Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-06-29

but this has had no tendency to convince
them. Alike unavailing to convince them
is tho fact that they have never detected
man Of us in any attempt to disturb them.
These natural, aud apparently adequate
means all failing, what will convince them9
This, and this only cease to call slavery
wrong, and Join them in calling it right
And this must be done thoroughly--done
in acts as we'll as in words. Silence will
not be tolerated-we must place ourselves
avowedly with them. Douglas new sed |
ton law must be enacted and enforced, sup !
pressing all declarations that slavery is
wrong, whether made in politics, in presses,
in pupits, or 10 private. We must arrest
and return their fugitive slaves with greedy
pleasure; we must pull down our free State
Constitutions; the whole atmosphere must
be disinfected from all taint of opposition
to slavery, before they will cease TO believe
that all their troubles proceed from US. l
am quito aware they do not state their case
precisely in this way. Most of them would
probably say to u.s. "Let us alone, do moth
ing to us, and say what you please about
slavery" But we do let them alone
have never disturbed them--so that after
all, it is what we say that dssatisies them.
They will continue to accuse us of doing,
until we cease saying. am also aware
they have not, as yet, in terms, demanded
the overthrow Of our free State Constitu-
tions.
THE aIsT OF THE CONTROVERSY.
Yet those Constitutions declare the
wrong of slavery with more solemn empha-
sis than do all sayings against it; and when
all these other sayings have been silenced,
the overthrow of these Constitutions will
be demanded, and nothing be left to resist
the demand. 1t is nothing to the contrary
that they do not demand the whole of this
Just now. Demanding what they do, and
for the reason they do, they can voluntarily
stop nowhere short Of this consummatiou.
Holding as they do, that slavery is morally
right and socially elevating, they cannot
: cease to demand full national recognition
of it as legal right and social blessing.
r Applause. Nor can we justifably with
hold this on any ground save our conviction
! that slavery is wrong.
If slavery is right, all words, acts, laws
and Constitutions against it are themselves
. wrong, and should be silenced aud swept
> away. If it is right, we cannot justly OBJ
= iect to its nationalty-its universally: i
it is wrong, they cannot justly insist upor
= = its extension-its enlargement. All they
!, ask we could readily grant, if we thought
: slavery right; all we ask they could as read
> lily grant if they thought it wrong. Thei
, thinking it right, and our thinking it wrong
is the precise fact upon which depends th'
|, whole controversy. Thinking it right, a
: they do, they are not to blame for desiring
= its full recognition, as being right; bu
: thinking it wrong, as we do, can we yield tt
;, them? Can we cast our votes with thi
view, and against our ownl In view o
\ our moral social and political responsibilities
= = can we do this9 ["No, no." with applause.
- SLAVERY NOT TO BE INTERPRETED WITT
e. WHERE IT ALREADY EXISTS.
of Wrong as we think slavery is, we can ye
10 afford to let it alone where it is, becaus
N that much is due to the necessity arisin
at from its actual presence in the nation; bu
V, can we, while our votes will prevent it, a
ID low it to spread into the national Territorit
u and to overrun us here in these free States
ty T"No, ncver," and applause. A voice
"Guess not" Laughter. If our sense
1R duty forbids this, then let us stand by oil
duty, fearlessly and effectively Let US
diverted by none of those sophistical CO.
.. trivances wherewth we are SO Industrious
nlied and belabored-contrivapc such
,w cropping for some middle ground betweC
ho the right and the wrong, vain as the scare
= for man who should be neither livir
~ man nor dead mau--such policy
10 ''don't care" on question about which &
- true men care-such as Union appeals b
~ seeching true Union men to yield to disu
~, ~ ionists, reversing the divine rule, and callir
~ not the sinners but the righteous to repe
rs tance-Tprolonged cheers and laughter
- such as jnvocations of Washington, impio
e. ing men to unsay what Washington sal
- and undo what Washington did. Neith
!, let us be slandered from our duty by fall
4; accusations against US, nor frightened fro
~. it by menaees of destruction to the COVER
H. ment nor of dungeons to ourselves. A
of plause. Let us have faith that right max
might; and in that faith, let us, to the en-
dare to do our duty, as we understand it.
Mr.. Lincoln then bowed, and retired am
the loud and uproarious applause of h
Gu hearers-nearly every man rising spont
33n' neously and cheering with the full pow
io- of his lungs.
h. ell