The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-03-16
WHOLE NO., 531.

| many votes II can cast. These threats
enforce another-has It determination
enough to cast them +? This latter aues.
tion touches its spirit and pride. l am
! quite sure, however, that as it has hitherto
practiced self-denial in 80 many other
forms, il will in this emergency lay aside
Nall impotence OF temper, together with all
ambition, and will consider these extra
ordinary declamations seriously and with
a just moderation. 1t would be waste Of
words TO demonstrate that they are uu-
constitutional, and equally idle to show
that the responsibility for disunion at.
tempted or effected, must rest, not with
those who in the exercise OF constitutional
authority maintain the Government, but
with those who unconstitutionaliy engage
in the mad work Of subyerting it.
What are the excuses for these men.
aces They resolve themselves into this,
that the Republican party in the North is
hostile 10 the South. But it already 10
proved 10 be majority in the North il
is practically the people OF the NORTH
Will 1t not still be the same North that
has iorborne with you so long and con-
ceded to you so much ? Can you Justly
assume that affection which has been so
complying, can all at once change 10
hatred intense and iuexorable d?
You ssy that the Republican party 10
sectional one. Is The Democratic party
less sectional? Is it easier for us 10 bear
your sectional sway than for you TO bear
ours? Is it unreasonable that for once
we should alternate But is the Repub.
lican party sectional? Not unless the
Democratic party is. The Republican
party prevails in the House OF Represen.
tatives sometimes the Democratic party
in the Senate always. Which Of the two
is the most pro,criptive Come, il you
will, into the free States, into the State
Of New York, anywhere from Lake Erie
to Sag albor, among my neighbors in
the Owasco Valley hold your conventions.
nominate your candidates, address the
people, submit to them, fully earnestly.
eloquentIy, ali your complaints and grisv.
ances Of northern disloyalty, oppression,
per6dy; keep nothing back speak just as
freely and loudly there as you do here:
you will have hospilable welcomes, and
appreciating audiences, with ballot. boxes
open for all the votes you can win. Are
you less sectional than this Extend to
US the same privileges. and I will engage
that you will very soon have in the South
as many Republicans as we have Demo.
Gratis in the North. There is, however, o
better test OF nationality than the acci.
dental location Of parties. Our policy of
labor in the territories was not sectional
in the first forty years Of the Republic
lis nature inheres. It will be national
again, during the third forty years, and
forever afterwards. 1t is not wise and
beni6cent for us alone, or injurious to you
alone. Its effects are equal, and the
same for US all.
You accuse the Republican party Of ul.
terror and secret designs. How can q
party that counts its votes in this land Of
free speech and free press by the hum
dreds OF thousands, have any secret
designs? Who is the conjurer, and
where are the hidden springs by which
he can control its uncongregaied and
widely dispersed masses, and direct them
to objects unseen and purposes unavowed?
But what are these hidden purposes -
You name only one. That one is 10 in.
troduce negro equality among you. Sup
pose we had the power 10 change your
social system: what warrant have you
for supposing that we should carry negro
equality among? We know. land we will
show you, il you will only give heed, that
what our system OF labor works out.
wherever it works out anything. is tho
equality Of white men. The laborer in
the Free States, no matter how humble
his occupation, is a white man, and be 10
politically the equal of his employer
Eighteen Of our thirty three States are
free-labor States. There they are Maine,
New Hampshire, Mass ssachuse,ts, Vermont,
Rhode Island. Connecticut. New York.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, OHIO, Mich
igan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Mime.
sofa, Iowa, California. and Oregon. I do
not array them in contrast with the cap.
ital States. am no assailant of States.
All OF the States are parcels Of my own
country-the best Of them not so wise
and great as l am sure il will hereafter
be; the State least developed and perfect
ed among them all is wiser and better
than any foreign state Know. Is it then
in any, and in which, Of the States | have
named that negro equality offends the
white mans pride ? Throughout the
wide world, where is the State where class
and caste are SO utterly extinguisbed as
they are in each and every one Of them 7
Let the Europeon immigrant. who avoids
the African as if his skin exhaled con.
tagion, answer. You find him always in
the State where labor is ever free. Did
Washington, Jefferson, and Henry, when
they implored you to relinquish your sys.
tenn and accept the one we have adopted.
propose to sink you down to the level Of
the African, or was il their desire to exalt
all white men to common political els.
walton?
But we do not seek TO force. or even 10
intrude. our system. on you. We are
excluded, justly. wisely. and contentedIy.
from all political power and responsibility
in your capital States. You are sovereiea
on the subject Of slavery within your own
borders, az we are on the Same subject
within our borders. II is we'll and wisely
so arranged. Use your authority to
maintain what system You please. We
are not distrustful Of the result. We have
wisely, as we think, exercised ours 70