Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-10-11

you as The Democrats differ from each other,
but that they are traitors to the Constitution,
hostile to your interests, bent on servile in
IstIrrection, endeavoring to invade your State !
institutions, and make your families insecure
and your lives torment, that is policy to
which | will never give my assent, ard
against which | have struggled always. 1t
lis misrepresentation of the condition of
affairs in more than one-half of this country, |
against which I feel called upon, by my |
highest duty here before you this night, face
to face, as did in the House of Representa-
tives, when responding to the impertnent
Resolutions of the Maryland Legislature
, great applause to declare that they who
attempt to excite these passions are doing it
for no patriotic purposes. They are doing it
to facilitate party triumph. They are do
ing it to blacken and render hateful their
fellow-citizens in the eyes of their fellow
citizens. They are playing into the hands OF
that element of dsunion which exists at the
South, and which rejoices in having the cho-
rus of "disunion if Lincoln is elected" rung
all over the South, because if the contingency
should occur they can appeal to mems pride
and their consistency to preciptate them
into a revolution.
Now, I say that these representations
are misrepresentation of the condition
OF affairs at the North. What is the great
point of diversity? In Congress, after the
election of Speaker, there was scarcely a
whisper about "John Brown" He had
served his purpose, and was dropped.
There was scarcely whisper about "dis-
union" 1t would serve no purpose. -
On the other side, the talk among the
men of the Opposition, from the South,
as we'll as from the North, was of the cor
coruptions of the Government; of the ne
cessity of change;of the anxiety of get
ting somebody who could accomplish that
change. Now, the tone seems to be differ
ent What are the opinions which prevent
their acting together? Not that mans
opinions are, at all, the criteria by which
we are to be guided in voting for him
or refusing to vote for him, If, that were,
we never could eject President, because
there is no one with whom we can con-
cur in every particular We must guide
ourselves according to the policy we know
they are going to pursue; and allow
their abstract opinions to remain abstract
opinions unless they arc called into active
practice, and are matters directly in is
sue say that ut this moment, according
to the avowal of every party, not Demo-
crattc-mark the Misunderstanding
to the avowal of every party, THE SLAVE
ny QUESTION Is ABSOLUTELY SETTLED, 1T the
Democracy will let it alone. In the Ian
guagc of Mr.. Webster, "There is not a
foot ofterritory within the jurisdiction of
, the United States, the condition of which
as slave or free, is not now irrevocably
o settled by some law" and if that be the
! case, there are some Misrepresentation
afoat which require to be corrected.
: First. gentleman what are the opinions oi
= the opposing candidatcs-Mr. Breckinridge
t Mr.. Douglas, Mr.. Linco!n-upon this groat
question. Fortunately the gentleman who
l prepared the address of the Union party. my
: personal and political friend, Mr.. Boteler, oi
VIRGINIA than whom there is no soundel
r Wing, no more chivalrous gentleman, nc
, more earnest friend of John Bell, no more per
D tinaceous, undying enemy Of the Democratic
, party existing [applause, ] has in one portion
of that admirable addres used these words
c The more conservative. portion of the Repub-
c lican party have tacitly acquiesced in the fugi
r tive slave law, in the existence OF slavery ir
e the District of Columbia, and the right te
# carry slaves from one State to another
: That indicates that the whole of that wide
- field is covered and out of controversy. You
h are safe. then: at home. You are safe in car
i ryinr. if you choose to carry, yonr slaves tt
It Mississippi to sell them. You are safe from
Il the example of freedom in the District o
Columbia. There is nothing Of that kind opel
: at ALL When he said they had " acquiescet
=. in the fugitive slave law" he did not state i
g strongly enough, because the statements are
n from Mr.. Corwin last winter in the House anc
il others, Mr.. Lincoln himself included, that i
/ must be executed "not grudgingly, but full,
# and honestly" CApplause,1 Does anybod,
\ take the trouble to repeat these sen timent
# when talking about politics before the peo
r ple of Maryland? Then my friend Mr.. Bot
4 tier proceeds in another sentence to say this
y AIT this moment no one will question
= the correctn .ss of the statement that there i
II not foot of the territory of the United State
the condition of which in reference to SLAYER.
j. is not already fixed by law, and there is n
,s place within the Federal domain upon whicI
.r the abstract theories OF tho extremist of eli
"a tber section, in regard to the exclusion of sla
\ very from the Territories or its introduction
t. into them, conll be practically applied"
IF That's what have been saying before you
IT People of the 4th Congressional District, fn
j. five long years, and there is no question nov
n open except such as the Democrats may sc
is fit to open, that the way to settle the slave
It nv question is to be silent on it; and it
l. greatly to be regretted, it is with me mat
Il ter of profound regret that my friend MI
= Boteler in the residue Of that document shoul
d have allowed himself to go into dscusso
r as to the responsibilities for the opening G
st the question and to lay it perhaps at certai
ii doors where it was not Justly due. But ia
r, king this starting point, that it is question
III distractions, there is no Territory to whic
III mere theories are required to be applied. dot
ut not that at once end the whole matter Is
v not of its self an absolute confession tn;
te there is no ground for the imputation upo
re the people of the North in general, that the
m is no ground for fear in the event OF NJ
to I.ncoln's succeeding in lieu of Mr.. Bell, th
n. there is no fear of a dissolution of tho Cnio
he by reason ofanything these gentlemen may {
ed if they happen to get possession OF the govern
L. rnent. Is not that distinctly the confession
of that statement that in reference to the su|
IT, stantal questions | have indicated, there
1g an absolute concurrence and in reference
I'd the others in the Territories, they are ques
to ions of distractions. | could not have II
IN own opinion more felicitously, more accurat
nc Ily, or from more authoritative source, st
tn ted for the information of my consttuen
re and Of the country.
TO Now, what are the individual opinions of Il
g. gentleman who are before the country for q
votes OF the people? First, for Mr.. Brec
,r- inridge We all know he is the seeding ca
p Ididate of tho Democratic party. We {
". know his friends seeded because Of an in
r. billy to agree upon the slavery questio
he We find him and Mr.. Douglas equally t
to victims of that element of distraction wi
e. l.,t, 80, ba Wh;o nart