Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-10-07
prepared


Hortt ~ OhutNtn pJ AppHioof"cS"
On the Slavery question, The Republican
party holds that slavery il a moral and ro
Iitical evil, and that therefore It ought not
to bo extended in our Government; but,
while they hold this to bc the true policy,
they hold just as firmly that where slavery
exists, under the sovereignty of'tbe States,
that neither the General Government or the
FREQ States have any right toiutcrfcro with
it. II this is abolitionism, then George
Washington was more than an abolitionist
for in letter TO General Lafayette, in II
90, he says
'f agree with you cordially in your views
In regard TO negro slavery. have long
considered it a most serious evil, both So
cially and politically, andI should rejoice
in any feasible scheme to rid our States Of
such burden.
"Tho Congress Of 1857 adopted an ordi-
nance which prolnbitsthe existence of in
voluntary servinde in our north western
territory forever, I consider Il aoise
measure, It met with the approval and
assent of nearly every member from the
States more Immediately interested nslave
labor The prevailing opinion in Virginia
is against the spread Of sld0ery into oar
new. Territories, aud ! trust we shall have
confederacy of Free States"
Again in letter to John F. Mercer, in
l7s6, he says:
81 never mean, unless some particular cir
cumstance should compel me to It, to pos.
sess another slave by purchase, it being
among my first wishes to see some plan
adopted by which slavery in this country
may be abolished by law" Is. ta
If the doctrines held by the Republican
party make it an abolition party, what think
you Of Jefferson! In bis notes on Virgin
ia he says:
"Can the liberties of nation be thought
secure when we have removed their only
| firm basis-a conviction in the minds of
the people that these liberties. are the gift
of Godl That they are violated by his
wrath Indeed / tremble for my country
when reflect that God is just, and that
his justice cannot sleep forever" y at
is still in, our power to direct the process of
emancipation and peacably, and in such slow
ldegree as that deportation, the evil will
wear off insensiblv, and their places be,
pari p0ssu, filled up with white laborers.-
i If, on the contrary, it Slavery is left tc
force itself on, human nature must shud
der at the prospect held up"
If looking on Slavery as moral and po
litical evil, and being opposed to its exten
sion, makes the Republican party an Abo
lition party, then the resolution passed b,
tho assembled wisdom of the Democrac,
at Columbus, in ls4s, makes them still
shade darker, for they were in favor O
eradicoting the evil. Read; SOFIA
"Resolved, That thepeople of Ohio nov
AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE, looking up
on tho institution of slavery AS AN EVIL
AND UNFAvoRABLE TO THE FULL DEvEL
oPMENT OF OUR INSTITUTIONS, and that
entertaining these sentiments they will fee
6 10 be their duty to use all power consist
ent with the national compact to mitigat'
! ndfnalty to ERADICATE the eva."
If the Republican party is an abolition
party so was Henry Clay an abolitionist.-
Mr.. Clay, in 1850, said:
"But you cannot put your finger upor
! any part Of the Constitution which conveys
S the right or the power to carry slaves from
one of the States Of the Union to any Ter
ritory of the United States. Nor sir, car
: | admit for a single moment that there i
any separate or distinct right upon the par
Of the States or individual members of tn,
States. or any portion of the people of thu
, United States to carry slaves into the ter
2 ritories, under the idea that those terrific
ries are held iu common between the sew
, eral States"
In the same speech, Mr.. Clay said:
81 repeat it, sir. ! never can, never will
and no earthly power can make me vote
Q directly or indirectly to spread slavery owe
D territories where it does not exist. Neve
while reason holds its seat in my brain
never while my heart sends the vital fui
through my brain--never.
! If the Republicans are abolitonists, the
was Daniel Webster, the great expoundc
of the Constitution, an Abolitionist, for
1880, in hisgreatspeech in Congress he said
"When there is substantive good to b
done, whenever there is foot of land to b
prevented from becoming slave territory,
am ready to assert the principle of the e,
e elusion of slavery"
!, Iftho Republicans are Abolitionists, whit
n say You of Judge Ranneyl In 1853,
e wrote letter to B. f. Hoffman, from whiC
d we take the following extract:
g "IAavs no doubt Of the poWer Of Coz
!. gysss to erect Territorial Governments, an
to- provide for The prohibition of slavery
: the Territories, and I am IN favor Of, an
u ,Oould support such prohibition"
,fl The Perils OF BaIle9nIpg.
!, On the ED Of September, Mr.. La Moul