Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-07-28
From the CiHeinnati Commercial Of Saturday.
Republican Meeting az xenia LAST Night
Speech Of Hon. Thos. Corwin.
u DEfKNEs Hls.PoSIF0N.
+, Xrsr.. July as 1870 p

his constituents, defining his position upon po-
liiieal issues in a astatesmaa-hke speech, occupy
| ing an hour and half in delivery.
The invitation was extended 10 him and ac-
cepted, for the express purpose Of afording an
] opportunity to his constituents to clearly uR-
! derstaRd his position. In that light ii may be
regarded Important. Ii was unusually devoid
of humor, although nature occasionally asserted
He hoped the Reporters would announce that
lac met with warm reception, (wipiag prespir-
alton from his brow.) If he could have aniici-
pated the weather he would net have tired the
people nor himself. TO assemble themselves un-
der such-exasperaiiag circumstances. = o-i 81
he had met his fellow -eitizens with 4 view 10
settle hisrelatioRs with the Republican party.
and TO define his position before his cOnstitu-
ents. He had been the subject of misrepresen-
tatioHs, and ii was his purpose TO correct them.
1t had been said of him, nay some of his su-
dience had heard him say, that in respect of
party operations. he did not know whether or
not he belonged TO any of the great political par
ties of the country. He was not even now sure
that his principles. except in one respect. were
those of any party now in existence; but upon
the subject of slavery he agreed entirely with
the Republican party. Upon that subject he
WIS confident he coneurred in sentiment with
nineteen-fwentieihs of those men in the State
of Ohio who vote the Republican ticket. But
there were other important principles beforethe
country, upon which the Republican parry had
never clearly defined itself andit might be that
he did not concur upon these questions with
that party. -s-s
In relation 10 slavery, he had during forty
years maintained the position occupied by the
Republicans. The record ofhis whole life would
prove it, and the record of his future-life would
show fat he was with, them earnestly upon
anti-slaTery principles.
Upon the subject of the power Of Congress in
relation TO legislation for territories. it was his
fixed opinion that Congress had the right, and
it is its duty to prohibit slavery in them. But
with those Who contend that Congress has not
power TO pass laws for the re-eapture of fugitive
slaves, he could not and did not agree. He
agreed with the Republicans that slavery is
moer mischievous 10 the white than TO the black
man, and he could establish by historical proof
that wherever slavery has found a place., the
slave has suffered less than the master.
G He had said, and would repeat the remark,
that the Republican party was organized upon
the single question of slavery; and when he
had said that he belonged 10 no party, it was
with the qualification expressed or implied that
there We're other great questions interesting TO
the people Of the United States. upon which the
Republican party had not been explicit, and it
was to these questions he had addressed him-
self 1t was his deliberate opinion that Con-
gress Las the power 10 male a proper and suita-
BILE law 10 re-capture fugitive slaves as well rs
fugitives from Justice, and he could not agree
with those persons of extreme views who main
tanned it to be the duty of citizens eonscien-
tionly opposed to law TO resist its enforcement.
and he believed that nineteen -twentieihs of the
of the Republican party OF Ohio agree with him.
L.
been slipped into his hand by some person un-
known 10 him, which he would read.,viz:
HoS. THos. CoRwN:-In your speech here,
last fall, Won denounced as bad citizens those
who would not and could not ieonscientiously
aid in executing this fugitive slave law. Now
sir. l wish 10 know how any man who believes
slave holding to be immoral, can aid in the exc
cutIon of said law. unless he undertakes to fight
both against God and his own Conscience.
Swearing to support the Constitution lays no
one under any obligation to support or aid in
executing said law, for you know. and every I'M
preiudieed man knows that it is llnconstitution-
al in several of its features. el9i Fgoiz
dJ fSigned)fi ~. go :. -f.r A CITIZEN.
Mr.. .Corwin remarked upon the note at length,
the substauce o. his sentiment being that he did
not mean 10 dcnounce any man rs a bad man
who refused TO obey the lsiw ,bptthat be regard.
edit the sacred duty of cry citizen to obey the
law when it should have been decided as such
by the Legislative and judicial departments of
the country. He who would not. could mot be
a good citizen It was rather absurd. and the
principle carried out that one man should pre-
sumo TO say a law IS unconstitutional, and con-
denim all his fellow citizens as ignorant, especial
" whore every couit in the United States had
declared the law constitutional. This fugitive
slave law. Judge Mclean, an earnest anti-slaye-
words. Can any man say he is right, and all
the world wrong? He would not eountenanee
any man to do an act which his conscience would
not justify. He would admire man howould
sacrifice himself fer principle, because he would
guarantee his honesty. Yet we would say the
law must be obeyed, and if yodi do hot,like it,
repeal. Suppose Brigham Young should come !
here with his foty-two wives, and be arraigned
low would you regard it if he should set up the
the plea. My conscience and the Word of God,
as Tread it in the book of Mormon. tells me /
am rght?' He. Mr. Corwip) would have men
obey The law, and if they disoheyed. he would
bring their heads TO the block, if theiaw requir-
ed it. He disliked the fugitive slave law. 1t
is bad law. and an unjust law. He would not
have voted for 1t ifhe bad been in the Senate. |
But it is the law, and mus be obeyed, till the /
principle of obedience 10 laws is forgotten, and !
We are driven to anarchy and despotism.-
The e:Constitution recognizes this law. The right
Of reeapture could be asserted under the Con- |
stitution if you had no law. The Courts of the |
U. S. have jurisdiction. of the whole country; |
and a writ of error would take a case before ii |
from your highest State tribunal, and the Su- |
preme Court would inevitably decide in favor of j
the recapture upon evidence. Ifyou would put |
he law aside in. one case.yoH would in another, |
and what would be the result? .r-
, Mr.. Corwin proceeded TO say he would pro- |
hibit slavery every where. The Constitution |
gives Congress right TO limit. and it is the dirty
,f ConSressto do it,. He did not believe Terri |
ories had Alright to admit or reject it. This |
doctrine is contrary TO the intention and nstruc-
ion of the trainers of the Constitution. All the |
awsof the United States upon this subject, from |
he organization efthe Government down to the /
Kansas Nebraska bill, had expressed the right |
If Congress to legislate for the Territories The |
Territory of Mississippi was organized in 1893. 1
Congress enacted a law imposing fine of three
dollars upon any. person who would
IMPORT slave into that Territory for sale. 1t 1
lid permit a man owning slaves who went there /
o live, TO take them there with him, but it for
nd the slave trade. sil azel1r aR1 G iAw /
i; The same law required the Territorial Legis-
aturn to send up its laws for the approval of
Congress, and if disapproved they were null
md void. The u. SsCourt. with John Mar
hall on the bench, sustained this power. In
Territory, organized 1899, the same
DIVISION was applied. and this in the face Of
he law of 1879, extending the slave tradetwen-
y years, a law applieablyi exclusively to the
states With such imperial, power did Con-
.ress administer the Constitution in relation TO
he Territories, and in that very Congress which
made the organic law of the Territory of Louisi-
ma. there were seventeen members who assisted
n framing the Constitution of the United Suites,
nd there was no petition or remonstrance
gainst the exercise Of that right. and Thomas
efferson signed the bill which prohibited the
Wisconsin. Iowa. California, New Mexico and