The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1860-09-27
GCommunicsted.1 !


tainly know that these are times OF
great excitement, when the most
sober are in danger of saying things
which in their cooler moments
their judgments are unable to ap-
prove. Therefore feel it q duty
under existing circumstances to ut
ter no word before q public audi
ence, the import of which I have
not we'll considered in my retire.
ment. l make these remarks from
the fact that l see a reference in
your paper to my speech at DiGhers
Meeting House, in Monroe Town
ship, stating that came out and
forever renounccd and abjured all
fellowship and connection of every
kind whatsoever, with the republi-
can party. Now Mr.. Editor, I
most emphatically deny giving ut
terance to any such language on
that or any other occasion, never
have taken such an ungenerous po-
sition as that and l hope that l
never will, what, forever abjure all
fellowship with some Of my best
neighbors, sir, l cannot and will
not entertain such an idea as that,
when my very nature tells me and
the Constitution of the United
States tells me that the Republican
party has the very same rights to
their opinions and the expression Of
those opinions upon any subject
slavery not excepted,) as 1 have
and I most assuredly do claim this
right for myself. There can be no
genuine mental liberty where the
enjoyment and exercise of great
rights is not freely allowed and
fully guaranteed to all, because it
is selfevident that if men are per-
mitted to think and speak only on
suferance or by the consent of 9TH
t ers, they are deprived of the free
dom of mind and we are in the
: chains of mental bondage, and any
l half way allowance on this subject
' is entirely out of the question and
l should not be INDUCED in for mo-
ment. But as clear familiar and in
| controvertible, as this truth is.
1t is not practically acknowledged,
even in the free North. These
are the principles that 1 ad-
vocate where ever go; let every
subject be discussed freely but rea-
sonably. The seeker after truth
fears not the application of reason
to any proposition that he may be-
lieve in. I basedmy views upon this
very principle while making my
) speech to thepeople ofMonroe Town
ship on Saturday evening 9Th, and
yet it is said by some that I made
: pro-slavery speech, from the fact
t suppose that 1 remarked that the
people of each State ought to have
= their Constitutional rights which 1
G was under the impression allowed
F them to hold their Slaves as prop
4 erty. And 1 broughtthe constitu-
ton and the remarks of the very
men who not onlymade, but finish
: ed that in strument, in support of my
position. Uniformed them on that
occasion that I was going to vote
for Stephen A. Douglas, and gave
e them my reasons for so doing
S 1 stated to them in words not to be
misunderstood, that I did not con-
+ slider any of the parties perfect and
= that believed that Douglas was
n like other men, that he had some
faults but whilst l was choosing I
q wanted to embrace the least evil,
It therefore l am content to let the
5. people settle the question that un-
o questionably belongs to them this
l. principle Douglas embraces, and I
n am with him, for great subjects can
II be settled peaceably if the people
: will agree to resort to the ballot
t box to settle all their political diff
: freences. Yours for S. A. Douglas
l & Co., JOSEPH BECK.
Hamburg Sep. 10, 1860.
= e Il L 4