Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-01-03
A s.ceaa Letter. from Hon, 3, 8, Cox to Hon.
8!'s Geo, L. Converse. r. ss
Housr OF REssrsrsrATlvEs, Eel

u. rfE
DRAs In furtherance Of my design,
proceed 10 examine some Of the complaints Of
our nsighbors, ia Virginia and Kentucky. ! dc
this, with "a view, If possible, Of go correcting
public aentimsnt.in Ohio, as to bring about a
better feeling toward theborder Slave States
In these border, States, ever faithful tothe Con
stitation, is o;be found the conservative liga-
ment. If i.has been ruptured BY the infdelity aud
delinquency of our own public oGicors,w we should
be prompt and coursgeousin making repars lion
We should do shis. IRRESPECTIVE of persons OF
parties In this spirit, offered resolution
which wss sept to the Committee of Thirty
three That resolution only called for addi
tional legislation to execute tho Constitution. =
Its propriety was impeached somewhat by Ger
tain presses, because il came from an Ohit
Democrat. IL was said to be pastizan IN III
character. 1t ought to have came from one o
us. happened to be familiar with these cases
had road both sides. Gov. Letcher had ad.
yised as of the gross outrages perpetrated upol
Virginia rights. GOV. Powell, of Kentucky, ,hR;
made it matter OF special complaint in tht
Senate. Mr.. Moore, Of Kentucky, introduces
bill. following my suggestion, 70 efectuat
the Constitution in the same regard. Eve,
South Carolina made it part of the pretexs fc
her action; and it became an Ohloan to make al
effort looking toward reparation. In this haC
no personal grudges to grstify. The resolution
did not apply to our Governor alone, though the
Republican papers so took it. Gov. Dennisob,
unlike many Of the Republican leaders at our
Capital, had ever treated me with courtesy; but
=. = nf
In this crisis porsons ss such, are of no account
If our Governor could bow to Oberlin for bis
election, and obey the behests of the Reserve
for his popu!ari.y-he should expec. no cthsr
than the most rigid criticism on his public con.
duct Mr.. Ewing condemned i.; and II it were
understood thoroughly, the people Of Ohio would
condemn il. We must 80 put it forth now, as
to prepare for its condemnation, when next fall
he shall come forward for renewal Of his Office
/ believe that nothing has yet been done,
which has so alienated these border States
from Ohio, as this conduct Of our Governor -
Inasmuch, therefore, as the very existence OF
the Government depends on these border States,
aud their good will toward the North, let your
Legislature examine Its Law in this very matter,
and repeal it, or so reform It, as to make 1t exc
cute and not nullify the Constitution.
The ether day, when the Republican Senator
from Ohio, Mr.. Wade,r With that accustomed
saagger, whichis sometimes taken for bravery,
challenged any Southern man to itemize the
grievances suffered by the South from the North.
How was he metz BY the prompt response Of
his peer, the Ex-Governor Of Kentucky, who
instanced the breach of duty, on the part of the
Republican Governor Of Ohio, in not return.
ing fugitive from Justice In pursuance to the
Constitution. This was regarded 90 trivial
matter, and the Republican bravo Of the Senate
the Cromwell Of this era Of revolution, there
fore refused to bo cstechized further. u o5la
Now will show you why this refusal of tht
catechism was made so truculently. Mr.. Wade'i
information would not bear the torture of al
honest inquisition. Kentucky had right Il
this response from Ohio. Her relations TO ou
people had been those Of brother. Not NOR,
fraternal is the symbol on her escutcheon, thar
is the good will Of Ohio toward that State, whicl
had been our friend In our infancy and in on
perils. Bat some how, since 1854, the water
Of Lethe have taken the place of the beautifp
Ohio, which has always bound us and neve
separated us. The bad contaRion of "highe,
law" has crept into our legislation and into oul
Offices, and to some extent diverted, II not over
thrown the better desires and fraternal feelingl
Of our people. ,s 5s CIR n s "a
Feeling the reproach Of this bad faith al
resting on our State, had introduced the reso-
luton above referred to, asking that further
legislation might be had to insure from STATE
officials, the discharge of their constitutional
duty. If the case referred 10 had been n soli-
tary one, It would not have demanded from an
Ohio Representative 30 public condemnation
But on the very day, March 8, 1860, that the
Executive OF Ohio refused to do his duty to
Lentucky, in case Of slave stealing, he also
refused to Virginia the extradition Of Owen
Brown and Francis Merriam, charged with
treason, murder and melting slaves to insurrec
tion at Harper's Ferry. This Executive had
precedent further west, In Governor Kirkwood, of
Iowa, q renegade Ohio Democrat, who had re-
fused 10 deliver, on the 23d Of January, 1860,
one Barclay Coppic, another Of the John iBeown
gang. In glaring contrast with the action Of
Governor Packer, Of Pensylyania, in similar
cases, these Executives have aroused spirit of
dstrust, retaliation and hatred between the Dor.
der States, which has done much to complicate
the dimcultes OF our present anomolous sltua.
tion. Well might Governor Letcher, in view
OF the frivolous reasons Of these executives and
Of their concert In wrong, infer that there was
on their part, "a determined purpoee to refuse
q compliance with the express provisions Of the
Constitution Of the United States, aud the laws
made TO execute those provisions" Wtl might
he call aloud for retaliatory measures aud self
protection, when the Constitution failed through
the misguided Abolition zeslots Of Ohio and
Iowa. sss bic Messags Of Maych 10, 1e60,-
page 10. 1ezT0tl Eo4E63 4 giE IN 4Yv
Because IN Chic member dsres to do. his duts
With respect to bis own State, ho ismet Nth