The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-07-31

fault with that State. 1t is her business;
she is sovereign State aud has a right to
do as she pleases, and if she will take care
of hsr own negroes, making such regnla-
tons concerning them as suit her and let us
alone, will mind my business and not in
terfere with her. In kentucky they will
not give a negro any political rights or any |
civil rights. | shall not argue the question
whether Kentucky in SO doing has decided |
right or wrong, wisely or unwisely. 1t is a |
que tion for Kentucky to decide for herself. |
i believe that the X entuckans have con-
sciences as well as ourselves; they have as |
keen a perception Of their religious, moral |
and social duties as we have, and am will |
ing that they should decide this slavery
question for themselves. and be accountable |
to their God for their action. 1t is not for
ne to arracn them for what they do. / will
not judge them lest shall be judged. Let
Kentucky mind her own business, and take
care Of her negroes, and we attend to our
own affairs, and take care Of our negroes,
and we will be the best of friends; but if
Kentucky attempts to interfere with US. or
we with her, there will be strife, there will
he discord, there will be relentless hatred,
there will be everything bu, fratc, nal feel
ing and brothcrly love. 1t is not necessary
that you should enter kentucky and inte-
fere in mat State, to use the language Of Mr..
Lincoln. Is is Just offensive to interfere
from thi, State, or send your mssels over
there. | care rot whether an enemy, if he
is going 10 assault US, shall actually come
iuto our State or come along the line and
throw his bomb-shel.s over to explode in
our midst. Suppose England should Plant
battery on the Canadian side of the Ma
CARA river, opposite Buffalo, and throw
l.. Ii, Il.
Main rect, IN that city, and destroy the
buildings, and that when we protested, she
would say, in the language OF AR Lincoln,
that she ncuer dreamed of coming into the
United States TO interfere with US and that
she just throwing her bombs over the
line from her own side which she had right
to do, would that explanation satisfy u.s.
{" No - Strike him again.') So it is with
Mr.. Lincoln. lie is not going iDto Kentucky,
but he viii plant bis batteries on this side Of
the Ohio, where he is safe and secure for n
retreat, and will then threw his bomb shells
his abolition documcrts--over the river,
and carry on a political warfare and get up
strife between the North and the South I'M
/ til he elects 4 sectional President, reduces
the South to the condition Of dependent CO.
lonics, raises the negro to an equality, and
forces the South to submit to the doctrine
that 4 house divided against itself cannot
stand, that the Union divided into half slave
States and half free cannot endure, that they
must all be slave or they must all be free,
ana that as we in the North are in the ma
jority we will not permit them to toe all slave,
and, therefore. they in the South must con-
sent TO the States all beirg free. Uaushter)
Now, feliow-citizcns, submit whether these
doctrines are consistent with the peace and
harmony of this Union. a. No, no.) |
submit 10 you whether they are consistent
with our duty as citizens Of common con-
tedcIacy; whether they are nsistert With
the principles which ought to govern hreth
rem of the same family. recognize all e
people Of these States, North and South,
East and West, old or New, Atanti: and
Pacific, as our brethren, flesh of one flesh,
and ! vii do no act unto them that would
not be willing they should do unto US. |
would apply the same Christian rule to the
States of this Union that we are taught TO
apply TO individuals, -" do unto others as
you would have others do unto you" and
This would secure peace. Why should this
slavery agitation be kept up? Does it bene-
fit the white man or the slave? Who does
It benefit except the Republican politicians,
, who use it as their hobby to ride int Office.
(Cheers) Why, | repeat, Shout il be con-
minister this government as il was maGe--a
confederacy Of sovereign and independent
States. Let Us recognize the sovereignty
, and independence Of each State, refrain from
interfering with the domestic institutions
and regulations Of other States, permit the
Territories and new States TO decide their
Institutions for themselves as we did when
. we were in L cir condition blot out these
. lines OF North and South ard resort back TO
; those lines of State boundaries which the
Constitution has marked out and engraved
on the face Of the country; have no other
, diviSing lines but these and we will be one
r united, harmonious people, with fraternal
feelings and no dscord or dissension.-
(Cheers)
These are my views and these are the
. principles TO r-hich | have devoted all my
. energies since 1850, when | acted side by
81 { with the immortal Clay and the God
, Ike Webster in that memorable struggle in
I which Wings and Democrats united vi on a
common platform of patriotism and the
Constitution, throwing aside par;izan feel
ings in orders TO restore peace and harmony
to distracted country. And when stood
beside the death bed of Mr.. Clay and heard
him refer with fee iugs and emotions Of the
deepest solicitude TO the welfare OF the
country, and saw that he looked upon the
principle embodied in the great compromise
measures of so, the principle Of the Ne
braska bill, the doctrine of leaving each
State and Territory free to decide its insti-
, tutions for itself, the only means by
which the peace of the country could be
preserved, and the Union perpe,uated, II
pledged h;m or that death bed Of his, that
, so Ion as l lived my encigies should be de-
, voted 10 the vlndcatIon OF that principle,
20, h II
. G" Hear, hear" and great enthusasm)
. gave tie same pledge to the great expounder
OF the Constitution, he who has been called
the " God-Iike Webster" | looked up TO
CLAW and him as son would to a father, and
Il ,.h upon the people of illinois, and the
. reouls vi tho whole Union to bear testimony
, IbaI never s.nce the sod r"e been laid upon
the graves of these eminent s,4t-smen have
| failed on any occasion to vIndlcate the
, principle with which the last great, crown
lng &C, Of their lives were Identified or &c
yludicate their names whenever they have
: been assailcd; and nov my life and energy
f are devoted to this great work as the mean,
Of preserving this Union. (Cheers.) This
Union can only be preserved by maintaining
: the iraternal feeling between the North ant
: the South, the East and the West. If thai
0 good +, cling can be preserved the UnloI
will be as perpetual as the fame OF its grea
' founders 1t can be maintained by preserv
e ing the sovereignty OF the States, the RICH
$ Of each State and each Territory TO settls it:
( domestic concerns for itself. and the duty o
each to refrain from interfering with thu
4 other in any of its local Or domestic institu
tons. Let that be done and the Union VII
t be perpetual; let that be done, and this re
: public which began with thirteen States, ant
e which now numbers thirty two, which whel
e it begaa only extended from the Atlantic t.
. the Mississippi but now reaches to the Pa
d ciiic, may yet expand North and South unit
., it covers the whole continent and become:
a ( ono VAST ocsan- hound confederacy tGrea