Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-01-27

What sort OF Democratic tchchlhB Is tlaV
In the name of God let us hear no more
from the Democratic party, from Gov. Ma
coffin, or Vice President Breckenridge, Of
this thing about the higher law or Of this
eternal conflict between free and slave la
Dor.
THE IGNORED EXPLANATIONS.
But what did Gov. Seward sayl With
that characteristic injustice which pervades
too many Of the Democratic journals, all
the essential and philosophic qualifications
of that expression have been withheld from
the free white laborers of the south
What says Governor Stewards Governor
Seward is a long headed man. 1t is not
denied that, whatsoever he may be, he
knows what he is about. / heard one off
the most distinguished jurists of the com
monwealth Of Kentucky say that be had the
clearest and most philosophic head of any
man in the Union; and what does this
clear headed man say Does ho leave it
capable of perversonG Does he say that
because slave labor and free labor are in
compatible that the Republican party are
going to enslaye the white men ofthe South,
or to interfere with the slavery now existing
in the Southl No, sirl l deny that. l
will state substantially what he does say
He says and this is the important item
which is left out by the Democratic press,
that although this philosophical conclusion
is going on, whether it is the work of this
century or Of the next, or of ten centuries,
or of ten thousand centuries, he does not
undertake to determine, nor can any other
man; but he does say that it will take
place; not by violence, not by John Brown
raids, or conflict and bloodshed, but peacea-
bly, by the amendment of the Constitutions
and laws of the several Southern States
themselves.
Is there Democrat unwilling to endorse
that method of settling the conflict which
Democratic papers assert exists9 Suppose
the great people of the commonwealth of
Kentucky choose to throw up the barbarian
relic, who shall object? What says your
Democratic authorityl Have you not the
right to do it! Is not that the idea? If
it is not, here then is "higher law"-the
law of Slavery, higher than that of all Dem
ocratic principles that is, the same Divine
right against which he fought in the British
king, by which he claimed to rule over us
without our consent. Whatever it be, be
it even the law of God, that is certainly not
Democracy; it is despotism; it is the same
old Divine right of kings, and nothing else,
disguise it as you NAV. So said Gov. Sc
ward. So say l, and so says the Demo
cratic party. The Republican party in the
States Of the Union say that it is none Of
their business-that if South Carolina,
Kentucky and Virginia choose to own
slaves by voluntary consent, by the ascer-
tanned will of the majority Of the people,
let them hold on to the institution to all
eternity, but, if the people of South Caro-
lima, Georgia or Kentucky, in their omni-
potent power, as the sovereigns of their own
country. choose to abolish il in way that
seems to them good, it is none of our bust
ness; in Gods name, let them do it. That
is the doctrine | have always avowed in
this commonwealth, that inasmuch as was
a free born white citizen of Kentucky, for
the freedom of which my fathers stood, my
sentiments were for the expulsion of this
system from ourcomnonwealth; but further
than that did not claim to 90. If we
choose TO abolish or maintain slavery, it is
our business. If Virginia, South Carolina
or Missouri chooses to abolish it, it is their
business, and it is an officious intermeddling
that tries to dictate TO Kentucky, and say
if / be allowed TO exercise my constitutional
rights, these people arc towards Inas-
much as l leave them free to claim their
State sovereignty and power, | claim to ex-
ercise my constitutional rights as citizen
within the limits of my own jurisdiction.
That is the doctrine of the Republican
party. So far as the southern members of
that party are concerned, they say that it
is our business and none of theirs; but so
far as the National Government is concern
ed, it was established, as they believe, upon
the basis of equal rights and they say that
into the free territories of this Union slavery
shall not 90. That is the ground-the dis.
tinctive ground of the Republican party
the only ground at issue between the great
parties of the United States.
But as I said before, do not stand here
to vindicate Gov Seward, especially only
so far as allegations have been made against
him, and through him have been intended
to act upon and against the Republican
party, have / alluded to this matter at ALL
SEWARD AND JOHN BROWN.
While upon this subject, let us notice the
connection attempted to be made between
the Republican organization as concerned
with that raid of John Brown upon Vir
ginia; especially, perhaps, as it applies tc
this distinguished Senator from New York
Preliminary to this, allow me to state that
upon the subject of slavery there are three
distinct parties in the United States. One
that calls itselfpar excellence the Abolition
party. That began under William Lloyd
Garrison, and it is still kept up, partly by
himself, and partly BY greater than he,
this great bug boo, Wendell Phillips
What are the doctrines of that partyl 1t
is fairly and squarely acknowledged by
them that the Constitution is slavery doc
ument inasmuch as it binds all the millions
of the free States, in case Of a seryile insur-
rection in the Southern States, to stand by
and defend the rights of the master against
the slave. They come frankly and square
ly to the mark, and say that inasmuch as
from their education and the teachings OF
their consciences they are unwilling TO car
Ty out that part Of the compact, that they
g.. r a. - Al.