The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-15
WASHINGTON, DC.
OHIO POLITICS-SPEECH OF GOV
ERNOR- CHASE

feet sketch of the speech made by the Governor
of Ohio at Sandusky on the 10th ultime. We
have since met with full, though evidentl,
not revised, report of the speech, and present
below the portions of it with which the Repub
heans of the country at large win feel interest
ed In the quiet discharge of his duties as the
Executive of one of the States, he has rarely
had occasion to discuss the questions which ell
ter into the general politics of the Union; and
the public viii be gratifed TO hear from man
who played SO distinguished part in the great
events which gave rise to the Republican
party.
We have omitted his remarks in reference
to local State affairs, with the exception OF
the defaleation of Breslin, the Democratic .
State Treasurer. AS the Sham Democracy,
with characteristic recklessness, attem pied to
shift or, at any rate, divide, the responsibility
for that transaction with the Republicans of the
State, their brethren in other parts of the Union
viii be interested in reading the clear and intel
ligent exposition given of it by Gov. Chase.
Mr.. Chairman and Felloo Citizens:
| am here today, said Gov. Chase, for the
purpose of discussing some topics which con
Germ deeply the people Of this State and the
people of the Union. L am not here for the
purpose Of appealing to prejudice or passions.
am not here for the purpose Of exciting mer.
nment or provoking mirth, but am here to
speak of grave questions to serious men.
speak 10 you to-day. not as a partisan, but in a
higher character. / speak 10 you as a citizen
of Ohio, deeply concerned in whatever affects
the welfare of the State. | speak to you as
American citizens, having a voice-and that a
potential voice-in deciding the destinies of
our common country, and as men acknowledge
ing your final responsibility to God.
1 shall speak to you FIRST of some matters
which concern our own State especially. am
not ignorant-Of course, cannot be ignorant
that the question which most absorbs public at
tentiOn is the question of Slavery. 1 cannot be
ignorant that this is the great national question,
by which political parties are to be divided, and
by which the destinies of political parties are to
be decided.
But while / acknowledge that, desire to re-
member, and desire that my fellow citizens of
this State, who have intrusted TO me temporarily
the Chief Magistracy of this State, should also
remember, that there are matters which con-
cern Us st home, to which we ought to devote
our thoughts and attention.
POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE STATE
Without further preface, let me say to you,
that as the parties are now organized they took
their origin from no very remote period. In
1851, we adopted our present State Consttu.
ton. 1t was framed and adopted in a great
part by the votes of what was known as the
Democratic party. The State Government went
into existence in January, 1852. From that
time onward, our political history in this State
may be considered.
1t so happens that about the same period
there was a new division Of political parties in
the country. In 1852, as you are aware, the
two old parties adopted their respective Pro
Slavery platforms at Baltimore, and these plat
forms were passed, as you all know, upon the
recognition Of the compromise measures of
1850, including the fugitive slave act, as a final
settlement of the Slavery question. No one, it
seems to me, who had any knowledge of polti-
cal philosophy, or of the history of parties,
could fail to see that the very moment the issue
of that election should be determined, new
political organization must arise, because both
parties at Baltimore had adopted substantially
the same platform-both had adopted it upon
the theory that the Slavery question was to be
finally settled By these measures, and anybody
who was acquainted with the spirit and history
of the slave power must have been pretty vel
assured that the aggressions Of Slavery were
not to be terminated by the success of either
party upon that platform, but that the success
ful party would not be obliged to stand upor
that, but would go on to further aggressions
while the unsuccessful party would give itsel
TO the strong sentiment IN favor Of Free Soil
which demanded, aud would demand, differ
ent settlement Of the Slavery question.
This anticipation was in fact realized. Mr.
Pierce was, as you know, elected and Mr.
Pierce, whether he supposed the compromis,
measures were to settle the Slavery question Of
not, speedily found that they did not settle it
but that new demands were to be made, anC
that he was to be the instrument by which the
slave power was to enforce these new demands
Then necessarily arose this new division o
parties. Many of the Wings of the country haC
scquiesced In the compromise measures upor
the theory that l have stated, that it was to b,
& hnality, that they were not TO be compelled
TO submit to anything more; and when the
found that they were to be disappointed. am
when many Democrats found that they ais
were TO be disappointed, they came togethe
with the existing Free Soil organization in
new party. The discussion upon the Nebraski
bill signalized the origin of a new party, ant
the result of this discussion in the repeal of tn
Missouri prohibition ushered it into existenc,
and consolidated it.
Thus you see, my fellow citizens, that at tn,
time of the commencement, almost identica
with our new existence under our State Con
stItution, there commenced new parties in on
general affairs. Now, what do we see? ",
see Wings, Democrats, Free-Soil men, men O
native birth, men of foreign birth, men of al
creeds, standing together in this Republican
organization, animated, as / believe, by tn
same principles, in the main, which animate
the old Republican party in the DAYS of Jeffer
son and We see, upon the other side. Whir
and Democrats, and, / am sorry to say, som
men who once stood in the front ranks of tn
Free-Soil battle, united together upon the plat
form of Slavery. This is the national division
Well; now, said to you / should speak {
our State affairs. intend to do so, but though
1t was worth while to call your attention to tn
condolences of the division of our, State pol
tics with the division in our national polite!
TO some extent.
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION AND ADMINIsTRA TTo,
Our State affairs, as you all know, durin
the hrst four years of this period, since til
adoption of the new Constitution, were unde
what IS called Democratic rule; Il use the wor
Democratic, not because / think it at all d,
scribes this party; it is a new party in sul
stance and in fact, but | use the term simpl
because 1t is the name by which they perGer I
be named.) Our State continued under th
rule Of this new party from 1852 EDWARDS fc
four years. What were the fruits of that rule
Here the speaker was interrupted by Ii
expression OF desire that the meeting shout
adjourn TO some larger place, considerabl
number OF persons being now unable to efe,
an entrance into the already over-crowded con,
room. The meeting adjourned to the ora.
plot in front of the building, and the sneaIc
continued his speech from the window IF II
Sherif's Office, to an audience largely !,
creased.
My fellow citizens, there is more room On