Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-01-30
ID Waahlnllan IaauaEY IN 10.

on Saturday night to hear the speech Of
Cassius n. CLAY, OF Kentucky, on the present
! condition Of the country. Notwithstanding
the inclemena state Of the weather many
ladies and q number Of Senators and re-
presentatives were present and attentively
| listened 70 the address, which was frequently
interrupted by applause.
He declared that be spoke for no man,
clique or party, but these were times when
/ the humblest citizen might be heard with
patience, # not With consideration and re-
spect. The country was in the midst Of n
revolution. A portion OF the citizens were in
open and armed rebellion against the gov
ernment. The were defed, the country 8
Aag lowered, United States vessels were fred
into, and public property was taken possess
ion Of By armed associations. All bis worldly
interests were on one side and his gallant
party was on the other. He therefore claimed
70 be impartial. Mr.. CLAY then proceeded TO
discuss the slavery question, IS developed in
the Compromise measures Of 1850, the repeal
of The Missouri COMPROMISE, and the Leoomp-
ton measure. He denied that the republican
party was a party Of offence against the rights
Of any of the States. Il was a party Of
defence. It fought the Presidential canvass
ofIsb6 on the slavery issue, and was beaten.
But did republicans then project rebellion
because Of their defeat No but they tried
once more, and this time they got verdict
Of the people in their favor, and on behalf OF
liberty as against slavery. (Applause.) As
the supremacy Of slavery in the government
bad been submitted TO for eighty years, he
now asked whether the supremacy Of freedom
should not be in its turn submitted TOT Il
not, What then2 What standard of govern
ment should be set up2 There was nc
alternative, except to submit to the rule OF
minority, whether that be proud and in
tolerant oligarchy or monarchy. he would
not here discuss the abstract right Of seces-
sion, but merely deny that there was power
in any State or number Of States 70 seeede-
he quoted Alexander Hamilton 10 show that
the reason why the old confederation was
abandoned was because under it was found
impracteable to get States to fulfil their
mutual obligations. II they had to 60 to
battle on the issue as TO whether the people
owed their allegiance to State governments
or TO the national government few men
would find any difficulty in deciding that their
frstand highest allegiance was to the national
government The South was infatuated not
to see that the cause Of their political defeat
was in the inherent nature of things. 1t
was aot allotted to men that they should
flourish like lilies Of the valley, toiling not.
II was through want Of free labor that the
South fell behind the superior civilization of
the free States, which had lived up to the
eteFnal law that Gin the sweat of th.ir brow
they should eat bread Whenever the slave
power recognized that truth they would ac
quiesce in the existing state Of things, and
/ make the best Of it. Then there would be
perfect harmony and fraternal feeling, and a
fair distribution of pat onage. The question
Of slavery would be Withdrawn from the pO
litical arena, and political parties would be
formed on other issues. There was no reason
why South Carolina and Massachusetts,, iu-
stead Of drawing ther swords against each
other, should not three years hence, stand to-
gether in political affinity as against Tennes-
see and Kentucky. Hssketched the injurious
effects Of disunion upon the South, as it
would virtually bring the Canada line down
to the Ohio river. Il would also uecessitate
the keeping up Of large standing armies,
which would entirely impoverish the South.
| The institution Of slavery would be eventual
/ ly destroyed through disunion. For himself
be was in favor Of the remedy proposed by
some Of the distinguished leaders Of all par
/ ties. BE was willing that there should be a
constitutional guarantee that slavery never
/ he interfered with in the States BY the gene
/ raj government; that the odious features Of
The Fugitive Slave law should be removed,
and that law be really made more oficacious.
But he also wanted similar guarantees to be
/ given that peaceful citizens, sojourning in
/ other Slares should not be subjected to mob
law. If they committed offences against the
laws Of the State where they sojourned, lei
them be tried and punished according to those
laws, but let the mob laW-that relic of bar
barism, that reproach to ciFilization-be de-
stroyed by the power Of the national govern
ment. (Applause) If two, ten or ten thou
sand men, should take and execute peace
ful citizen without a trial, and possibly with
| out crime, he wanted the national govern
ment to take those ten, or ten thousand men
and execute them. (Applause.) Ha diifer-
ed with Senator Wade, Of Ohio, when be
said that to pacify the country nothing was
to be done; aud be also differed with Senator
Seward, in taking the position that some
thing might be done one, two or three years
hence. That would be too late. The CUES.
ton must be settled now. Howl he called
upon the republican party to stand by every
single principle Of the Chicago platform, tC
stand by it now and forever, and he woul(
stand with them Applause. But still b
was ready to do everything short Of sacrificing
principle. The people decided on behalfof ths
Republican party, and yet they now said tC
their Southern brethren, "We give you every
inch Of territory that your ultra men evel
asked for, up 10 the Missouri line.n il, sale
he. We have 10 20 to battle, will it not have
been well for Us to be able to say that We
acted magnanimously, and did all that wa
possible for Cancellation he favored Mr.
Adams proposition, that all the TERRITORY
south Of thirty six degrees thirty minutes
where slavery now existed de faetO by lOca
law should be admitted as State. The Re
publican party would not be RESPONSIBLE 70
the existence Of slavery there, regarding it a
a fixed fact which they could not change
BE knew that this project was FepudiateC
as being a present of o Trojan horse
ostensiblY giving the South a slave State
whereas in reality it would BECOME fre
State. To that he would say, we CIV
you all we have right to give; take it. ant
manage it IS you can. If you can make 1t
! slave State, then be It a slave State. But il
in spite Of ell the influence you can bring t
bear, t viii still be free State, then God
will be done. daughter and apPlsuse.) h
asked his Republican friends, what sacri6e
of principle vas there here2 II it could b
shown that In this they abandoned q singh
plank Of the Chicago platform, he woulr
agree to denounee the whole scheme. II th
border States were satisfied with this, as b
bad reason to believe they would be, th
cotton States would be obliged to be satisfied
and peace would be restored. he had thu
honestly and faithfully stated what he though
best to be done to save the republic h
claimed no infallibility Tor his views h
- A.. fosf man 10 dictate 20 ~ aftay,rt .,