M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-07-28
A Chapter for OId-IIne wings

A Chapter for OId-IIne wings
4 MillaTd Fillmore and Daniel Webster
VS.. the Republican Convention and
William DennisOn.
The Republican State Convention which
nominated William 0ennison for Governor,
passed, among others, the following resolu
tion:
"Thst, proclaiming our determination rig
orously to respect the Constitutional ob.igs.
tions imposed upon the States by the FEEDER
al Compact, we maintain The Union Of the
States, the rights Of the States and the lib.
critics Of the people; and, in order 10 obtain
these important ends we demand the repeal
of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 as subver.
sive Of both the rights OF the State and the
liberties Of the people, and as contrary to the
Iplainest du ties Of humanity aud Justice, and
as abhorent to the moral sense Of the civil
Ized world"
William Dennison not only accepted this
resolution as part Of his party creed, but
before the Convention met he wrote letter
to Cleveland, Ohio, giving his warmest sym
pathy and encouragement to those who on
the Western Reserve, bad been punished for
violating and resisting this Fugitive
Slave Act. His party demands the repeal
of the law, but he is unwilling to await tha
process, and has word Of encouragement
for those who resist lis execution while it is
a statute by knocking down United States
Marshals and taking from them by force
their prisoners. Here is an extract from his
letter to S. o GriswOld, Esq, 1t is dated
Columbus, May 90
"Let me express my ardent hope that the
proceedings of the Convention may be such
as will permanently contribute to the adj
vancement Of the sacred principles of free.
dom, justice and humanity which have been
so violently assailed by the imprisonment in
your county Jail of Plumb and Peck. and
their devoted colleagues, under the insult,
ing provisions of the Fugitive Stare Act"
Now, the old Wing party Of Ohio, the
mass, Of whose votes the Republicans expect
to get, had no sympathy with these senti-
ments, but on the contrary, they condemned
them in the strongest language.
Milard Fillmore, the last Wing Presi.
dent thus noticed, in bis annual Message to
Congress in 1850, the subject above alluded
10 by the Republican Convention and its
nominee, Dennison. He said;
"The Compromise measures (including
the Fugitive-Slave Law / believe 10 have
been required by the circumstances and The
condition of the country. | believe they
were necessary TO alIay asperities and ami.
mosites that were rapidly alternating one
section of the country from another, and de-
stroying those fraterna sentiments which are
the strongest supports Of the Constitution
They We're adopted in the spirit Of conCilia.
ton.
81 believe that majority Of our fellow
citizens sympathize in that spirit, and in the
main approve, and are prepared in all res
poets to sustain these enactments. can
not doubt that the American people, bound
together by Kindred blood and common ira.
dition, still cherish permanent regard for
The Union of their fathers and that they are
ready 10 rebuke any attempt 10 violate its
integrity, TO disturb the compromises on
which it is based, or 10 resist The laws which
have been enacted under its authority"
Daniel Webster made speech at Buffalo
N. Y, on the 22d of May, 1851, 10 which
he thus paid his respects 10 those who ap-
prove of Dennison's sentiments. He said:
Nov, here is the Constitution, fellow
citizens, and | have taken the pains 10 trans
cribe theTeirom these words, so that he who
runs may read No person held to service
or labor in one State under the laws thereof,
escaping into another, shall, in consequence
oil any law or regulation therein, be dscharg
ed from such service or labor, but shall be
delivered up Oh claim of the party 10 whom
such service or labor may be due.'
SIS there any mistake about that? Isl
there any forty-Shlling attorney here7 No
| will not disgrace my profession by suppo-
sing such thing There is not in or out OF
any attorneys office in the count ty of Erie, or
elsewhere, one who could raise doubt, or a
particle Of doubt, about the meaning OF this
provision Of the Constitution; he may act,
as witnesses do. on the stand. He may
wHggle and twist, and ssy he can't tell. |
have seen many such exhibitions in my time,
on the part Of witnesses, TO falsify, and be-
tray, and deny the faith. But there is no
man who can read these words Of the Con.
stiiution Of the United States, and say that
they are not clear and imperative"
He again added emphatically:
"Do you find among all those persons wh o
oppose the Fugtive.Slave Law any admis-
sion whatever that any law ought to be
passed to carry into effect the solemn stipu
iations of the Constitution? Tell me any
such case Tell me il any resolution was
passed by the Convention at Syracuse favor
ing the carving out Of the constitutional
Not one2 The fact is, gentlemen, they op
pose the whole-they oppose the whole
not nan of them admits that there ought
to be any law on the subject They deny
altogether that the provisions Of the Consti-
tuition ought 10 be carried into effect. Well
what do they say? Look at the proceedings
of the anti-slayery Conventions in Ohio,
Massachusetts, and at Syracuse, in the State
of New York. What do they siy?-that so
help them God, no colored man shall be
sent back TO his master in Virginia Don't
they say thst7 And for the fulillment OF
that they pledge theft lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor. Laughter. Their
sacred honoTs Laughter. They pledged
their sacred honcrs 10 violate the laws Of
their country; they pledged their sacred hon.
or to resist their execution; they pledged
their sacred honor to commit treason against
the laws Of their country! God bless them