The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-08-30


charges Of destructiyeness against US, are
based on the most clear and stable foun-
dations. Again: you say we have made
the slavery question more prominent than
it formerly was. We deny it. We ad-
nit that it is more prominent, but we de-
nv that we made it SO. 1t was not we,
but you, who discarded the old policy Of
the fathers. We resisted, and still resist,
YOUR inEovation--vour want of conserva-
ism; and thence comes the greater prom
inence of the question. Would you have
that question reduced to its former pro-
portions? Go back to the old policy.
What has been will be again, under the
same conditions. If you would have the
peace of the old times, re adopt the pre-
cept and policy Of the old times. Ap-
pla1se.
You charge that we stir up insurrec-
tions among your slaves. We deny it !;
and what is your proof? harper's Fer
Try. [Great laughterl John Brown !!
TRenewed iaughter.l John Brown was
no Republican, aud you have to implicate
single Republican in his Harper's Fer
Try enterprise. Loud applause. If any
member of our party is guilty in that
matter, you know it, or you do not know
it. If you do know it, you are inexCusa-
BILE not to designate the man and prove
the fact If you do not know it, you are
inexcusabe to assert it, and especially to
persist in the assertion after you have til
ed and failed to make the proof Great
applause. You need not be told that
persisting in a charge which one does not
know to be true, is simply malicious SLAM
der. Applause Some of you gener-
ously admit that no Republican design
edly aided or encouraged the Harper S
Ferry affair, but still insist that our doc
trines and declaration necessarily lead to
such results We Go not believe it. We
know we hold to no doctrines and make
no declarations which were not held to and
made by your fathers who framed the Gov,
enmeGt under which we live. ZAP
! plause,
You never dealt fairly by us in relation
to this affair. When it occurred, some
important State elections were near at
hand, and you were in evident glee with
the belief that, by charging the blame
upon US, YOU could get an advantage OF
US in those elections. The elections came,
and your expectations were bot quite full
I filled. laughter. You did not sweep
/ New York, and New jersey, and Wiscon-
sin, and Minnesota, precisely like fire
sweeps over the prairie in high wind.
! Laughter You are still drumming at
this idea Go on with it. If you think
you can, by slandering a woman, make
her love you, Or by villIfyinga a man, make
him vote with you, go on aud try it.
/ Boisterous laughter and prolonged ap-
plausel Every Republican man knew
that, as to himself at least, your charge
was a SANDER, and he was not much in.
cincd By it to cast bis vote in your favor.
Republican doctrines and declarations
are accompanied with a continual protest
against any interference whatever with
your slaves, or with you about your slaves,
Surely this does not encourage them to
revolt. True, we do, 10 common with our
/ fathers who framed the Government un-
der which we live, declare our belief that
slavery is wrong-[applausel but the
slaves do not hear Us declare even this ;
for anything we say or do, the slaves
would scarcely know there is a Republi-
can party. | believe they would not, in
fact, generally know it, but for your mis-
/ representations Of us in their hearing. In
/ your political contests among yourselves,
each faction charged the other with sym
pathy with Black Republicanism and
then, to give point to the charge, defines
Black Republicauism to simply be iusur-
rection, blood. and thunder, among the
slaves. (Bosterops laughter and ap-
| plause) Slave instructions are no more
common now than they were before the
Republican party was organized. What
induced the Southampton insurrection,
twcnty-ei9ht years ago, in which at least
three times as many lives were lost as at
Harpor's Ferry? You can scarcely
stretch your very elastic fancy to the con-
clusion that Southampton was got up by
Black Republicauism. (Laughter) In
the present state Of things in the United
States, do not think general or even
very extensive slave insurrection is pos
sible. The indispensable concert of ac-
tion cannot be attained The slaves have
no means OF rapid communication; nor
can incendiary free men, black or white,
supply it. The explosive materials are
everywhere in parcels, but there neither
are nor can be supplied the indispensable
connecting trains Much is said by
Southern people about the affection of
slaves for their masters and nliStresses :;
and part of it, at least, Is true. A plot
fnr an ,1priSlnO could Soarnniv ba devised