Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-08-04
Republication in Kentucky.
Speech of CaSsius M. Cfay.

RepubIicanism in Kentucky--
Speech of Cassius NJ. Clay.
AsRepublicah Free State Organization
has been made in Kenton and Campbell
counties, Kentucky, a platform adopted
and candidates nominated. ]. R. White
more, Of campbell county, is the candi
date for Congress; Abner Williams and A
P. Harrison, of Kenton Co., and VIM. H
w. Luke, Of Campbell county, the Repub
lican candidates for the State Legislature
The election in Kentucky takes place Au.
gust 1st and though there is no prospect
of the election of the Republican ticket in
the counties named, the candidates are.act-
i've friends Of freedom, and it is step for
ward to- have such ticket brought out
and voted for at all in Slave State where
the,yote by ballot is not allowed to the
masses. -, -..--..--. >
Friday evening a Republican meeting
was held at Cevington, Ky. That South
ern champion of Free Soil, Free Labor,
and Free Speech, the Hon. Cassius II,
CLAY, addressed an audience of two thou
sand people for two hours in his plain, fear
less and convincing manner. We Copy
from the Cincinnati Gazette the following
sketch of his telling speech: s'7l'
LIBERTY AND DEsPoTIsM.,
After alluding 10 the right Of, every cit
izen of Kentucky-a State professedly
free, and republican in its institutions-to
express frankly his political sentiments, no
man, the speaker remarked, could fail to
see that there was now crisis in the his
tory of our Republic, which called upon
the patriotism and statesmanship-howev-
er humble-of every man who loved his
country. The great Napoleon had well
said that Europe must ultimately be Ell
ther all Republican or all Cossack. There
was an endless conflict between the princi-
PIES Of Republicanism and Despotism; one
could not exist in Europe beside the other.
Freedom was an Elysium. upon which the
subjects Of a despotism could not look,
without aching to be free themselves; and
the rise and fall of Napoleon afforded apt
illustrations of the truth OF his own saying.
Human nature was the same here as in
Europe; and though we call ourselves Re
publicans, the love of power war as strong
here as there, and tho same eternal con-
fiict of opinions was going on. Nothing
of the slightest value-not even one of our
growing crops-could be preserved but by
our own exertions; and how could we ex-
pect our liberty-pronounced by all phil
osophers, statesmen and jurists the most
priceless of possessions be maintained
without eternal vigilances s-t
g. AGGREss1oNs OF SLAVERY.
When the Federal Constitution was
made, Slavery was in conflict with the
principles of Liberty and progress. 1t
stood in the very Convention which framed
it, in the persons of the representatives
from Georgia and South Carolina, and
there, as. always, dictated to us. 1t said
to our fathers who had sent forth the Dec
Iaration of independence: "If you do not
make Constitution recognizing Slavery,
and permitting the importation of slaves
for twenty years, all your labors for liber-
ty and the formation Of a Union, shall be
undone, and you shall be driven back per-
haps to another conflict with Great Bri-
tiau." Under the fear of this dread alter
native the point had been yielded, and a
Constitution formed indirectly recognizing
the institution. During the early years of
the Government, the incompatibiiity, in
and impossibility Of the cock
istence of Slavery and Liberty had not been
fully developed. But the subsequent his
tory Of the country had proved that those
in Slavery had been eternaIly
vigilant, never losing sight of the political
and social power they derived from it, un-
til it had grown from suppliant to a
great Power, threatening to .overspread
the whole continent and carry us back to
the despotism of ancient ages. This was
its present relation to the interests of the
American people; and conservative men of
the North, South, East and West had
been driven from neutrality into taking a
position upon it. The hope of Henry,
Lee, Franklin, Adams, Jay and Morris,
when by the ordinance of 's7 they dedica-
led all the unoccupied territory .oi the
country to eternal freedom, that it was des-
tined TO speedy extinction, had proved a
fatal Illusion. 1t had spread in the admis-
sion of Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana
and Missouri; and under the name of Con-
and the threat of the dissolu-
ton of the Union, had again and again
over the laborers of the South
and the North, and invaded the territory
SET apart to be forever Free. Was there
any one within. the sound of his voice,
whether calling himself Democrat, Whig,
American or republican, who did not feel
hat the ensIayement of ANY man invaded
The rights and degraded the position of
every other man who earned his bread
with his hands?
THE COMPROMISES.
Influenced, be, knew not by what fatal
spirit of compromise, in 1920 the freemen