The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-10-17
OFFICEINP PHO
G9e 4ottIa!gt Sentinel. s.: til i,
wednesday, October II, 1850.
Hon. R. C. WinfhroD ON tile Is
sues Of iIIe Day. ss bed

/ ~
Hon, r. G, Winthrop :,,,o ,.., i,:., t,s
| i, Ihave said, Mr.. President, that everything
which | had heard from my own land, during
my absence, had confirmed my attachment
to the cause in whichGvon are essen bled -
shall not soon forget the emotionss with
which / received, ,,at VienH a, last November
The 6Fst ,idiaes OF that airocious afTaif ii
Horper's Ferry. They came IN tie form ol
abrief teleRrOphic dispatch, without details,
without xplanations--simpl snnouncin g
that an armed and organized band of Aboli.
tion consprators had taken forcible posses
sion OF the National Arsenal, 10 furtherance
Of aconcerted i1sufrecton of the blacks,
and that blood had already begun to flows
| think there could have been no true
American heart in Europe at that moment
that did not throb and thrill with horror. at
that announcement. But confess to have
experienced emotions hardly lees deep or
distressing: when Tread nj not long after.
wards, an account of a, a,meeting in this very
hall, / believe, at which the gallows at
Charlestown, in Virginia, was likened to the
Cross Of Calvary, and at which II was OPEN
ly declared that the ringleader of that des.
perate and wicked conspiracy was right
Sir, II it had been suggested to me then, Ii at
before another year had passed away, the
presiding officer at that meeting would hsve
been deliberately nominated by the Repub
lican party of Massachusetts for the Chief
Msgistracy OF this ,Commonwealth, should
have repealed the idea as not within the
prospect OF belief--as utterly transcendiag
any pitch of extravaganza which even the
widest and most ultra members Of that par-
~ had ever prepared US to anticipate. But
the nomination is before US. The candidate,
am told, is a most amiable and respectable
gentleman, and have no wish to say an
,unkind word OF him or of those who endorse
him.. But should be false to every, ian.
pulse Of my heart, il being here at all this
evening-if opening my lips ot all during
this campaign, | did not enter my humble
protest, ,---us one to whom the cause of
Christianity and of social order is dear, as
one who would see the word of God and the
laws Of the land respected and obeyed, If
did not enter my humble, but earnest pro.
test against such an attempt to give the
seeming sanction OF the people OF Mlssa.
chusetts to sentiments so zimpious and SO
abominable. y, %oie;s+,a t#rg =
Bat the question is not where q man was
twelve years ago, but where he is now
with whom he 'is now acting what al.
rection he il now moving Ito whom and Il
what he is now committed. Old record.
are nothing. Names are nothing. Men are
nothing, in campaign like the present.
There is but one, simple, but oil sufficien
and all embracing consideration, certainly
which will govern my. own vote at the com
ing election and il il could govern the vote
OF every other man il the Union, should
have no fears for the result. 1T is no con-
sderation of sluvery or anti slavery. IT, is
no question of personal or party Triumph
1t is the conviction which mistaken possess
sion of my whole heart. and soul and mind,
that the best and highest interests OF our
country and Of every humsn being who in
habits our country.-ye / will not scruple
to include black as well as white, bond as
we'll as free,-that all our dearest moral and
religious interests, as we'll as our highest
political an ! socis! interests, demand truce,
a long truce--ifIpossible, final termina-
tion-to the fratricide strife which has been
SO long waged between the North and the
South. Peace, concord, the restoration of
nationsl harmony, Of mutual good will and
of individual good nature-this IL the one
great want of our land, in all Its relations,
at this moment. Nothing, nothing but mis-.
chief, has thus far resulted from the section
al examinations and recriminations which
have SO long formed the whole web and
woof of our public debates. Extravagant
anduntenable doctrines have been advanc I'd
toJ ho, ~ tho NnPfh and af ha
South, in mere spite towards each other, and
measures have been set on foot which would
never have been dreamed Of, except in a
spirit ofretaiistion and revenge. Bad blood
has been ongendered, bad langeage has fal,
len from lips educated to better utterances,
and blows have followed words. Both the
Northern ind the Southern mind need rest
Land repose, 10 order to recover from the fe
yer and frenzy which cent domestic strug.
| giles have produced. A four yeara' truce to
all these dismal and dreary and wholly ab,
stract disputes and chickering's ab5ut edIat-
ter sovereignty, and bred Scott decisions,
and Southern, oligarchiss, and sectional ag
grsssons, would do no more 10 restore and
advance j1st views of the Constitution, and
lust views OF freedom, and just views Of sla.
very, too, than oil the haranguss and phil
lippics which have been composed and ut
tered since the days Of Demosthenes and
Cicero.
9 I repeat, fellow citizens, we need q res
toration of National harmony, Of that frnter.
nal feeling between different members ot
the Union which was so eloquent and ad-
mirably advocated by the gallant and true.
hearted Crittenden in bis late noble speech
--fn order that all the great interests OF oui
country may once more be calmly and justly
considered and provided for. And, nationsl
harmony can neve: be restored BY the tri,
umph OF either Of the extreme parties, whe.
iher Of the North or the South. Certainly,
II cannot be restored by the triumph Of .
psrtv. which has wholly refused TO Fecog-
nize the Southern States in the selection Of
their candidates, and which does not pretend
[ to reiy upon or to anticipate single electo.
lr8l vote IRON auy one OF thoss States.--
Certainly, il cannot be restored by the tfi
lumph, OF a party, at least one Of whose can
ldidates is 60 identified with those who would
awasd the hoiiest crown Of m1rtyrdom to
Irhe yery nstiQa Qator aud organizer ofSinsuF
lractibn and treason, and 60 many Of whose
| aroans, and orators are daily denonncing the
Sou,h as a land Of barbarism, ald, daily exs
EnIiings IA The idea 81 an irrepressible conflict
between the slave States and free States.
| n would be madness 10 expect from such .
triumph anything but renewed agitati00,, re-
newed irritation, and renewed ontbfeaRs ol
IIanatieism al one end Of the Union. and fury
a the other,ewh n0spairiots and mo- Chris
tian can contemplate without q ahudder. cS
For myself, my friends, ] have nothing e
| seek from any candidate OF any party, and