Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-03-26

Their demand lad become so obviously
unrighteous and so maniiestly in violation
Of the Constitution, that at the late Demo-
cratic Convention, assembled to nominate a
candidate for the Presid, ncy, portion Of the
party, corrupt as II had become and accus-
toned as il had been 20 bow down 10 the
slave power and 10 do its bidding without
/ daring to dissent thereirom, could not yield
Internationally any longer TO the exacting
demands OF their slave masters, and consent
to the nomination of a candidate pledged to
/ the sectional issue forced upon the party.
The consequence was that what was left
/ Of the great Democratic party-Which had
for a series Of years been receding into a
more Southern latitude, till its whole head
| and front was inhabited among the slave
holders and sandhillers and negroes OF the
Cult States, divided into fractions on tech
/ nical abstraction and nominated two section
al candidates-neither of whom held one
single national distinctive princi) pie to dis
tinguish him from the other. And these two
fragments of party entered the canvass
and were annihilated by national man on
distinct and declaratiye platform, which de-
/ clared that the normal condition Of all men
] is that OF freadom-and denied the right to
| enslave any man under the powers of the
| General Government and that the superla-
/ tive wrong Of slavery could be inflicted on
an American citizen only under the soFer-
/ eigu power Of q State Government-over
which the general Government had no con-
| troll, in contradistinction 10 the demand OF
/ one fragment of the Democratic party, that
/ the Constitution, per Sc carries the curse of
/ slavery into the territorie snow free-orto the
demand Of the other fragment Of that less
tangible and more fallacous proposition, that
slavery might be inflicted by the squatters OF
I general Government.
The voice Of the people, indicating their
| purpose 10 redeem the nation from the grasp
of the slave power, convinced them that
their peculiar institution WIS to be restricted
to its present limits and that its increase
without extension was physical fact, while
the general Government should be adminis-
tered by the people Of all the States, accord
ing to the Constitution itself, as understood
by them under the teachings OF the patriot
fathers who framed it.
Mr. Speaker, the unrest of South Caro-
/ lima, which, since it had been quieted by
the old Hero in 1882, had been watching for
pretext to manifest itself, at once expand
ed into life and the hideous form Of treason,
with its hydra head, reared up its snaky
| form, and the Palmetto flag was unfurled
coiled with a rattlesnake, fit emblem of the
execrable deeds of traitors.
One after another of the Gulf States fell
into the wake ofSOuth Carolina, and South
ern Coniederacy was inaugqrated, and her
mock treasury, and army and navy, made up
from the property stolen by the traitors from
the General Government which had fostered
them from infancy till the present hour, as
a mother fosters her helpless infant
They are guilty of a crime at which all
beings turn away with horror, but two-Judas
Is,ariot and Benedict Arnold alone rejoice,
because misery now will have company.
They entered upon this gigantic treason
able speculation with the deliberate intent
and confident expectation tc draw into the
vortex all the Border States, to seize the Ma
tional Capitol, prevent the Inauguration of a
constitutionally elected President break up
the Government and destroy the hopes and
expectations of the word.
This treason will never have but one par.
aIlel in magnitude-and these traitors will,
! in time, occupy home with their prototype,
who once turned somoTsault over the bat
Elements of heaven intoa warmer climate.
The Border States began to inquire wheth-
er they should sustain the Constitution and
the honor of the Government, OF whether
they should swear allegiance to King Cotton.
All good men North and South looked
upon the crime OF the Cult States with in
dignation and horror, and were astonished to
find the insane madness of the traitors of
South Carolina extending itself into the
Border States, and to hear them begin to talk
of suicide, unless the Union-loving, loyal
people, and constitutional loving majority of
the nation, should abregate their manhood
and give up the territories to be cursed with
| slavery, and natiOnalize oppression by amend
/ ing the Constitution 10 make it an instru-
ment of despotsU, to sustain and perpetuate
slavery, and power to ensure domestic dis
| tuibance and to establish injustice and secure
the curse of slavery to ourselves and our
pOsterity.
The fragmentary remains of the disrupted
democratic party, and the Bell-Everett Union
LOVING Wings and Know Nothings. with their
platform of "The Union, the Constitution,
and the enforcement of the laws began 70
demand of the freedom-loving people at whose
Lle lIdllQEb were hUOuk u lGhhG Aub
Capital that they should not only yield what
the Douglas Democrats dissolved the party
rather than yield, but that they should yield
up the government and prostitute its powers,
by amending the Constitution to indefinitely
extend and perpetuate slavery to save the
Union.
Seven States claim to have seeded and
have confederated together, and are erecting
batteries and preparing to use their stolen
ordnance and arms, against "the Union, the
| Constitution and the enforcement of the
laws"
] Others are parleying with the traitors and
consulting whether to embark in the same re
/ bellion, and threaten to do so unless we give
/ them what the Constitution does not author
/ ize them to demand.
They are not satisfied even when VI pledge
the entire power and resources of the loyal
States for the maintenance of the Constitution
and laws of the General Government, but
demand amendments to the Constitution and
threaten to violate their faith-abandon the
government and join the traitors-unless we
a end the Constitution in its vital provis-
ions and yet they offer US no guaranty that
they will not next year demand still greater
concessions, or they will again make War,,up-
on the government and inaugurate another
magnificent crusade against the Union, and
again unsettle the commercial interests of the
country, and decy the right ofthe majority to
administer the government and unless we
yield to all their exactioDs, they will again
threaten to 60 out of the Union.
They propose 10 amendment to secure to
the citizens of each State their consttut. .onal
privileges and immunities when on lawful
business in other States, where now it is a
crime for man to entertain a christian view
of slavery.
No amendment to the Constitution is talk
ed OF but such as shall disgrace a christian
nation, by fastening the chains OF slavery on
the hands and feet of men.
Mr.. Speaker, l am willing to compromise
with those who honestly entertain views Of
policy differing from mine.