Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-12-26

constituents are guilty of all these things, cal
| stand up and accuse us of being unfaithful t.
the Constitution OF the land make the as
sertion here, that do not believe in the his
tory of the world there ever was nation or
| people where law so repugnant to the gener
al feeling was ever executed with the same
faithfulness as has been this most repugnani
Fugitive Slave Law. Yoa have law in South
| Carolina by which you take the free citizeus
| OF Massachusetts, or any other maritime State
and lock them up in Jail under penalty. II
the poor man cannot pay the Jail fees, eternal
| slavery stares him in the face. 1t Is a mon
strous law, revolving to the best feeling OF
humanity, and In conflict with the Constitution
| Of the Uhited States. / don't say this by way
of rccrimnation. 1 know the excitement per-
vading the country, and do not wish to add
single coal to the fame. Nevertheless, l
wish the whole truth to appear. Then, what
| isit? You have the whole legislation of the
| country you own the Cabinet and the Senate,
| and may add you own the President of the
| United States,a ,as much as you own the servants
| on your own plantations. But can't see why
| Southern men rise up and complain of the
| action of this Government. have already
| shown 1t is impossible to point out any act of
| which the Republican party, have been guilty
of which you can complain. Therefore un-
! throw Of this Government, who would break
| it up and resolve 1t into its original elements,
do it on mere suspicion that the Republican
| party may somehow affect their rights.
| Now, what doctrines do we hold detrimental
to your Are we the settlers forth of any new
doctrine under the Constitution tell you,
nay. There is no principle held to-day by the
great Republican party that has not had the
sanction of your Government for more than
seventy years. You have changed your opin-
ions; we stand where we used to stand. We
stand on the Slavery question in the place for
merly occupied by the most reyered statesmen
of this nation, every one of them, Washington,
Jefferson, Monroe, Adams, Jackson, and Polk
inclusive. And that revered statesman, Hen
ry Clay, OF blessed memory, with his dying
breath asserted the doctrine we hold to-day.
Why, then, are we held up before the commu-
nifty as violators of your rights 1t is late in
in the day to accuse us of harboring these o.
pinions. Then, what doctrines do we hold
that are complained 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. / have shown that the
dominant party have nothing to complain OF
in point of legislation. The Republican party
in the North, and in Ohio in particular, hold
the same opinion, sa far as l know, with re-
gard to this peculiar institution that is held by
all the civilized nations in the world. We don't
differ in public sentiment from England, Ger.
many, France, or Italy, or any other civilized
nation on Gods earth. 1 tell you frankly you
will never find community who are in love
with your peculiar institution. Now, the Sen
ator from Texas told us that Cotton was King,
and could overrule, by its influence, Il do but
use his words) and compel men to come down
that it had subjects in Europe. 1 will say
to that Senator that they are rebelious SUBJ
lects, and are talking very disrespectfully Of
their King. They tell you they sympathize
with those You call Black Republicans. There.
fore. hope we shall hear no more of the toast
that ssCotton in King and is going to over
rule all nations and hiring them under its foot
stool. 1t never will be done. But have our
Southern friends any complaints to make OF
the platform tell you frankly that we did
lay down the principle that we would prohibit, |
if we had the power, Slavery from invading
another inch of free-sol territory of this Gov
ernment. l stand there to-day. / have ar
gued it to half a million of people, probably, |
and they stand there-and they have commits |
stoned me to stand there forever, and, so help |
me God l will. l say to you, while we hold |
this doctrine to the end, there is no Republi- |
can, or Convention of Republicans. or paper,
that pretends we have any right in your States |
to interfere with your peculiar institutions.
On the other hand, our platform repudiates the |
idea that We have any right, or intention even,
to invade your institution in your own States.
Now, what do you complain of? You are GO
ing TO break up this government. You are
gong to involve us in war and blood out of a
mere suspicion that we shall transcend that
which We stand here to vindicate. How would
you be justified in the eyes of the civilized
world to take SO monstrous a position, and
predicate it on mere suspicion We don't
owe Slavery. Didn't you know it before to-
lay! Everything remains as it did year ago.
3ut all at once, when we meet here, find all
gloom, and gentlemen rise up to say we arc
IN the eve of breaking up this government.
seven or eight States are going to set up
hostile government-and they look implor-
ngly over to US, and say ssyou can pre-
'ent it," What can we do? You have not
;ondescended to tell us what you want done.
We hold to no doctrine that can possibly
york you any Inconvenience. We have been
airhful to all the laws. II is not, then, that
fr. Lincoln is expected to do any overt act by
'hich you may be injured. You won't wait
or any. But, anticipating that the Govern
nent may work you an injury, you will put an
nd to it, which means simply this-that you
intend to rule or ruin this Government. There
s where it comes. We do not like your inst-
utions, you say. But we never liked them
ny better, and you might as we'll have dissoly-
d the Union at any other time as now. We {
tand precisely where We stood, repudiating I
our Institution as matter of morals, but, ad- /
,itt;ng that, when it is out of our jurisdic-
ION, We have no hold upon it and no designs ,
pom 1t. Is there anything in the character of I
he President elect of which you complain
las he not lived blameless life, never viola {
I'd any law has he committed any violation I
duty? Why then are you suspicious that {
g will7 Now, then, have shown that hav- t
lg the Government in your hands all the time, a
on have brought it the verge OF destruction;
I'D the people, believing it was time the scep- S
II should depart from your hands, have plac- '
! it in more competent hands. II this is so q
on have no constitutional right to complain, |
hen we all disavow any intention SO to make t
se of that victory we have won, as to iDiure {