The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-05-17

Z
yania to vote against the acquisition Of
anv territory unless slavery shall be ex-
cluded from it, 1t was voted for by eve
nv Democratic member Of the lower House
Of the Legislature, and by all the Sena-
tors but three--Air Bigler, the present
Democratic Senator IRON Pennsylvania,
being in the Senate, and voting for it. If
resolutions hike that were now adopted
by any party in Pennsylvania, they would
be denounced by the Democratic leaders
as II reasonable, incendiary, and dangerous
to the. peace and welfare Of the Union.
4 simple resolution, which was offered at
this session, instructing the Judiciary
! Committee to inquire into the expediency
of prohibiting slavery where we have the
constitutional right to do so, was conSid-
cred dangerous attack upon the rights
Of the South. They tell US now, that if
We assert that freedom is the proper con-
dition of the Territories, and that slavery
does not exist and must not 90 there, and
Ilf we should dare to elect President
holding these views, that he shall never
take his seat, and that the Union shall
be dissolved in consequence. Can 1t be
that this course on the part Of the South
has caused this great change in the poll
ticans Of the North? Have we been
frightened from our propriety and our
rights BY impotent and insolent threats !!
1t seems to me that no other reason for
the change can be ascribed. II this be
so; if men will he deferred from holding
their opinions by such reasons; then, !
think, slavery Of the baser sort may fair
ly be said to exist north Of Mason and
Dixon's liue.
How would our southern brethren feel
if we put a like proposition to them
We believe slavery to be wrong. We
think that it is an evil. You, gentle
men, believe that slavery is right, and
ought to go into the Territories. You
favor the extension of slavery. Suppose
we should say that if you elected man
to the Office Of President, who held the
same views you do, and elected him in a
peaceful and constitutional manner, we
would never allow him to be sworn into
, Office, but would, in that event, dissolve
this Union and destroy the Government
would it not be fairly said that such a
, threat deserved only your scorn and con-
tempt? Surely it would. So we treat it
when it comes from yo2. No such threat
, will, I think, prevent the men Of the
North from exercising the sacred right OF
suffrage in the way they think proper.
We intend, at the next election, to elect
"a Republican Presdent-if we can get
votes enough and when he Is elected he
will take his seat. Of that you may be
sure.
Mr. Chairman, the Republican party is
a Union party. 1t is in favor Of preserv-
ing this Uuion in its integrity, and with
all the rights Of all the sections. We dc
, not desire the preservation of the Union,
as our southern friends sometimes allege,
for mercenary purposes. We disclalm
that entirely We have higher and no
|. bier reasons for sustaining it. We would
preserve it because it is a rich legacy from
- our forefatherS, won by their toll and
= blood. We have received 1t unlmpalred,
, and unimpaired we intend to leave it to
our children. We believe it to be the
best form of government on earth, and
that It's destruction would be the greatest
political calamity that could befall Us, and
J one that must be averted by almost any
: conceivable sacrifice.
| Nv own State has suffered more from
: the acts of the South, within the last ff
teen years, than all the southern States
2 together have suffered from the acts o.
= the North from the beginning of the Gov
ernment. We have seen our interests
r struck down by the free-trade Democrats
! Of the South, IN the repeal of the tariff OF
1912 ; our property deprecated in value
: our manufactures closed our business IL
e a great mauuer ruined and yet we have
S no. threatened to dissolve the Union OF
e that account. We did not claim the righ
t to redress our grievances in that way.
: have no hesitation in saying that We have
: lost more property by the repeal Of The
t tariff of 1912 than you have by all The
i runaway slaves, from the foundation o
e the Government down to the presen
] time.
. Mr.. Chairman, what have we done witt
: respect to slavery that should bring upor
G us all this fearful storm ? What princi
pies do we now hold that should 50 ex
cite their hostility. live in State Dor
0 dering some three or four hundred miles
Y upon slave territory; and yet the fugitive
slave law, odious as it is to the mass o
: our people, is executed there without Sc
0 rious difficulty. To be sure, we require
southern men to come after their slaves
: we do not propose to run down their ne
groes and take them back. They shoulc
not ask that; but whom they come to VI