Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-06
sIaVohoidiug ana Kidaapplng in Ohio.


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sIsVohOldIug ana kidnapping in OhIo.
1t will bo recollectsd that the prO,savery
Democracy in the last Legislature made Ohio
the common pluder ground of sIaYehOlders and
kidnappers, by repeating all the safeguards
thrown around the persons of our citizens. men
women and children, by the ensctments Of tn,
preceding Republican General Assembly. Du
ring the past year several Outrageous cases o.
kidnapping have oceurred-one IN our own city
and bills have been introduced in both branches
of the present Legislature, substantially re.
enacting the repealed laws. In the House las
week, Mr. Woods, Of Licking, the Demoefati,
leader in that body, made an elaborate speech il
opposition to the bill to prevent slavehOldinl
and kidnapping.
Mr.. Voris, of Summit, replied to Mr.. Woods,
and said that being young and inexperienced
member, he had been led into the mistake, that
discussion should be confined to the subject un.
der consideration, if the course taken by the
gentleman was correct, and hoped he would be
pArdoned if he did not follow the precedent OF
the gentleman in making party stump speech
not relevant to the bill. He said that three OBJ
iections were made to the bill:
LIST. The bill was unnecessary.
81. Was against comfy that should exist be
tween the States Of the Union.
Sd. Was unconstitutional, because it EaslOp-
posed to the execution Of the Fugitive Slave
Law.
- H. Ill kt,.t l., q, I,,;tt.1 tlok A. d.,
stitutiOn did not provide against human slavery,
but denied that legislation was therefore un-
nee sssary-of what good are the guarantees OF
the Constitution against those who would vio-
late them when they see no provision providing
for the punishment of such violations. The
provisions of the Constitution relating to human
liberty, are merely declaratory. AlleTperience
tells US that the declaration of right Of itself is
not sufficient to protect that right. Penal
statutes must be made and enforced to protect
the rights so declared If it were insKpedient
to legislate in behalf of given right because
that right was provided for in the Constitution,
and that is the argument of the gentleman,
your whole criminal code would be useless
The State, following wise policy, has seen fit
to provide penal statutes to punish the violation
of Constitutional rights. Yet, the arguments
urged against the BILL if legitinately carried
out, would wipe from the statute all our crimi-
nal laws. For one, he was not willingto turn
a deaf ear to the teachings Of ali human eXpe-
rience.
! ID He said he was willing to recognize the
obligations of comfy between the different
States-that he was willing to do great deal
to accommodate his action to comfy, butwould
never do positive wrong out of mere comfy
to any man--nor would he permit the State to
do 30 by any act of his.
The right to bring slave into the State Of
Ohio by the citizen Of another, State, is extend
| ing right to citizens of other States that is
denied to the citizens Of Ohio. Such claim
should certainly be sustained by higher right
than mere inter State omity.
The assumption of such claim is monFtrons
It makes the law comitdfs superior to th'
God given rights of man-sppefior to the State
onstitution-supeTiOr to that universal. and
natural adherence the people Of Ohio entertain
/ to oppression. Gentlemen should remember
/ that slavery was 50 abhorrent that nothing bnl
positive local legislation could sanction it,
| Yet the gentleman seeks to make the demands
of comfy carry the local law of another State
or county into 0hil, and that, too, against an
express provision Of the State Const ution, anc
is also opposed to any final legislation to vim
nicate the integrity Of our constitutional rights
If that be State rights Democracy, he will inC
it hard work to get Republicans, yea, Oonser
vatlve Republicans, to 60 the doctrine.
3D. The bill is q sufficient answer to the
charge that it is unconstitutional. Itexpressly
provides in direct and unequivocal words, "tha
nothing in this act shall apply to any act don't
by any person under the authority of the Con
stitution of the United States, or of any law o
-, ,
All the long talk of the gentleman about tht
unconstitutionality ofthe bill, because its intsn
lis to prevent the execution of the fugitive slayt
law, is not applicable to this bill The bill it
self is its ownYindication. The gentleman, il
his fierceness to make speech, party stumI
speech, has overlooked the merits and impor
of the bill.
Generally we are urged to defeat the bill because
the record Of Ohio has been against the recog
milton of the rights of the cOlored man and IL
in favor of loose Legislation that favored the de
mands of slavery. The gentleman has read
extracts from legislative acts and the names Of
those who voted for them. That may suit the
taste of the gentleman from Licking, but it look
too much like ventilating our shame, to com
mend it TO even conservative Republicans. =
| The name of Mr.. Andrews, Of Franklin county
! is given to make weight in behalf of the record
but we have evidence that he has repented il
sackcloth and ashes, or else why is he now IL
the Republican party.
| Mr.. Voris read from the legislative record O
the Democratic party in 1880, and l85l-anC
from Gov. Woods messages which emPhatical'
" showed that the position taken by the gentle
man from Licking had been abandoned in Ohio
and that too, by his own party, at period
not very far back The record exhibited by Mr.
Voris most efFectually showed that Ohio hsd
been put right on the record by the very party
who sought now to ignore the rights of all but
white men.
He also answered the disparsging charges
made against the traitors of the Western Re-
serve, by saying that he was proud to represent
a Western Reserve constituency, and that the
Reserve held so high place in the scale o.
enterprise, intelligence, love of justice, patriot
| ism and devotion to the common country, thai
her exalted position was the fullest protection
against the attacks ofmaligners.
gnfrffualfsUs in the United States