True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-02-10
One of the Speeches.

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1t is we'll known that a great amount
Of time ndmoney has been wasted, this
winter, by speech. making in Columbus,
to the neglect of judicious legislation
We have but seldom encountered our COL
umns with matter Of that sort. There
was one speech delivered however, by
Mr.. PLANTS, Of Meigs, from which, we
take the following extract. AS will be
seen, it was delivered upon The pendency
of the bill 10 repeal the law which prohi-
bits the use Of our jails TO the United
States for the safe keeping of fugitive
slaves.
Mr.. PLANTS, formerly resided in this
city. He is plain unassuming man,
and speaks but seldom. On this occasion,
he seems to have been burthened with a
speech, and anxious to be delivered, On
arising, he said; , H. ., .
Mr.. PRESIDENT Il am from a very
close county, where the real political ma
jorily is very uncertain. On this account
/ desire 10 make speech for BunconaJe;
one that will suit bot h sides; and in order
TO satisfy all the different interests among
my constituents, | propose to make a
speech on one side and vote on the other.
The gentleman from Lorain Prof Mon
roe) has said he could see no use in the
passage of the bill at this time, when in
fact there are many reasons why il should
pass now. one of these, and very impor.
tani one, was that the permanency of the
Democratic party depended upon it, and
modern Democracy as he understood it
was q wise arrangement 10 preUent peo-
pile from running loose! " 3D.. .H.
The gentleman from Lorain seemed to
think that our jails were designed to be
used only for the confinement of criminals
and in this we would agree with him
But who are criminals ? That gentle.
man had, in ID most eloquent manner,
drawn an affecting picture of the fugitive
slave mother who had escaped with her
child from Virginia. Now he would show
that iiis woman was a criminal Of the
worst sort. According 10 the gentleman's
own showing, the woman when she arri-
we'd in Ohio with her child, was reduced
10 mere skeeton--a skeleton in rags
She was guilty of three great crimes g.
First, evidently of grand larceny, in
stealing her child, which was the proper.
ty of her master. she had also emJezzled
and wasted her own body, which was no
less her masters; aud lastly, she had
committed high treason against the Ma.
tional Government. For was it not shown
by speeches made by Democrats Of this
body and of Congress, and 30 understood
throughout the Union that this Govern
ment was founded on niggersG 1t has
been declared treason to attempt 10 destroy
the Government, and would it not be an
"a,tempt" to destroy the Government in
undermining its foundation by stealing
away the niggers upon which itrests p
Fbe common relation Of pillars and edifi.
ces proves this. .-sa trn '.-.'-
Then we are told by the member from
Lorain, that even for the sake of comfy
i. was degrading to catch niggers he
viewed it differently. Catching negroes
was no; degrading bu, honorable. What
does honorable mean Men were called
Honorable, and why! UnquestionqbIy
because they were in Office and it is vel
known that democrats cannot get Office
under this government unless willing tc
catch niggets. Office holding made mer
honorable. Then were not the mean.
which made men Office holders equally
honorable ! II must follow Of course
that the ends justiies the means is a prin
ciple in Democracy. "t" ~ '.1 .' A.'
The member from Lorsin, being {
professor Of moral sciences, might on tha
account be excused for not understandin,
the exacter sciences; but is certainly no
so easily pardoned for the error into whicl
lie has fallen in regard to the natural in
stinets Of blood hounds, as far as nigger
catching is involved. Blood.hounds know
nothing of Niger catching until traine,
to it-while this vocation seemed 10 b.
the natural instinct Of Democrats. Dog
and Democrats were not naturally on tn
same level, hence |. was necessary I
bring the latter down to The position q
the former, DR. vice versa. 1t was eviden
that Mr.. Monroe owed an apology
somebody, it was either TO the Dog Q
| Democrat didn't know which. y ~
| RATs.--TIlose whose houses are infei
ted by that troublesome domestic animi
the raj shonld heat nlasfnr nj Paris in n