Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-20

| position gave to the scene an aspect of Dig
nifty and importance. Abrass band occupied
the orchestra, and at intervals, solaced the
audience with variety of patriotic strains
| and airs pregnant of stirring recollections.
| at two o'clock the chair was taken by the
Mayor, who called the meeting to order.
The blessing of Heaven was then invoked
upon its deliberations by Right Reverend
John Mcllyaine, Bishop of Ohio On mo-
ton of G. Brashesrs, Esq. Committee of
| Five was appointed to report resolutions cx-
| pressiye of the sense of the meeting and the
following persons were named for that pur-
| pose Nathaniel Wright, Larz Anderson
Rufus King, w. W. Scarborough and James
| Hall.
1t was moved by the same gentleman that
all resolutions offered by individual members
| of the meeting be referred without debate to
the foregoing Committee.
Against the adoption of this rule r. NJ.
| CorWine, Esq, protested, and, after some
little conversation, the motion was laid on
| the table.
| After the Committee had retired. the
Mayor proceeded to state the object for which
| the meeting had been called. He alluded
| teelingly to the threatening aspects of the
times, expressed the opinion that better
understanding of each others feelings and
characters was necessary to restore harmony
| between the North and the South. and al
|
Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana,
which occurred a few months ago at the
| same place, and the cordiality which was
then felt and expressed, as evidence of a
| Willingness on both sides to maintain not the
Union merely, but the most intimate and
triepdly relations. The remarks of the
Mayor were well received and frequently
applauded.
After the Mayor had taken his seat, q
| general call was made for Mr.. Groesbeck in
obedience to which that gentleman took the
stand.
Mr.. Groesbeck made his appearance, car
| rying in his aspect an air of settled mel
ancholy, the effect of which upon the audi
ence was at once perceptibie. He COM
menoed by expressing, in tones of extreme
| sadness, the opinion that the present condi-
ton of the country is exceedingly critical.
we know not how suddenly not merely
one, but several States may decide to secede
from this Confederacy; nor are we able to
calculate all the dire consequences of such
an event. In the course of those agitations
| by which the present state of things had been
brought upon us, all parts of the Union had
| been to blame. The North had done wrong;
and so had the South; but the North and
South, through misrepresentation, had
been made to appear more inimical to each
other than they are in reality. Mr. Groes-
beck proceeded to speak of the PERSONAL
liberty laws of several Northern States as
calculated to irritate, if not to injure, the
South; and hoped that as an act of simple
justice they would be repealed. He, how
ever, did not counsel an exhibition of slavish
subserviency to Southern prejudices or
Southern demands. Let US not make rash
promises to do what we can not perform.
Let us be sparing rather than proftlse of our
literature. The South will despise US as we
shall deserve to be despised if we send a roll
OF sounding nonsense or an array of dough-
face resolutions. All that we can do is to
express our love for that Union to which we
owe so much, and our willingness to sacri-
flee every thing but principle and self-respect
| for its preservation.
Mr.. Groesbeck spoke nearly an hour and
his speech had many passages that were
truly eloquent 1t was frequently and
warmly applauded. At its close, the Com
mittee on Resolutions, by its Chairman, Ma
thaniel Wright, Esq, made the following
report; which-Mr. Wrights voice having
failed-was read by Hon. Rufus King, with
great propriety of tone and accent. and was
received with tumultuous and long continued
applause;
| That we earnestly cherish the Federal Const-
tuition, III integrity Of the Union, and the peace
and security Of all its citizens.
2. That we hold secession by State, resistance
by any state to the Federal laws, to be pneOnsttu-
bnt yet in spirit Of foYhearance and conciation.
oyccIto we % mo hoif al stSs SWs opposing the Just
unconstitutional and void but mischeyous in their
and South and that all good citizens will unite to
effect the repeal of such laws.
=. That the clause in the Constitution, which
guarantees the rendition of fugitive slaves, in
dispensable to the formation and is indspensa bic
necessary to the South and every good citizen viii
faithfully sustain the execution of the laws made in
5. That We most earnestly disapproye of and con.
denim the uncandid aud unjust denunciations in each
section OF tho country against the people of the
other, which have for 80 many years been prevalent
s STSdssa STSdssns With ST haze A. length
misguided the judgments Of many and we believe
be ore chief cause Of the political evils Of the day
o. I59t wv We1 common as we believe with the
alton and o6horrence any effort to foment insubor-
dinat,on 9r insurIeGti9n among the slaves and that
religion as well as to law in opposing to the utmost
I. That we have entire confidence that the united
and perseyertDg efforts of candid mon to counteTact
the evil spirit which has SO long been spreading in
curately acquainted with the real circumstances OF
eSeh Gt9sr; TO the bitterness so com
tain the Constitution and oil the laws, aud to cher
Tere pre- beloved Gnion but GaoR @ RGs Tsst9rS G9S
the hearts OF all its people their ancient faith and
8; That 'eternal vigilance is the price of liberty
ana every citizen, high or low rich or poor, must
crisis awake, throw on the sLackies Of party, and
e. That committee of thirteen be appointed by
the Chairman at his leisure, to prepare and publish
an address on the subject of the foregoing reso-
lutions, and TO take such other steps as they may
deem proper to advance the general object Of this
meeting.
The question being on the adoption of the
resolutions, r. NJ. Corwine, ESQ., rose to
speak; but the programme read Hon. Henry
Stanbery, and to him the place was accorded.
1t was obviously the part allotted to Mr..
Stanberry TO explain to the audience the
expressions respecting concession and con-
ciliation that occur rather incOngrously, at
the close of the second resolutions and this
he did, apparently to the satisfaction of those
who do as well as those who do not, advo-
cate coercion. He was opposed to the en-
ployment of force to keep a State in the
Union, and yet opposed to permitting it to
60 out of the Union, upon any terms what
soever. He considered the Union as pecu-
liarly fortunate in being able to escape the
necessity of enforcing its laws in South Caro-
lima, in consequence of the resignation of the
Federal Judges in that State and went on to
show how the Federal Government could
enforce the revenue laws without the neces-
sity to employ coercion directly upon the
people-thus throwing the odium of first
resort to arms upon the other party. In re-
spect to the revenue laws, his views were
ingenious and rationale but he did not show
satisfactorily how the Administration can
legally evade the appointment of Judges in
the place of those who have resigned, or how
| N,.EA A1.zs-.