Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-09-16

I
about tho soil consooratcd to perpetual free
dom, that the blighting presence Of Slavery was
never seen within the limits Of this Northwest.
era territory. deny that Slavery ever existed
here after the passage Of the ordinance
OF 81. Before that slaves may have been
held here, but not legally Now the efforts
Of Senator Douglas and these gentlemen
who act with him, is another effort
to break down the old bu.watk Of freedom, as
established by their fathers to prevent Con
gress from interfering with Slavery in tho
/ Territories. The great object seems to be 10
snow that the ordinance Of '87, and the pre.
Ventiyo laws enacted by Congress from time TO
tlme in keeping herewith, had, as a matter of
lact, no effect whatever ia preventing Slavery
from coming into tue Norhwestern TERRITORY.
/ II they eau persuade the people Of this, they
have indeed made something Of an argument in
favor Of squaiter sovcrrignty Bot / meet
them at the very Threshold say il is not
true that slaves have existed as slaves in any
Of the territories north.western or other. cover.
ed by Congressional prohibition. And repeat.
that If you will enact that same prohibition in
regard to territories now owned, or that NAV
be owned, that as you have had freedom here
from the organization of your territorial gov
einment until now, 80 YOU will have freedom
IN each and all OF these territories, where the
same intervention may be made by tho Congress
Of the United States.
Why, says the gentleman, God knows don't
want slavery to 90 iutO the Territories
God knows | have no desire TO see slavery
extended another foot over the territory of the
United States ] ask him then. why in the
world he belongs to the Democratic party WHY
dose'nt he come into the Republican ranks, and
vote for me for Goyernorl Why is he inter-
/ iering with the contamination of the great prin
. ctpln pt the Rnnuhiirart - 4. 4
slavery out OF the territories the very thing ho
snys ho wants to accomplish Sir have said
to you, and now repeat il, II matters nothing
what this Democratic party of the North want
ON that subject. because they are tho minority
OF the party, and the MAJORITY livinp south Of
Mason and Dixon's line, and having the ureat
slave interest TO promote, will execute its pur.
pose, and will carry slavery over all the terri.
tories Of the Uni,ed States, unless the Republi
can party, or some other organization more
powerful, shall arrest the pIogls of their
purposes IN this regard | tell you cir, there
is no hope Of freedom in tho territories, and
not much hopo Of cedom in the States them.
solves, unless this Democratic parry he driven
from power We must drive the Goths and the
Nandals from the tomple. We must take the
reins ofgoyenment, into our own hands ,andwo
must fall back upon those great principles az
originally enunciated and exempfed by the
trainers of our Government or, the liberties of
the states themselves will not only be learfully
jeoPardized, but eventually lost Why sir,
" tho Dred Scott doctrine be right that the
Constitution of the United States carries slavery
into the Territories, if it be true that the Con
situton recognizes property in man. then |
say that slavery under that Constitution will be
just as certain to come into Ohio, as into Kan.
sas, and / have Stephen A. Douglas ior my
authority in this regard, Sir, the Constitution
of the United S ates by its own terms is made
the supreme law of the land, aud if, by any fair
Interpretation Vt it, it recognizes property in
slaves, and carries slavery wherever the flag
! OF the Uni?n may float, then | say that mas
much as the Constitution Of the United States
Is the supreme law OF the land anything in
your constitution or laws TO the contrary not
withstandng, nothing in your constitution OF
laws can successfully conflict with il; and the
very doctrine now advocated by the Southern
wing ofthc Democratic party is such an inter
pretuton- bolt a fair one or an unfair-And
thus will be made th0 Interpretation of the en-
tire party North as well as South in spite of all
that Northern Democrats may wish, OF say, or
do.
IL is the one already given by the controlling
power Of that party, aud / now forewarn YOU
all. My democratic friends. and my republican
friends, you will vet have 20 meet this question
not for the protection Of freedom III the terri
tories alone, but IN the States themselves. This
slave power that the gentleman told me the
her day, he had never hut 7 told he had
often Jst, takes no step backward in the ad-
vanccment Of its interest Every month, ev
cry ear, II adds some new demand. Ny friend
asked me why we should be 80 much alarmed
by this slave powsri I'll tell him why. 1t is
because il is threatening the liberties of the
! people Because they are seeking to overthrow
! the Constitution, as it was understood by the
men who irauNd, discussed and adopted it.
| tell him that that Constitution was based upon
the great truths of the Declaration of Inde
pcndeucc, and that when il was adopted, all
men regar1ed il as shield for the protection Of
the Freedom of the people aud supposed that
the great mission Of That Constitution was TO ex
tend freedom over every foot ofterritoTythat was,
or was TO be owned by or annexed to the u. S.
For while it was never intended to interfere
with slavery in the States themselves, slavery
was regarded as a temporary institution which
would be soon eXtipguished and under the pan
oply OF that Constitution, the songs Of free
dom would he heard coming up from every hill
and every vale, through all tho forests. across
all the prairics and over all the lakes and noun
tains of the broad land. Aud it is because the
original purposes Of the trainers of tho Con
stitulion are all being threatened With
everlasting Eubvcrsiun, by this slave
power at the South, that we say
that the time hts come when WE
should be united as one man for the adyancPr'""
OF freedom, as they OF the South are unit a.
one man for the advancement Of slavery. This,
them my fellow cizeus, is my answer to this,
ton put by the gentleman, and pray you g. bear
10 miud that this Democratic party-Or what there
Ia LEFT OF IT, for the greater portion Of tue vitality
OF that party In the North left II upon The repeal
OF the Missouri COmprOmlse-ha ever been found
tue willing and suppant instrument for the exc
culiOn Of the purposes Of the South II was be
cause Of this that they refused the right Of petit
tion to the people Of the North. II was because
OF this that they authorized Southern Postmaster
to rne the mails To prevent newspapers, nc.
from being circulated at the South, IL was be
cause OF this thatreXas with an area six times uB
great as that OF the State of Ohio was annexed al
such cost Of treasure aud principle. II was be
cause OF this that Gen CHss, who had been the
advocate Of the Wmot Proyiso found Il neceasa
ry 10 change opinion and become the apologisi Of
this disjoint and mishapen thing called Squatter
Sovereignty.
And II Is because of this that territorial slave
code is now cOOy demanded, and We, a. u nation,
will s00n bo called upon formally to oinRugurate the
To-Opening Of the Infamous African Slave Tfade;
and, as tho Democratic party have been uniformly
heretofore bowed the knee to this power Of the
South, so will they In all time 10 come until every
landmark Of freedom made by the bleeding feet Of
our fathers shall. have been botted out by tho
blood of the slave, and We shall be- bopelessly aud
everlashngly left 10 the control Of this dark, ds
NAL, blightng power, us yet, kept south Of Mason
a Dixon's line.
! Ishy then. my fellow citizens, thatih great mis
sion ofhe Republican party Is to carry out tho orig
| inal plans Of the ffamers Of our government. We
make no new demands, We ask nothing they did
not ask, we claim nothing they did not claim but
we are determined to have, aud to use oil CON
atitutionhl rights to secure what we do demand
We have 10 realize all they struggled, for and all