
for the negro would induce them to rend the
Union into fragments, and deluge its fairest
portion with the blood OF the white race
Their policy, If successful, would make our
country by.word and a reproach among
the nations of the earth.
1t is full time for the patriotic, conservu.
tive people of the Northern States to look
this danger full in the face. The times are
portentous, and the danger imminent. The
declaration made by Dir. Seward, at Roches.
er, is no empty, unmeaning one--he never
peaks in that way, but always means what
Ie says, and his language is full of the deep.
st significance. 1t isvery evident that the b
'reat battle OF the Union is to be fought in n
500. The Presidential contest two wears "
50 was but preliminary skirmish the W
ecisive conflict will take place two years G.
ence. rt