Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-15

tain States situate near OF around the delta of
the Mississippi who believe that the Union Is
less conducive TO the welfare and greatness
Of these States than smaller eonfederscy,
embracing only slave States, would be. This
class Las aYailed itself Of the discontents re-
sulting nom the election 10 put into operation
the machinery OF dissolution long ago pre-
pared and waiting only for occasion. In
other States there Is a soreness because Of the /
want Of sympathy in the free States with the /
efforts of the Shareholders for the recapture Of
fagitiYes from service. II al the slave States /
there is a restiVeness resulting from the re-
sisiance which has been 80 detefminedly /
made within the last RR years, in the free I
States, 10 the extension Of slavery in the COM !
mon Territories of the United States. The |
Republican party, which cast it5 votes for the |
successful Presidential candidate on the
ground Of that policy, has been allowed, prac-
tically, no representation, no uttsrancs by
speech or through the press, IN the slave
States; while its policy, principles and senti-
ments, and even its temper, have been so mis-
represented as to excite apprehensiOns that it
denies important constitutional obligations,
and aims even at interference with slavery
and its overthrow BY State authorities or in
tervention Of the Federal Government. Con-
siderable masses even in the free States in
terested in the success of these misrepresenta-
tions as = means Of partisan strategy, have
lent their sympathy 70 the party claiming 70
be aggrieYed While the result of the cleo
ton brings the Republican party necessarily
into the foreground in resisting digunion, the
preiudices against them which | have de-
scribed have deprived them of the cO-opera-
ton Of many good and patriotic citizens. On
| a complex issue between the Republican party
and the disunionists, although it involves the
direst national calsmities, the result might
be doubtful; for the Republican party IS weak
| in large part Of the Union. But on di-
/ rect issue, with all who cherish the Union on
one side, and all who desire its dissolution by
force on the other, the verdict would be
/ prompt and almost unanimous. / desire thus
to simplify the issue, and for that purpose to
separate from it all collateral questions, and
relieve it of all partisan passions and preju-
dices.
I consider the idea Of the withdrawal OF
the Gulf States, and their permanent reOr-
ganization with or v itheut others in a dis
/ tinct Contederacy as a means Of advantage 10
themselves so certainly unWise and so obvi-
ously impossible of execution, when the pur-
pose is understood, that dismiss it with the
discussion / have already incidentally be-
slowed upon it.
The case is different, heWeYer, in regard to
the other subjects which have brought in
] this connection before the Senate.
Beyond doubt, Union is Yitally import
ant to the Republican citizens of the United
States; but it IS just as important to the
whole people. Republicanism and Union
are, therefore, not convertible terms. Re-
publicanism is subordinate to Union, as every
thing else and ought to be-Republicanism
Democracy, every other political name and
thing; all are subordinats-and they ought
to disappear in the presence Of the great
question of Union. So far as am concern
! ed, it shall be so it should be so if the ques-
/ ton were sure to be tried as it ought only to
be determined, by the peaceful ordeal of the
ballot. l shall be so all the more since there
is one side prepared to refer it to the arbi-
trament of civil war / have such faith in
! this Republican system OF ours, that there is
no political good which desire, that [ am
! not content to seek through its peaceful
forms Of administration, without invoking
| revolutionary action. If others shall invoke
4 that form Of action to oppose and overthrow
the Government, they shall not, so far It de-
pends on me, have the excuse that i obstl-
| nately left myself to be misunderstood. In
such a case can afford to meet prejudice with
Cancellation, exactioR with concession which
| surrenders no principle and violence with the
right hand Of peace Therefore, sir, 50 far as
the abstract question whether, by the Con-
stitution of the United States, the bondsman,
who is made such by the laws of a State, is
still man or only property, answer that
that State, its laws on that subject are
State into another, the 6oastitntion regards
him as a bondsman who may mo-, by any
law or regulation of thai State, be discharged
from his service, but shall be delivered up, on
claim, to the party to whom his service is
due. While prudence and justice would com
bine in persuading you to modify the acts o.
Congress on that subject, 50 as not to oblig'
private persons to assist in their execution
and to protect freemen from being, by abuse
t of the laws, carried into slavery, | agree tha
, | all laws of the States, which relate to thi'
class ofpersons, or any others recently coming
from or resident in other States, and which
t laws contraYene the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States, OF any law of Congress passed il
conformity thereto, ought to be repealed.
I / DetOuulIs IL SHDA-S e--1---@ ---
2 confirmed my opinion, that domestic slavery
/ existing in any State is wisely left by tn
Constitution OF the United States exclusively
. to the care, management and disposition
: that State; and if it were in my power
s would not alter the Constitution IN that res
7 pect. If Misrepresentation Of my position
r needs so strong remedy, am willing Il
4 vote for an amendment of the Constitution
e declaring that it shall not by any futur
e | amendment, be so altered as to confer on Con
gress a power to abolish or Interfere will
2 slavery in any State.
Thirdly. While I think that Congress
E has exclusive and sovereign authority to leg
islate on all subjects whatever, IN the com
, | mon territories of the United States; anC
while I certainly shall never. directly or IN
directly, give my vote to establish or sane
ton slavery in such Territories or anywhere
else in the world, yet the question what con
: stitutionsI avs shall at anytime be passed
, / in regard to the Territories, is, like ever
! | other question, to be determined on practi-
f cal grounds. 1 voted for enabling acts il
q the cases Of Oregon, Minnesota and Kansas
|. / without being able to secure IN them sucI
? ! provisions as I would have preferred, an'
. | vet voted wisely. So now, am well sat
) is6ed that, under existing circumstances,
L I laDDY ana 5AblnlhEb0Ay 9S4AtAS-- ~ 49,
cuities in the remaining Territories Woul'
s be obtained BY similar laws, providing FOL
: for their organization, if such organization
d were otherwise practicable. If, therefore
T Kansas were admitted as a State, under tn
# Wyandotte constitution, as think she ough
? to be, and if the organic laws Of all the otne
/ Territories could be repealed, l could vote :
! authorize the organization and admission Q
two new States which should include them
: reserving the right to effect subdivisions
: them whenever necessary, into several con
o venient States; but do not find that sue
II reservations could be oonstitutionalty made
e Without them, the ultsrior embarrassment
v which would result from the hasty ineorpc
Y | ration of States of sueh vast extent and We
e rious interests and character, would out
: weigh all the immediate advantage Of sue
/. | a measure. But if the measure were praet
v cable, should prefer q different course
! namely: when the eccentric movements