Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-12-29
ASHTABULA, o., SATURDAY. MORNING. DECEMBER 29 I86O.


searches and seizures. | was exceednpl,
glad to hear Senators on tho other side sa,
that tue repeal Of these bills will not relevl
the case from the dficultes-and have
heard 1t everywhere that the people Of tht
iree states are unfaithful in executing thu
tugltives Slave law. 1t has been said, IN
der such circumstances here, that although
was sure as to my own State, yet could
not rise to say / did not believe word they
was saying ] never did aud never could
until our enemies here rise in their places,
and with magnanimity commend. have
SAID this was not so. My colleague (Mr
Pugh), with magnauimity for which | give
him my thanks, has stood forth to testify
that, in the State in part represent, Re
publican Judges, Courts and .Juries have
fulfilled this repulsive duty with perfect
faithfulnesS, aud so the senator from Illinois
lMr. Douglass, aud so | understood the
Senator from Indiana (Mr. Fitch to have
said. Therefore, the calumny is remov-
ed from us, so far as the statements of
our political enemies can do it. | know
our Courts feel themselves bound to admin.
lster the laws just as they find them. Let
me say, to gentleman of the Senate on the
other side, where you have lost one slave by
the unfaithfulhess of legislative tribunals,
we have had ten men murdered by your
mobs against law. l caunot take up a
Southern paper but read of men who trav-
ell for business, but you wait upon them by
some committee and tell them to return
And what is the cause ? Why, Sir, you
come from Ohio, and they don't inquire
what party you belong to- Many of these
acts have been done under circumstances
that would disgrace savage. We have
no security in travelling nearly one half of
this Confederacy especially the Gulf States.
L don't care what mans character may be,
aud if he never violated any law under
heaven. but if he comes from the North,
and if he has exercised bis political rights
and voted for Linceln instead of somebody
else, it is an offense punishable by indignity,
by stripes and by death. And you, whose
constituents are guilty of all these things,
can stand up and accuse US Of being unfath.
ful TO the Constitution Of the land / make
assertion here, that l do not believe in the
history of the world there ever was a nation
or people where a law so repugnant to
the general feeling was ever executed with
the same failhfulues as has been this most
repungent Fugitive Slave law. You have
a law in South Carolina by which you take
the free citizen of Massachusetts or any
other maritime state lock them up in jail
under penalty. If the poor man cannot
pay the Jail fees, eternal slavery stairs him
in the face. 1t is monstrouS law, revolving
to the best feelings Of humanity, and in
conflict with the Constitution of the U. s.
l know the excitement prevailing the coun-
try, and do not wish to add single coal
to the flame. Nevertheless, l wish the
whole truth to appear. Then, what is it
You have the whole legislation of the coun-
try you own the Cabinet and the Senate,
aud l may adj you own the President of
the U. S. as mach as you own the servants
on your plantations. But l can't see why
Southern men rise up and complain of the
action Of this Government l have already
shown it is impossible to point out any acts
of which the Republican party have been
guilty Of which you complain. Therefore |
understand that Senators who Justify the
overthrow Of this government, who would
break it up and resolve it into its original
elements, do it on mere suspicion that the
Republican party may somehow effect their
rights. Now, what doctrines do we hold
detrimental to you? Are we the settlers
forth Of any new doctrine under the Con-
stitution | tell you, uay, There is no
principle held to-day by the great Repub
lcan party that has not had the sanction of
OF your Government for more than seventy
years. You have canged your opinions
we stand where we used to stand. We
stand on ;he Slavery question in the place
formerly occupied by the most revered states.
men ofthe nation, every one of them, Wash
linton, Jefferson, Monroe, Adams, jackson,
and Polk inclusive And that revered
statesmen Henry Clay, of blessed memory,
with bis dying breath asserted the doctrine
we hold to-day. Why, then, are We held
up before the community as violaIorS of
your rights Its late in the day to accuse
us of harboring these opinions. Then,
what doctrines do we hold that are complain
ed of? You don't complain of our liberty
bills. You don't complain that Mr.. Lincoln
is violent man and will probably do any
injury to you. The Senator from Geogia
( Mr.. Iverson) told US he had no apprehen.
sion Mr.. Lincoln would do any act in vio-
lation of the Constitution.
Mr.. IvERsoN SAID he had said no such
thing.
Mr.. WADE said he understood the Sena-
tor to say so, and he understood the griev-
ancc to be that the Chief Magistrate, with
the power of the Government, could do
away with Slavery in ten years.
Mr.. IyERsoN said he said the Republican
party might do Injury. He thought Mr..
Lincoln would violate the constitution, when
he could with impunity.
Mr. WADE-It is of no great consequence
whatthe senator said say that Mr. Lin
coins character, from his youth up, has been
such that you have no right to draw any in
ference that be will tresspass on the right
of any man, and il you harbor any. other
it is in consequences of unwar-
anted peUudice, nothing else, have listen
ed to arguments here for about a week
They are in very general terms, very loose
ly drawn, aud do not know where to
meet them all, Is there anything in our
platform detrimental to your rights, unless
that in modern times you set up different
Of the Constitution from
ours We follow 10 the beaten track,
4 y -. 81 tuaua nran