The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-10
SPEECH OF GOV. CHASE AT CINCIN
MATT.


night Of the 2Oth to exchange congratulations
upon the result Of the election in Ohio. The
Governor elect, Mr.. Dennison, and Mr.. Has
saurek, made appropriate addresses; after
which, Governor CHASE spoke as follows:
should be more insensible than stone, fell
low citizens, if | were not deeply grateful for
the kindness constantly evinced towards me by
the friends of Freedom in Ohio, of which your
reception of me tonight is one more token and
manifestation My heart swells with grateful
emotion whenever / think with what steadfast
zeal, and against what formidable opposition, the
great principles Of which / have been, l trust,
a faithful though inadequate representative,
have been sustained by you who hear me to-
night, and by your compatriots throughout the
State.
am not ignorant that it has been my mis-
fortune, as II has been the misfortune of other
public men, TO be misconstrued and misappre-
heBded. l know only too well that here, in
this city, dear to me as the home of my boyhood
and of my manhood, many excellent men have
attributed to me sentiments and views which /
have never entertained, and have made this
misconception the foundation Of earnest and
persistent opposition. / never blamed them.
Their error was an honest error. ] never per-
mitted myself to cherish an unkind sentiment
toward those who, misunderstanding, honestly
opposed me. / felt sure that if lived, these
misconceptions would be rectifed, and that the
great cause l served would vindicate at length,
the very humDlest Of its servants. Cheers.
l. this confidence l have not been disappointed.
/ see before me tonight very many whom /
once encountered as adversaries, but whom
now rejoice 10 meet as friends, animated by q
common love for a great and noble cause. The
few thousand who stood by me in this county
when was first intrusted with the standard of
Freedom and Reform in Ohio, now doubled
and trebled In numbers, join In acclaims which
announce great victories won, and predict
greater victories yet to be achieved.
My friend Mr.. HAssAUREK who has Just
addressed you has STYLED the result of the re-
cent election Republican victory prefer to
call it a popular Uerdict. Cheers. The cause
Of Freedom and Reform against Slavery and
Maladministration has been on trial before the
people of Ohio. The verdict has Just been
rendered-the judgment has been already an
nOunced-the process of execution has been
awarded.
To those of us who have been intrusted with
the conduct of our State affairs during the last
four years, there is special cause for gratula-
ton IN this result. We have endeavored to ad-
minister the Government economically and hon.
esty. To the best of our ability we have faith
fully served the State. But the disclosure, in
1851, of the now wellknown defalcation, and
the false representations by which it had been
concealed 10y the State Treasurer elected by the
Republicans In 1855, had exposed his associates
an the State Government to misrepresentation
of which our opponents did not seruple to avail
themselves TO Che utmost Challenging invest-
cation and counting scrutiny, we submitted our
official action TO the decision of the people
May we not well rejoice in the Judgment which
has indicated US?
National questions have, of course, entered
largely into the recent canvass. The great issue
Of Slavery or Freedom has more than any
other commanded and engrossed public atten-
ton. On side we have distinctly announced
our purpose 10 prevent by all constitutional
means, the extension of Slavery beyond State
limits, and to put an end to the domination of
the power and interest of Slavery in the Ma
tional Government.
Our opponents have met us with but one
plea-the plea of popular sovereignty. They
have not defended their National Administra
ton. Like the man without friends whom
everybody may kick, that Administration has
been abandoned to general contempt and igno-
miny. Even those who set up some claim to
be Its special champions have by a sort of
common consent allowed the battle to be fought
under the banner of the author of the Nebraska
bill. Mr.. Douglas himself came into the State
10 pay, as he said, debt of gratitude he owed
10 me for my visits to Illinois. He spoke at
Columbus, in this city, and at Wooster Every
where be was followed by eager crowds of now
days Democrats, who sought by every means
70 give the greatest possible eclat to his advent
and his teachings
Now, it is not to be denied that this was
skillful management on the part of our oppo
nents. If there is any cloak at all that will
serve to cover from public Indignation the de-
Of Il, l.
one fabricated by Mr.. Douglas. If there is anv
excuse at all for not prohibiting the extension
of Slavery, that excuse is to be found in the
doctrine that the people of a Territory NAV
safely be left to protect themselves against the
evil. The words popular sovereignty" are
good words; the idea which they embodv is a
good idea. The bold assertion that the so-called
Democratic party are the champions, and that
the Republican party are the enemies of popu.
lar sovereignty, Is the cunningeSt device which
could possibly be contrived to cover I'D the
propagandism Of Slavery and the usurpations
OF the Slave Power. 1t is the old plan of
stealing the livery of heaven to serve the
devil in"
We love popular sovereignty, for it is the
bulwark of human rights. We revere the power
OF the people, because we see In it every mans
safest defence against wrong
Now, Just so far as the people of Ohio could
be made TO believe that the true idea of popu-
lar sovereignty includes the right TO enslave
and that, TO restrict the extension of Slavery
IS to restrict the just power of the people. il is
obvious enough that they would be enlisted on
the side of the selfstyled Democratic party.
Our opponents were sagacious enough, there
fore, when they iterated and reiterated the cry
of popular sovereignty, and, by bold and clam
orous assertions, sought to create the belief that
the Republicans, In seeking TO arrest the spread
of Slavery, were assailing the right of the peo.
pie to govern themselves 1t was the only
course, indeed, which offered the slightest nos
sibility Of success for the defenders Of Slavery.
as the best relation between capital and labor.
are yet few in the free States, even among those
who call themselves Democrats. 1t is not to be
denied that many were misled by that cry and by
those assertions. We can never be obliged to
maintain our Republican positions under greater
disadvantages than those produced by the mis-
conceptions thus created.
There was, however, one great advantage il
al this. 1t compelled general and thorough
discussion of the position taken by Mr.. Douglas
and his friends. 1t led to universal inquiry
What is this popular sovereignty which is 81
vehemently asserted? Is it a reality or a sham
Is it the old doctrine handed down to us by oul
fathers in the immortal Declaration, or is i
some modern counterfeit, got up to serve base
party necessities?
We looked for the description of the specific
given by the patentee himself We inquired
How does my doctrine of popular sovereign
ty," described IN "my Kansas ebraska bill,
agree with OF differ from the doctrine of tn,
Fathers Of the Republic, embodied by Thomas
Jefferson in the nations ere ID Of human
rights?