Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-20
TIE IGNORED EXPLANATIONS.

TIE IGNORED EXPLANATIONS.
But what did Gov. Seward sayl With that
Observation-Disclosures which pervadss too many
ofthe Democratic journals, all the essential and
phaOsophc qualifications of that expression
have bsen withheld from the free white labor
ers ofthe Soutk. What says Governor Seward
Gov. Seward is long headed man. It is not
denied that, whatsoever he may be, he knows
what he is about / heard one Of the most dis
Ilnguished jurisls OF the commonwealth of Ken
tneky say that he bad the clearest and most
/ pmlosPhic head Of any man in the Union; and
what does this clear headed man say! Does he
leave 1t capable of perversiOnl Does he say
that because slave labor and free labor arc ii-
compatible that he Republic party are going
to enslave the white men Of the South, or to in
teHere with the slavery now existing in the
/ South! No, sir! deny that. / viii state
substantially what be does say. He says, Rnd
| this IS the important item which is left out by
the Democrats press, that although this phils
osOPhical conclusion is going on, whether it is
the work of this century or ofthe rext, or of
ten centuries, or often 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 peaceaby
| by the amendment of the Constitutions and laws
ofthe several Southern States themselves.
Is there Democrst here unwilling to endorse
that method Of settling the conflict which Dem
ocratic FaPers assert existsl 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! lfit is not, here then is as higher
law'-the law of Slavery, higher than that of
all Democratic principles, that is, the same
Divine right against which we fought in the
British king, by which he claimed to rule over
US without our consent. Whatever it be, [ 6 it
even the law of God, that is certainly not De-
mOcracy; it is despctism; it is the same old
Divine right Ofkings, and nothing else, disguise
it as you may. So said Gov Seward So say
l, and SO says the Democratic party. The Re-
publican party iu 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 aseertained
will of the majority of the people, let them hold
on to the institution to all eternity, but, if the
people of South Carolina, Georgia or Kentucky
IN their omnipOteEt power as the soveFeigns of
| their own country, choose to abolieh it 10 way
that seems to them good, it is none of our bus
| iness; in Gods name, let them DO it, That is
| the doctrine l have always avowed in this com.
monwealth, that inasmuch as / was free born
white citizen Of Kentucky, for the freedom of
! which my fathers stood, my sentiments were for
| the expulsion OF this system from our ComS
| mOnwealth; but further than that l did not
| claim TO GO. If we choose to abolish or main
| tain slavery, it Is our business. If Virginia,
South Carolina or Missouri chooses 10 abolish it,
it is their business and it is an Oficious inter-
meddling that tries to dictate to Kentucky. and
Iaarr 10 Ill Z 49, . =.
al rights, these people are cowards Irasmuch
as leave them free to claim their State SOW
eIeignty and power, claim to exercise my con
stitutiOnal 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 concerned, it was established, as
they believe, upon the basis of equal rights, and
they say that Into tho free territories of this
Union slavery shall not go. That is the ground
the distinctive ground of the Republican par.
ty; the only ground at issue between the great
parties of the United States
But as l said before, do not stand here to
vindicate Gov Seward, especially; only 80 far
as allegations have been made against him, aud
through him have been intended to act upon
and against the Republican party, have l aLlud
ed 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 Virginia; espe-
cialy perhaps, as it applies to this distinguish
ed 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 itself par excel
lence the Abolition party. That began under
William Lloyd Garrison, and it is still kept up,
partly by himself, and partly by greater than
hes this great bug boo, Wendell Phillips
What are the doctrines of that party? It'll
fairly and squarely acknowledged by them that
the Constitution is a slavery document, mas
much as it binds all the millions of the free
States, in case of servile insurrection in the
| Southern States, to stand By and defend the
I rights Of the master against the slave. They
come frankly and squarely to the mark, and
say that inasmnch as from their education and
the teachings Of their consciences they are un-
willing to carry out that part of the compact,
that they go for a dissolution Of the Union; let
the slave States 90 to themselves, and let US to
ourselves. If the Southern States choose to
! hold slaves let them do it, but, inasmuch as we
choose not to hold slaves we will not, and we
will not bear the responsibility of their acts =
Let US depart in peace, the one from the other
They are, however, non Iesistants. But let
me say, while speaking of Phillips, he is the
greatest man that ever listened tO-I speak OF
his intellect. One idead as he has been called,
there isa power and versatility and uRiFsrsality
10 him thatis possessed by no orator, living or
dead. That is my opinion. He is anOn-resis
tsnt He st; nds responsible for his own Opin.
ions to man and to God 4tis net for me to
defend him here. ~ Il
THE RADICAL ABoLITIoNIsTs.
Next comes the radical abolition party
They say that the idea Of dissolving the Union
is too far removed, they cannot wait fer this
moral influence to exert itself. By the wa7, I
should mention that the Garrison and Phillips
patty does not vote They think if they vote
under the Constitution and hold office underit,
they you'd be bound to take the oath Of allegi-
ance, and iRasmuch, as they cannot do that,
they do not vote or hold office; but not SO with
the radical abolitionists; they hold that they
have a right not only to vote but to abolish
tho Gfafsa TO- L,,r, t.b..I,