Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-02-13

vital, the organic principle of our Repub
; lican government shall continue to exist. o.
whether we shall be delivered up to a strif
of armed factions warning and fighting fol
power, as We witness in poor, distracteC
Mexico.
i With our fathers, "No taxation withou
representation, was a principle wortl
fighting for. Our stake in this contest i:
greater than theirs-it iseverything which
makes representative government wortl
having! If We yield, Republican govern
ment in this country win no longer hav,
any guarantees, adequate" or inadequate
The question is no longer whether Sla
very shall be extended or no; that was {
most important question, but a greater ha,
taken its place. 1t is whether ballots are
as worthless as the paper they are made oi
whether elections are farces-whethe1
the peoples constitutional right to deter
mine the policy Of the government is a
sham.
In this question Democrats of Ohio have
as much interest as Republicans. They
cannot afford to have the principle of pop
ular government broken down. They have
declared themselves the champions of the
right of the poor and the weak man to an
equal voice in the government with the
powerful and wealthy. To the masses of
the people whom they have taught these
doctrines they will have to answer, if they
do not stand by them, now that they are
so 6ercely attacked. If in defence Of such
fundamental rights we are compelled to
face war and conYulsion. let the war come!
We should seorn to hold our liberties and
our rights any cheaper than our fathers
held theirs
We can have no compromises with arm
ed rebels. If the new administration is
allowed to be peacefully inaugurated and
put fully in possession of the federal gov
ernment, and any States maintaining their
allegiance and loyalty think they have
claims to greater privileges and cOnstitu-
tional rights than they now possess, their
claims can be made known through the
legitimate channels, and should be candid
ly, fairly and kindly weighed. Until that
time (and in this know l speak for my
people, am inAexibly opposed even to the
consideration of compromises with those
who are bent upon the destruction of the
government hope l have redeemed my
promise to be explicit enough for the Sen
aiar from Madison.
NJ. HARRISON. 1 do not know wheth-
er the gentleman would favor any immedi-
ate Compromise WIKI the Border States
Mr.. cox. Tie Border States have de-
manded no new concessions for themselves
alone They have demanded new guaran-
ties for Slavery for the avowed purpose OF
cOnciliating and bringing back the seeding
States. Every compromise offered. every
demand acceded to, is so much yielded to
South Carolina as much as to Kentucky or
Tennessee. The Virginia resolutions do
not ask US to meet in Convention to COM
promise with her, and to keep her in the
Union; the significant language of the res
olution is ''to RESTORE the Union" II is 4
for the States which have broken the bond I
Of Union that she demands concessions,
and therefore for the sake of self,respect
and of safety we should insist upon the
terms l have before mentioned.
Again, sir, the spirit of the Border
States themselves is not so free from men
ace as gentlemen seem to suppose. We
passed some resolutions few days ago, and
among them one pledgiDg the resources of
Ohio to sustain the Federal Government in
the enforcement of the laws and the pro-
lection of public property. That resOlu-
ion was SO manifestly in accordance with
he sentiment of the people of the State
md with cur duty to the national govern
nent, that every Democratic Senator on
his floor united with US in voting for it.
Sew York had Just passed similar reso-
ution. How were they received in the
Border States, which are so often referred
o as Union loving? The Governor of Yir-
inia sends them to the Legislature with !
Message of "high disdain." in which he !
recounts the poor military equip
lents Of Ohio and her handful of troops,
nd ironically expresses the opinion that
title is to be feared from the resources {
f such State The Legislature of Ten t
essee passed a series of resolutions in
-hich they declare that any movements on
be part of the Northern States to carry
ut their patriotic purpose by sending any Q
ID even to protect the Federal Capital it t
If, would be resisted by that State with f
] its force and to the. last extremity t
ther Border State Legislatures have fol- Fl
wed the same example. I
l mention these facts, sir, solely for the f
lrpose of showing that the spirit which {
ntrols the party in power in the South
n border States is IN all essenti Is the II
me as that manifested in the Cotton
ates, and that attempts to compromise c
th either orany would be regarded by them
the present juncture as marks of weak p
ss on our part and would invite greater c.
mands and court further aggressions Ii
lerefore, sir, until Abraham Lincoln is 81
mly seated in the chair of State, and the al
.ht of tho people to elect their own rulers eI
fully and peacefully recognized, for one Ct
COuSCuI W LO COuCGSSlOu VI COupIOu1lSc -
tn any person or States whatsoever.
nix there need be no trouble in knowing
: meaning now. and wish We on this nj
e of the chamber were more fully IN NJ
med as to what other gentlemen think 10
this subject OF
MR.. HARRISON. Since the gentleman on
SO frank, Mr.. President. will say that be
m in favor of the propositions known as
, Border State Compromise"
MR.. COX l am glad frankness begets )"
nkness. When we know each others q q
.ws we shall soon learn whether we have "
: common ground to stand upon. We q
We listened week after week without u
rning what would be acceptable to gen.
men who say most about saving the h
lion" When we have asked what plan :,
" would adopt to get rid of present diff g,
llties we have been told I'VE viii rise ..C
oye all party predilectiOns When We g,
We repeated again, what viii you dO?-
e have been told 1--WE viii sink the par
an in the patriot" and it is really en- re-
lraging if Senator's thoughts are now lii
Il