The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-02-04
The ISSue----Its History.
S P E E & II
OF TIE
HON'BLE JOSHUA r. GIDDlNCS. OF OHIO
Delivered in the Honss qf Rcpresentofiucs.
JLRHdry l2, 1859.

'"go e'hSV u) hPHu HOIl MAINE, [ WI.
WashburL took occasion to call a,ten.
lion TO the great issue which now divides
the people of these States. listened to
him with unusual pleasure. fully &C.
corded with his views. 1t is certain tha,
one Of our political organizations holds
that State or Territory, when forming
State Constitution, and acting within cur
Federal powers, may authorize its people
10 euslaYe portion of mankind, doom
them TO live without knowledge, TO gropc
their way TO physical death, amid the dark
ness Of moral and intellectual night The
other parry emphalically denies those doc
trines, declaring that human Governments
are limited in their Just powers by the law
OF eternal right and wrong. and can i'm.
part to no man authority or moral right tc
rob, enslave. or murder his fellow beings
that the object and duty Of Government.
are to protect every human soul in the en-
joyment of life, liberty, and happiness.
These positions are antagonislic. The
gulf which separates the Republican and
Democratic parties is broad and deep -
one reasoning and acting for Freedom the
other for Slavery, it becomes impossible
for them 10 agree on any collateral ques-
tion.
Tie President, in his message, has spo.
ken for his party. In the first paragraph,
he recognizes the dogma that human souls
may be enSlaved and transformed into
property and the entire message con.
siiutes an argument for extending the
cnreo nc lutnon hnDdaua II L;e ,,.,J;
cate be correct, his efforts to acquire Cuba,
and parts Of Mexico, and Central Ameri.
ca, cannot be wrong. Indeed, his laburs
in behalf Of the foreign and domestic slave
trade are based upon the doctrines of hi,
party and those men who are now en-
gagged in bringing African slaves intC
Georgia, and other Southern States mus
stand or fall with the party whose doc
trines they support; for il Slavery b'
right, the slave trade cannot be wrong
have often spoken on this snbject, ,anc
do not intend 10 enlarge upon il a: thi'
time. have defined the issue thus brief
ly for the purpose OF calling attention tc
some incidents 10 that train of events
which developed this issue with the same
moral certainty with which etlec, Away:
| follows cause.
am led to he discharge of this duty
from :he consideration that have Ions
participated in those incidents, and hav,
been somewhat familiar with some OF lh,
measures which have conduced TO tn,
bringing oi this grea, question before tht
country. ] am also induced TO do thi
from the consideration that many homes
men are desirous tha, Republicans shal
modify, change, or abandon their doc
trines.
Il is certain that our principles were
promulgated in the Declaration of indie
pendence; that the signers OF thai frs
charter OF American liberty declared that
all men are endowed by their Creator with
the una!ienable, the abstract right 10 en-.
JOY life, liberty, and happiness and thai
the trainers Of the Constitution, recognis
ing this primal doctrine, ordained "tha
no person shall be deprived of life, liberty
or property, without due process of law.
Our doctrine seems 10 have met with uni
versal approval, except by The Tories c
that day, up TO the year 1891 A.; and tn
first denial of it by any Wing was pub
lished by Thomas Paine, in his essa
upon "the Rights OF Man." wherein h
!, declares that whatever whole nalio
chooses to do, il has a right 10 do" N
person can fail 10 see the identity OF thi
doctrine with that now proclaimed by tn
: Democratic party alleging that the people
Of Territory, in fiSming Constitution
! x.tith ip,n
! il they choose. The doctrines Of Pain
| and of The Democratic party are iGenlIcs
: in denying that human Governments ar
, limited by the law Of eternal right nm
J wrong. They agree that the people Of
. nation or Stale may, il they choose, NJ
lhssize murder, robbery, and piracy fc
I all these are embraced in the term Slave
= ry.''
Y But the doctrine of Paine would proba
! bly, have passed unnoliced by the states
D men Of that age, except for tacit apprc
val by Mr.. Jefferson, who carelessly eS
pressed desire that the work might b
! reprinted. The approval, however, re
ierred 10 the work as whole, and not I
this particular dogma. But this circum
stance CHIltu out JOHH quincy huHUlS, u
that time young lawyer OF Boston, who
in a series OF wel,considered articles, ex
posed ;he error of Paine. and clearly de
monstrated the limited power OF huma
Governments--showing their inability L
change the natural or innate character G
any act that murder. or piracy, or rob
berry, is inherently wicked and criminal
rendered so by the Creator,by the immu
table law of right and wrong. and mus
retain their inherent wickedness, thougI
ten thousand human statutes pronounc,
them just and authorize their commission
that the legitimate powers Of govern
mrnt are limited TO the protection
and do not extend 10 the desiruc
,ion OF mans inalirnable rights. Th
vindicalion Of the self-evdent truths pro
mulyated in The Declaration of Independ
ence, and repeated in the Constitution
was published while most OF the signer,
of that great charter ol Liberty and mos
of the framers OF the Constitution were