The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-06-08

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claro that, in bis understanding, any proper
division Of local from federal authority, or
any part Of the Constitution, forbade the
Federal Government 10 control as to slayorv
in tho Federal Territories. To those whe
so now declare give, not only "our fathers
who framed the Government under which
We live" but with them all other living men
within the century in which II was frared,
among them 10 search, and they shall not
be able TO find the evidence Of single man
agreeing with them. Nov and here. let me
guard little against being misunderstood.
do not moan TO say we are bound to
follow implicitly in whatever our fathers did.
To do so would be to discard all the lights
of current experieDce-to reject ail proRress
all Improvement. What do say is, tbat
il We would supplsnt tho opinions and policy
Of our fathers, in any case, We should do so
upon evidence so conclusive, and argumene
so clear, that even their great authority
fairly considered and weighed, cannot stand;
and most surely not in case whereof We
ourselves declare thoy understood the ques-
ton better than we. tLaughter) II any
man, at this day, sincerely believes that
proper division of local from federal author.
ity. or any part of the Constitution, forbids
the Federal Government TO control as to
slavery In the Federal Territories, he has
right to say so. and to enforce his position
by all truthful evidence and fair argumons
bo can. But he has no right to mslead
others, who have less access TO history and
less leisure to study it, into the false belief
that "our fathers, wt,o framed the govern.
mont under which we live, were OF the same
opin;on--thus substituting falsehood aud
deception for truthful evidence and fair ar.
gumont. (Applause.) If any man at this
a.. ~. Kali E. a.
framed the government under which We
cases, which ought to have lead them to un-
derstand that proper division of local
from federal authority, or some part of tho
Constitution, forbids the Federal Govern
ment to control a. to slavery in the Federal
Territories, no 10 right to say 90. But he
should, at the same time, brave the respou-
sibility of declaring that, in his opinion, he
understands thoir principles better than
they did hemselvee--(great laughtor) and
especially should he not shirk thai responsi-
bility by asserting that they understood
the question just as we'll and even better,
than We do now" (Applause)
i But enough. Let all who believe that
our "fatbers, who framed the government,
under which VIC live, understood tbis ques-
tion just as we'll, and even better than we
do now" speak ns they spoke, and act 40
they acted upon il. This 10 oil Republicans
ask-all Republicans desire in relation to
slavery. As those fathers marked il, 30 let
IL DO again marked, as an evil not TO be ex-
tended, bat TO be tolerated, and protected
only because Of aud 30 far % its actual pres.
ence among us makes that federation and
protection . necessity. Loud applause.
Let oil the guarantees those fathers gave &c
be, not grudgingly, but fully and fairly
maintained. For this Republicans contend,
and with this, % far as know or believe,
they will be content. (Applause.l :
And now, il they would lsten--as sup.
poso they will not-I would address few
words to the Southern people. [Laughterl
l would say to them: You consider your
selves reasonable and just people, and
consider that in tho general qualities OF rea-
son and justice you are not inferior to any
other people; still, when you speak Of us
Republicans, you do 90 only to denounce
US as reptiles, or, as the beat, NJ no better
than outlaws. You will grant hearing to
pirates or murderers, but nothing like it to
"Black Republicans" Laughter.
In all your contentious with one another,
each Of you deems an unconditional con-
demnation of Black Republicanism" as tho
first thing to be attended 10. daughter.
Indeed, such condemnation Of MS seems to
bo an indispensable prerequisite--license, so
to speak-among you to be admitted or
permitted to speak at ell. Now, can you or
not be prevailed upon to pause and to con-
slider whether this is quite just to us, or even
to yourselves Bring forward your charges
and specifications, and then be patient long
enough to hear US deny or justify. You say
we arc sectional. We deny il. cloud sp-
plause,) That makes an issue, and tho bur-
den of proof 10 upon You. Laughter and
applause. You produce your proof; and
what is il? Why, that our party has no
existence in your section-gets no votes In
your section. The fact is substantially true;
but does il prove the issue II il does, then,
in case VIC should, without change of princi-
pie. begin to get votes in your section, wa
should thereby cease to be sectional. [Great
merrimenL] You cannot escape this con-
clusion |; and yet, arc you willing to abide
by it? II you arc you will probably soon
hnd that we have ceased to be sectional. for
We shall get votes in your section this very
year. Loud choers.l You will then begin
to discover, as the truth plainly 10, that yOuv
proof does not touch the Issue. The fact
that We got no votes in your section 10 .
fact Of your making and not ours. And II
thero be fault In that fact, that fault is pri-
Whfuy 4outb, buu Tomuinb Will you SHOW
that We repel you by some wrong principle
or practice. II We do repel you by any
wrong principle, the fault is ours but this
} brings you to whore you ought to have start-
} ed-to discussion of the right or wrong Of
our principle. loud applausel
; II our principle. put in practice. would
wrong your section for the benefit OF ours,
or for any other object, then our princi.
pie, and We with 10, are sectional, and are
Justly opposed and denounced as such
Meet US, then, on the question Of whether
our principal, put in practice, would
wrcng your section; and 30 meet il 90 10
it were possable that something may bs
said on our side. Laughter. Do you
accept the challenge? No. Then you
really believe that the principle which
1 our fathers who framed the Government
under which we live throught 90 clearly
{ right as to adopt it. and endorse II agaiu
and again, upon their official oaths. is. ia
; fact. so clearly wrong As TO demand your
condemnation without moments eonsid-
Grafton. [Applause. Some Of you
delight to haunt in our faces the waning
, against sectional parties given BY Wash.
, inpton in his Farewell Adress. Less than
n 80 -. k.fopa Waah;ncton eava tha