The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-11-11


last night to listen to a speech from Gov. Sew
ard. He was greeted with overwhelming enthu-
siasm, and spoke for an hour and a half His
speech was substantially as follows:
Fellow CITIZENS: The uumistakable out
breaks OF zeal which occur all around me show
that you are earnest men-and such a man am
|. Let US, therefore, OF least for time, pass by
all secondary and collateral questions, whe ther
OF personal or of general nature, aud con-
slider the main subject of the present canvass.
The Democratic party-or to speak more accu-
ratel ly-the party which wears that attractive
name, is in possession of the Federal Govern
ment. The Republicans propose to dislodge that
party and dismiss it from Its high trust.
The main subject then is, whether the Demo
cratic party deserves to retain the confidence Of
the American people. In attempting to prove
it unworthy, | think that am not actuaed by
prejudices against that party, Or by proposes
sons ia favor Its adversary; for have learned
by some experience, that virtue and patriotism
and vice and selfshneSs are found in all parties
and that they differ less in their motives than i'll
the policies they pursue.
Our country is theater, which exhibits, in
full operation, two radically different political
systems; the ore resting on the basis OF servile
or slave labor the other on the basis of volun-
tary labor OF freemen.
or persons more or less purely of African deri
vation. But this is only accidental The prin-
cipe OF the systemis, that labor in every society
by whomsoever performed, is necessarily unin
telectual, groveling and base, and that the la
horer, equally for his own good and for the wei
fare of the State. ought to be enslaved The
white laborng mau, whether native or foreigner,
is not enslaved only because he cannot, as yet
be reduced to bondage.
NDu need nOt he IOl1 now that thp Slave SvS
TEN is the Older Of the two, and that once it was
universal.
The emancipation OF our own ancestors, Cau-
caSiuns and Europeans, as they were, hardly
dates beyond period of 500 years. The great
meioration of human society which modern
times exhibit, is mainly due TO the substitution
of the system of voluntary labor for the old one
of servie labor, which has already taken place
This African slave system is one which, in its
origin aud in its growth, has been altoge ther
foreign from the habits of the races which col
onzed these States and established civilization
here. 1t was introduced on this new continent
as an engine OF conquest, and for the establish
ment of Monarchial power by the Portuguese
and the Spaniards, and was rapidly extended by
hem over all South America, Central America,
Louisiana and Mexico. lis legitimute fruits are
seen in the poverty, imbecility and anarchy
which now pervades all Portuguese and Spanish
extra ction, and it was established in our coun-
try by emigrants from Sweden, Holland, Ger
many, Great Britain and Ireland.
We justly ascrite to its influences the
strength, wealth, greatness, intelligence aud free
dom which the whole American people now
enjoy. One OF the chief elements of the value
of human life is freedom in the pursuit of hap
pness. The slave system is not only intoer-
ant, unjust and inhuman toward the laborer,
hD, pply ha 10 ln,f,rar IL In 11C IoXyu
with chains and converts into merchandise, but
scarcely less so 10 the freeman, to whom, only
because he is Il laborer from necessity, 1t denies
facilities for employment, and who II eXp1ls
from the community because it cannot enSlave
and convert him into merchandise also. 1t is
necessarily imprOvident and ruinous, because, as
general TRUTH communities prosper and flour
ish or droOp and decline in Just the degree that
they practice or neglect to practice the primary
duties OF justice and humanity. The free labor
system conforms 10 the divine law of equality,
which is written in the hearts and consciences
of men, and therefore is always and everywhere
beneiicent.
The slave system is one of constant danger,
distrust, suspicion and wdtchfuness. II de-
bases those whose toll alone can produce wealth
and resources for defense to the lowest degree OF
which human nature is apable, to guard against
mutiny and insurrection, and thus wastes ener.
SlCS W il'sll III
tional development and aggrandizcmen.
The free labor system educates all alike, and
by opening all the fields of industrial employ
mcnt, and all the departments of authority to
the unchecked and equal rivalry Of all classes of
men, at once secures universal cOntentment. and
brings into the highest possible activity oil the
physical, moral and social energies of the whole
State. In States where the slave system pre-
walls the masters, directly or indirectly, secure
II; -, and ttta LINN
aristocracy. In the States where the free labor
system prevails, universal suffrage necessarily
obtains, and the State inevitably becomes, soon
er or later, republic or democracy.
Russia yet mar talns slavery, and is despo-
tism Most OF the other European States have
abolished slavery and adopted the system OF free
labor. 1t was the sntagonstic political tenden-
cies of the two systems which the first NdpoIe-
on was contemplating when he predicted that
Europe would ultimately be either all Cossack
or all Republican. Never did human sagacity
utter more pregnant truth. The two systems
ore at once perceived to be inconguous. But
they are more ihan incongruous, they are incom'
patible. They never have permanently existed
together in one country, and they never CAM
1t would be easy TO demonstrate this impossi-
bility, from the irreconcilable contrast between
their great principles and characterlstics. But
the experience OF mankind has cOncuSively es-
tablished it. Slavery, as | have already int'-
mated, existed in every State in Europe. Free
labor has supplaDted it everywhere except in
Russia and Turkey. State necessities, develop
ed in modern times are now oblging even those
two Lations to encourage and employ free labor
and already, despotic as they are, we fnd them
engaged in abolshing Slavery. In the United
States, Slavery came into collision with Free
Labor at the close of the last century, and fell
before it in New England. New York, New Jer'
sey and Pennsylvania, but triumphrd over il
efectually, and excluded it .for .perioI yet
undetermined, from Virginia the Carolinas and
Georgia. Indeed. so incompatible are the two
systems, that every new State which is organ
lied within our Understanding domain makes its
first political act choice of the one aud an ex
clusion of the other. even at the cost OF civil
war if necessary. The Slave States, without
law at the last national election, successfully