American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-09-29
JUpCE RANNEY.

fOI 1burmhry OlTcctOf
JAMES YOUNG, Of Bern.
JUDGE RANNEY.
In days Of yore. IL Was thought that
man who would change bis position upon
great. well defined and leading political is
sues, was dishonest At heart ard unworthy
the esteem. credpnce, or support Of the
people. Such should be the case to-day;
but things have changed. The corruption
Of fparlies. and the total depravity Of pOli-
ticians have come TO sanction and excuse
such Outtages and they are now called by
the soft Dames Of progression" "Sd.
vsncemsnt." new light" DO. And a
man who can change as the basilisk. is
called grsatand cunning, and bis mOnstrous
ineonsistsncies are explained away, justi-
fed or excused. This is no less danger
ous than ooRlemp tble. The man who is
mot tEue to bis first love, cannot be trusted
in bis second. The man who lends
proposition to-day and dOnounces it TO-
morrow. is unworthy Of trust. and should
be denounced BY honest men. as a hypo.
erise, Odious in the sight Of God and man.
Ini85o. upon the passage Of the Fugi-
tive.slavs Law, Judge Rapney was che Of
The chief participants in an indignation
meeting, held 10 Mahonining county Oct.
3oIb, 1850, Bitter and scaIhing speeches
were made. and Mr.. RanDey made one oI
them. He denounced the Law as odious
and upconstitutiOndl. and its authors as
miscreants. The MAhoniug Ladsr Of Nov.
ist, Dsmoctasic paper commenting upon
the affair. held the following language:
HE fudge Ranpey] exposed not only
the iafdRous manner 10 which the bill was
rushed through the House under the gag
rule of the Southern and infamous oppres.
sors, but IN scafhiag and Nistsring carses
denounced the whole bill as UNC0NSTI.
TUTIONAL(l) aud the n,isTsans who as
sisted in it's inception and passage by theiI
votes, or fleeing when God and their duty
required their aid 10 behalf OF liberty and
the rights OF blood and life. as unworthy
Of our regard--as unworthy Of our sg0rd9'
now or hereafter"
After these Reasonable remarks, The
meeting adopted the following iucendiary
resolution:
Resolved, That come life or ocme i'm
prisonmeni, come fine or como death, W,
will neither aid nor assist in the return o
any fugitive slave; bat on the contrary
we will harbor end seorete, and by all jus
means protect and defend him, and thu
give him . practical God-speed to liberty
Judge RaDnsy was then as he is now,
Democrat. but since that time the Soutl
has swallowed up the Democratic party
aud Jusgs RaDney has gone down with il
This measure which was then so "odiou
and unsonstilnLionAl." has suddenly lo'
its odium and become constitutional
Judge Ranneyis now the standard bearC
OF what's known as the Democratic party
and as such is tho defender Of the Fugidv
Slave Law he so bitterly and vehementl
denounced less than nine years ago.
Bat more; In i848 Mr.. Ranney WI
before the people for Office, aud bein
called npou, de6n cd himself upon one
the leading questions Of difference betweC
the Republican and Democratic parties.-
He then was opposed to the extension
slavery into tho Territories--he then q,
vosated Congressional interference TO pr
vert its extensiOn--he then insisted upc
its abolition IN tho District Of Colsmbi
that slavery was aereatdre OF local Ia
and could no more exist without II than
man could breathe without air.
Upon the question Of Slavery in d
Tesriloties. Congressional Interven,io
&c., Mr.. Rauney writing to B. !. fip
man. hsls the following language:
mo question is better settled 10 Il
country, than that slavery exists in StI
shy virtue Of local law. at is Gear ii
Il can no more exist in a territory witho
sucIilaw. than man can breathe withC
4 air. NEITHER CONGRESS NOR
TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE,
MY, OPINION. POSSESS THE POI
Err TO ESTABLISH 1T. II q
only bo doneby the people shea admit
as State, "under the general priHcir
jof,hs power Of Congress- % crest TsrI
rial Governments, and TO PROVIDE ~
IS THE PROHIBITION OF SLAVE
WITHIN THE TERRITORIES. A
4 AM On FAVOR OF AND WOU
SUPPORT SUCH PROHIBITION.
Jalge Rannsy is now the Dsnocp
candidate for Governor. He now sta
gseaa platform denying and rePudiAi
doclrina. lIs has taken the stun,
IA rs d5ierts, lie has abandoned his tirst Il
he Las ignored The principles he bat
& for 10 1850, he has become a tool in
q ha6ds u .demagcgues.-a demagogus
rooug them. aad as such is not worthy