Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-12-19


capped from one State to another, restored
and delivered up to him, and of the va
lidity of the fugitive slave law enacted for
this purpose, together with declaration
that all State laws impairing or defeating
this right are violations of the Constitu-
ton and are consequently null and void. "
These modest propositions put me in the
state of mind, that man was once in who
was foolishly and wickedly addicted to pro-
fame swearing. Certain mischievous boys,
in order to make him swear furiously, man
aged one day as he was carting a large load
of pumpkins up steep hill, to have his
end board slip out, just as he reached the
top of the hill, and his load of pumpkins,
rolled and tumbled down the hill in all
sorts of confusion. He Strengthened him
self up and gazed in mute astonishment
upon the scene. The boys gathering around
sympathisingly asked him why he did not
swear. Swear" says he, ''whO could DO
justice to such a subject" In my present
state OF mind, cannot do justice to such
villainOus propositions.
The President throws all the blame up
on the people of the Free States for the ag
itation of the slavery question, at the same
time he proposes to agitate anew in his
proposed amendment to the Constitution.
He forgets or assumes. to, that the aeita-
tiOn of the slavery question has been forced
upon the people of the Free States, by the
aggrcssiOns of slavery and the efforts of the
Slave States to keep the control of the gen.
eral Government by the extension of sla-
very. He fails to mention, whenever the
Slave States in hundreds of instances have
violated the Constitution in their treatment
of citizens of the Free States He COM
plains of unconstitutional liberty bills for
the benefit of freedom and passes over
without rebuke or complaint the uncOnsti-
tutional enactments of South Carolina, in
the Imprisonment of colored Seamen from
the Free States.
1t is to be hoped that the nation will
not again be disgr aced, by such a message
upon the slavery question.
The Presidents message, er that part of
it relating to the slavery agitation, on mo-
ton of Mr., Boteler of Va, has been refer
red to a Committee of one from each State.
l do not think any good viii come out of
this reference The extreme Southern men
are now asking to be excused from serving
upon the Committee. The Cotton States,
or some Of them, inasmuch as they can
not rule, desire to ruin the Government,
and with the pusillanimsus Buchanan in
the Presidential Chair, they may attempt
it. l have no faith in Compromises. In
general they concede rights, and admit
wrongs. The right and policy of the Re-
publican party is now to stand firmly upon
the principles announced in the Chicago
Platform, and to say respectfully and kind
ly, but reSOluteLy to Slavery, "tfus far and
no farther" If there is to be an attempt
to violently break up the Government be-
cause majority of the Electoral votes
have been carefully cast for that issue, let j
it be settled nOa1, This gear. !,
We have Government possessing the
power of its own preservation, against the
rebellion of small minority of its people.
Must the majority wish of the people, con-
stitutiOnally expressed, fail to be carried
out on pain of a forceable disruption of the !
at the Will of factious mi
nority? That is the great question, which !
the recent Presidential election should set I
tic, and it is not question to be settled, t
by concession and compromise. l am glad
to be able to state that the Republican
generally are firm but do not in !
tend to give just cause of Offense. They :
will not commence a discussion Of the sla-
very question this Session. They think it I
uncalled for. The people have spoken, let :
their voice be Obeyed. /
There have been some angry words in
the Senate. IyersOn of Georgia, was par i
ticularly violent. His sentiment that some @
Brutus, might yet be found to apply the l
lager to Gov. Houston of Texas, is un-
paralleled in atrOcity, except, perhaps, those
which were uttered during the reign of ter a
ror in the French Revolutionary assembly. L
Surely no slch sentiment as that, uttered h
in either branch of Congress, has ever be- L
fore pierced the ears of civilized people. U
The House on the ID day of the Session, [
passed a genuine homestead bill, obviating
the constitutional objection which the Pres L
dent urged as pretext for vetOing the a
halfway bill of the last Session. The h
military academy and pension bills were v
llse passed, without debate. A dispOsi- l;
ion to do the necessary business of legisla- Il
ion is thus evinced by the House. Mr.. C
sherman in a few days will report to the L
House, the ordinary appropriation bills, 4
md have no doubt, they will be speedily
passed. | think there will be little else P
lone, except the passage of private bills, P
his Session. Ii
The dome of the Capitol has been much t
since the adjournment of Con- is
.ress. One story has been added to it and 81
he temporary roof which so much Obstruc- 81
ed the light from the retunda, has been re a
Il l. | A