Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-02
'sPEECH OF HON. JAS. ASHLEY
rhe Houas bslne u the OommlLtse d th.

I Nula GMA1Nf N0MNAAAA Az NhALHIEHr ANQNUAlAtl
Die in energy, superior in wealth and culture
have submitted to the constitutionally ex
pressed viii Of the people; aud 8 few thous
and slave owners Of the South, in the nami
Of Democracy, have dictated and controlle,
the policy Of the General Government Thl
constitutionally expressed win OF the peopll
is again. declared; and the parties which havl
been deleated are called upon to assent to thu
adoption Of the policy Of the fathers in th,
inauguration Of the just sway Of freedom IL
the national Government. But a large ma,
iority of the leaders Of one Of the partie!
/ into which the South is divided, not only re
fuse obedience to the legally constituted au.
thorities. but some four or Eve States under
i the guidance Of these party leaders, have
gone so far as 70 declare their independence;
and others are openly threatening rebellion
and the destruction Of the Government they
have so long controlled. a ia IlJLtE Z
Standing, sir, on the threshold of sueh
| eYents-eFents the most important In our
/ history since the era Of the Revolution
feel the importance, the responsibility, and
/ the grandeur of the mission committed by
the verdict Of q generous people to the party
OF which am member And desire, for
a short time, the attention OF the House,
] while discussing the exciting questions which
/ It is alleged this verdict Of the people has
preeipitated upoh the country. Mr. Chair
man, however much to be regretted, am
not insensible to the fact that in a struggle
to carry any important measure through this
House, tactics are resorted to rather than
argument, that votes are secured and changes
are ottener effected by party machinery and
executive influences, than BY appeals to the
Judgment and patriotism of members. New
ertheless, l feel it to be my duty to speak and
make known, SO far as | may in the limited
time allowed me, the views OF those whom
have the honor to represent.
Mr.. Chairman, our present prosperity and
happiness as a nation, no less Il an our future
pseoe, demands, in my judgement, the pres
ervation of the American Union as our fath-
ers intended it should be, with no star with
drawn from the constellation; demands the
rlaintainance Of the national Constitution
inyiolate, and the faithful execution of all
laws passed in pursuance of that Constitu-
ton, not only in every State, but in every
Territory within the limits Of the Republic;
demands an acquiescence in and support OF
the legally constituted authorities chosen by
the people against any and all combinations
OF men who may attempt to subgert or des-
troy, the Government because they cannot
longer control and dictate its policy
The people Of the United States will ask,
the nations of Europe will ask, what has been
done in this country to justify revolution and
the attempted destruction Of the national
Government Where are the usurpations,
the acts of oppression, which have been com
mitted either by the Federal Government or
any one or mora Of the Northern State gov
ernments against any of the Southern States,
or the citizens OF any Southern State, that
will excuse, much less justify, revolution p
Certainly there are no acts Of the General
Government of which the Southern people
may Justly complain The President says, in
his message, that during his term Of office
the laws have been faithfully executed; and
in order that the Southern slave owners may
be dOubly assured that he has been looking
after and guarding their special interest, he
declares that ''the fugitive slave law has been
carried into execution in every contested case
since the commencement of the present Ad-
ministraion"
Senator Douglas, in his letter to the mer-
chants Of New Orleans, on the 18th of No
vember last says:
{" I have yet to learn that the people of the
South complain of the acts now on the statute
book upon the subject of slavery, as applied
to the States or Territories or the District of
Columbia
OF no action Of the national government
up to this date, either in refusing to pass
such laws as the slave owners have demand
ed, or executing them as they have ordered,
can the South justly complain; because they
have controlled, until within few day., the
Government and filed all its Offices with
men who have done their bidding, even to
conspiring with those who are attempting to
overthrow the Government.
What then, is the cause Of this "crisis,"
as It is called l confess; Mr.. Chairman,
that / have seen no adequate cause for il, and
therefore voted against the unusual course
adopted By the House in referring that part
of the Presidents message treating Of what
is termed g our domestic affairs" to a special
committee Of thirty-three. If there had been
any serious alarm, whether with or without
cause, among the great body Of sober. think
ing men in the South; if they really believed
that their rights were to be invaded because |
of Mr.. Lincolns election; say, if there were
those who were really alarmed, was IN
willing to sdd to that alarm by adopting an
unusual course in creating an extraordinary
committee, and thus give aid and encourage
ment to the eonspirators in stirring up po-
litical animosties, for the sole purpose Of pre-
cipitating the country into a revolution, un-
less the North again surrendered, as they
uniformly had done before under such me-
naces, and on such terms as It might please |
+ Ia t,,,-e = 1s,f.4o
ieved that such a committee would not only |
do no good-as the sequel has proven-bni !
that by creating it we would tacitly admit |
that there was some necessity for it. It ap- !
peared to me like pleading guilty to the |
indictment Of the President, which could |
not do, knowing it to be false. For these
reasons l voted against raising this commit |
tee.
But am told that we are in the midst OF !
q crisis, revolutionary crisis, - and such |
a one as we have never before passed through;
aud / must yield TO the minority compTo
mise away the rights of millions Of freemen,
or the Union is forever dismembered and de-
stroyed. / admit sir, thai the eonspirators /
have been able, with the aid and connivapce |
Of the traitors connected with the Govern
ment, to get tup formidable looking crisis.
and I can. assure you, sir, that, had the peo-
pie Of this country known what has been TO
ing on here in this capital, for the past four
years, in nearly every department of the
Government, there would have been such an
expression by them at the ballot-boxes, in
of the party in power, as
would not only have silenced the allies OF
Southern disuniOnists from the North, but
have nipped in the bud this q revolutionary
crisisn But We have passed through several
e crises before. It appears to be chronic
disease in Americaa politics. 10 must be con-
eeded, however, that heretofore, In their des-
perate efforts to get up crisis, the con-
spirators have never set their stakes quite so
high, nor permitted their treason to eppear so
nndisguised In 1890, and in 1882, in 1850,
aud again IN 1853, we had "erisesp not dis
similar 10 the present one; and they were
gotten up TO order by the same class of men
who have succeeded 30 well in getting up the
present one. These are the same men WIN.