Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-06-29
THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM,
AS ExPoUNDED BY
HON. ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
In Speech delivered before the Cooper
Institute, February 27, 1860.
.(Coneluded.
wAsHINeToN's FAREWELL ADDRESS.

CONCtuded.J
wAsHINeToN's FAREWELL ADDRESS.
II our principle, put in practice, would
wrong your section for the benefit Of ours,
or for any other object, then our principle,
and we with it, are sectional and are just
ly opposed and denounced as such. Meet
us, then, on the question of whether our
principle, put in practice, would wrong your
section; and so meet it as if it were possible
that something may be said on our side.-
[Laughter] Do you accept the challenge 2
No. Then you really believe that the priu-
ciple which tour fathers who framed the
government under which we live" thought
so clearly right as to adopt it, and endorse
again and again, upon their official oaths, is,
in fact so clearly wrong as to demand your
condemnation without moments consider
alton. Applause Some of you delight
to faunt in our faces the warning against
sectional parties given by Washington in
his Farewell Address. Less than eight
years before Washington gave that warn
ing be had, as President of the United
States, approved and signed an act enforcing
the prohibition Of slavery in the Northwest
ern Territory, which act embodied the poll
cy of the Government upon that subject, up
to and at the very moment he penned that
warning, and about one year after be penned
it he wrote to Lafayette that he considered
that prohibition a wise measure, expressing
in the same connection his hope that we
should have confederacy of free States
(Applause] Bearing this in mind, and
seeing that sectionalsm has since arisen up
on this same subject, is that warning a
weapon in your hands against US, or in our
hands against youl Could Washington
himself speak, would he cast the blame Of
that sectioualism upon us, who sustain his
policy, or upon you who repudiate it? Ap-
plause. We respect that warning Of
Washington, and we commend it to you, TO-
gether with his example, pointing to the
right application of it. Applause] But
you say you are conservadve--eminently
conservative-while we are revolutionary,
destructive, or something of the sort.
POLITICAL CONSERVATISM DEFINED.
What is conseryatisml Is it not adhe-
renee to the old and tried, against the new
and untriedY We stick TO, contend for the
identical old policy on the point in contro-
versy which was adopted by our fathers who
framed the government under which we
live; while YOU with one accord reject and
scout, and spit upon the old policy, and in
sist upon substituting something new
True, you disagree among yourselves as tc
what that substitute shall be. You have a
considerable variety of new propositions
and plans, but you are unanimous in reject
ing and denouncing the old policy of tho
fathers. Some of you are for reviving the
foreign slave trade; some for q Congress
sional slave code for the Territories SOM
for Congress forbiddng the Territories t.
prohibit slavery within their limits SOM
for maintaing slavery in the Territorie
through the Judiciary some for the "gur
reat pur-rinciple"- laughter that if on
man would enslaye another, no third persol
should object, fantastically called "popula
sovereignty renewed laughter and ap
plause but never man among you in favo
Of federal prohibition of slavery in the fed
eral territories, according TO the practice c
tour fathers who framed the governmen
under which we live.n
Net one of your various plans can shol
precedent or an advocate in the centur
within which our government originated
Consider then, whether your claim Of cor
servatism for yourselves, and your charg
Of destructiyeness against us are based 0
the most clear and stable foundations
Again, you say we have made the SLAYER
question more prominent than it formerl
was. We deny it. We admit that it
more prominent, but we deny that we mad
it 50. 1t was not we, but you, who discard
ed the old policy Of the fathers. We r.
sisted and still resist, your innovation--yol
want OF conservatism, and thence come
the greater prominence of the question
Would you have that question reduced [
its former proportiopsl Then 90 back
that old policy. What has been, will /
again, under the same condition. If 70
would have the peace Of the old times, yo
must re-adopt the precepts and policy
the old times. [AppIause.
JOHN BROWN AND HARPER's FERRY
You charge that we stir up insurectio
among your slaves. We deny il; and VIII
Is your proofl "Harper's Feny!V Gre
laughter John Brown" TRenewe
laughter.l John Brown was 20 Republica
and you have failed TO implicate a sing
Republican IN the Harpefs Ferry ente
prise. Loud applausel II any memb,
Of our party is guilty in that matter, 20
know it, or you do not know H. II yon d
know il, you arc inexcusabIe because Va
do not designate the man and prove Il
fact. II you do not know il, you are il
exeusable 70 assert it, and especially iope
Hat in the assertion after you have trie
and failed to make the proof Great Al
plausea You need not bc told that pc
gisfiur In 4 ehar0a which or,a doaa ,,.t Inc