Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-09-08
From the spsei.l Report Of the Cincinnati Gazette.
Speech
GOVERNOR CHASE,
REVIEW OF oUR STATE POLITICS.
.ANQUSkY, o.

-AT-
SANQUSkT, O.
REVIEW OF oUR STATE POLITICS.
Democracy & Republieanism Contrasted
Ma. cHAnxAs AxD FF1Low CITIZENS: an
here to-day for the purpose Of discussing som'
topics which concern deeply the people of this
State and the people Of the Union. l am moi
here for the purpose OF appealing to prejudice ol
passions. 1 EN- not here for the purpose of ex-
citing merriment or provoking mirth. but | an
here to speak Of grave questions to serious men
speak to you to-day, not as partizans. but in 8
higher character. lspeak to you as citizens o
Ohio, deeply concerned in whatever affects tbs
welfare of the State. speak to you as Ameri.
can citizens having a voiee-and that poten.
tial yoice--in deciding the destinies of our com.
mon country, and as men acknowledging your
final responsibility to God.
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 that most absorbs public at
tentiop Is the question of Slavery. IcaRnot be
Ignorant that that is the great national question
by which political parties are to be divided, and
by which the destfnies 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 entrusted to me temporari-
ly the Chief Magistraey of this State, should al
so remember, that there are matters which con-
eern us at 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
this origia from no very remote period. In
1851 we adopted our present State Constitution.
1t was framed and adopted in great part by the
votes Of what was known as the Democratic
party. The State government went into exist
ence january. 1852. From that time onward
our political history ia this State may be con-
sdered.
1t 90 happens that about the same period
there was new division of political parties in
the country. In 1852 as you are aware, the two
old parties adopted their respective pro-slayery
platforms at Baltimore, and these platfi rms
were passed. rs you all know, upon the reeog-
nition of the compromise measures of 1850. in
cluding the fugitive slave act, a final settle.
ment Of the Slavery question. No one, it seems
TO me. who had any knowledge Of political phi
losophy, or Of the history of parties could fail to
see. that the very moment the Issue of that
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 finall y set
tied by these measures, and any body who was
acquainted with the spirit and history of the
Slaye-power must have been pretty well as
sured, that the aggressions of Slavery were not
to be terminated by the success of either party
upon that platform. but, that the successful
party would not be obliged 10 stand upon that,
but would 60 on to further aggressions while
the unsuccessful party would give itself TO the
strong sentiment In favor of free SOIL which de-
manded and would demand. a different sctile-
ment of the Slavery question. This anticipa-
tion was in fact realized. Mr. Pierce was, rs
YOU know. elected, and Mr.. Pierce, whether he
supposed the compromise measures were to set
tie the Slavery question or no, speedily found
that they did not settle it, but that new de-
mands were 10 be made, and that he was to be
the Instrument by which the Slave-power was
to enforce these new demands. Then necessarily
arose this new division of parties. Many of the
Wings of the country had acquiesced in the
compromise measures upon the theory that l
have stated, that it was to be a fnality, that
they were not 10 be compelled tosubmit to any
thing more; and when they found thai they were
TO be disappointed. and when many Democrats
IL
came together with the existing frec-soil organ
ization in new party The discussion upon
the Nebraska bill sigRalized the origin of this
new party, aud the result of this discussion in
the repeal of the Missouri prohibition ushered
it into existence anu consolidated it.
Thus you see, my fellow citizens, that at the
time of the commencement, almost identical
with our new existence under our State Cons,i-
tuition, there commenced new parties in our
general affairs. Now what do we sect Wesee
Wings. Democrats. Free-soil men, men of ma
tive BIRTH men OF foreign birth, men ofall ereeds.
standing together in this Republican organiza-
ton. animated, as believe. by the same prin-
cipies in the main, which animated the old Re-
publican party in the days of jefferson; and
we see, upon the other side. Wings and Domo-
Gratis, and am SORRY to say some men who
once stood in the front ranks of the Free-soil
battle, united together upon the platform of
Slavery. This is the national division
Well, now, / said to you should speak -four |
State affairs. intend to do so, but | thought |
it was worth while to call your attention to the
of the division in our States pol
itcs III the division in our national politics,
to some extent.
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
Our State affairs rs yeu all know, during the
first four years of this period, since the adoption
OF the new Constitution, was under what Is
called Democratic rule; Il use the word Demo-
cratic, not because think it at all describes this
party; it is party in substance and in fact,
but use the term simply because it is the name
by which they prefer to be narned.) Our State
continued under the rule Of this new party from
1852 onwards for four years. What were the
fruits of that rule?
Here the speaker was interrupted by thee
l. =