Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-07

the Republican party Is charged with warning
upon the rights Of its Southern brethren, and all
| this camOr Is ralsed as an excuse for civil war
and a dissolution Of the American Union. The
| people Of the Northwest cannot be made 70 be-
| lieVe that slavery is right They cannot believe
/ that man may be held In bondage-his labor
| taken without wageo-sthat be may be shackled,
| whipped or burned at the pleasure Of his more
| powerful neighbor and no reasoning drawn with
] WondrOus skill from divine inspiration-or the
/ thunden Of dissolution, VIII ever make them
change their views upon this subject. At the
| same time they know their duty, and they are q
1 law abiding people. Hence they would 1eorn the
idea Of interfering with the sacred constitutional
1 rights Of the Southern States Y ct when poor
devil OF Il slave exercises his right TO run away
L from bondage and gets here on his way toward
] the glittedng light VI the herth Star, they will
give hira food and meat rather than see him die
Of starvation and they will not turn slave catch
| ers at the command of all the marshals In the
world. Taking into consideration the fact that
the Fugitive Slave law violates ID is provisions
the whole moral sense Of justice Of the North
its ubnONiOu and insulting proVisi0Iis-+it is won
derful how rarely the law Is violated or opposed
have never known in-the Whoie Northwest, or
read OF only two instances where the law was
violated, aud In both those cases the offenders
were seized upon and severely punished by the
Federal authorities Under the simple charge Of
violating this law, without proof or trial, men
well known to you Of the highest standing and
most bldmblesB lives have been taken from their
homes and thrown into dungeons TO lie week after
week like common felOns, only 20 be set at liber
" AZ least ~ Dlhneleas ah kuliIita1 VI WIoues-
If the South will give us fugitive slave law that
shall be Just in It's prOvisions-provide the same
rule for the trfGt Of the right Of property in men,
that they compel Us 70 submit TO, when we ask OF
them the return of our horses aud oxen that have
been stolen, viz; a irialbg jury, pledge myself
that open resistance to the law will ever be at
tempted We will execute the "penalty of the
bond" though every impulse Of our manhood
revOlts at the necessity.
But at the same time we demand of our South
ern brethren 70 obey the rule Of law % do equly
before uey ask equity. We ask, why all this stir
about the provision Of the Constitution in regard
10 tigitiuesP Is there peculiar sacredneSs about
that clause over and above all others2 The same
Constitution says "that the citizens of each State
shall enjoy the privileges and immunities Of tie
citizens Of the several States" Is there any law
Of Congress to enforce this proVisiOn2 II Is no.
toriOuslY dead letter. Scarcely paper is pub
liShsd that does not contain accounts Of iChte
ngeH,--citizens of the North, who are by the peo
pie Of the South mOhbed, insulted, tarred and
feathered, subjected TO the most humiliating in
digntie5-Whipped, and when particularly OBJ
nOious are head ed up in barrels and rolled alive
into the Mississippi or hung upon the nearest tree,
and all because they entertain sentiments obnox-
iOus 20 the people ameRg whom they dwell Ny
blood bOils when think OF these hOuid reali-
ties. But no Southern voice on the floor of Con-
gress is raised against these frightful evils. No
Ingenious man has discovered thEt they are out
RACES upon the people Of the North, and in utter
violation of tine spirit aud letter Of the Consttu
tion. If Il has come TO this that the rights of an
American citizen are safer in Austria or Algiers
than in the South; that they cannot be protected
bE our Government, and the wicked perpetrators
Of those wrongs be brought to justice, then ask
Of me no concessions or compromises, nor talk
any more Of southern complaints or grievances
Here is q grievance more weightv than all 9th
er. Here is something that affects the rights of
i0lts men to life liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness. Let the S0Hh secure these to our people
before she asks Of Us any new compromises or
But the plea that fugitives escape. is 50 far As
the Cotton States Cnunnrund n n n avail
South Carolina has scarcely suffered the loss of
single slave. The Border States may make such
an excuse, for they have suffered bat dissolution
will be no cure for the evil The safety of the
institution OF slavery rests upon the continuance
of the Union. When the Union is broken, slave
~ is on the high road to destruction. 1t is TOO
late in the Nineteenth Century, to attempt to
found Government that shall be the basis of
the attempt with abhorrsnee. ..'
deny, then, that the nOn-execution of the
fugitive slave law Is regarded as a serious excuse
for dissolution. Equally idle Is It 20 claim that
the personal liberty billsn of the North are
regarded by the South as any serious impediment
TO the continuance OF the Union. If such laws
are unconstitutional, they are absolutely null and
void and if any citizen feels himself aggTieved
by themi he has full liberty TO test the question
Of their cOnstitutionRlily before the proper tri-
bunals. l agree that if any such laws exist that
are in violation of the supreme law, they should
be repealed and we will use all our influence TO
secure that end. But regard that State as but
not and Will not protect their citizens IN the right
TO liberty and property. No one can deny that
laws for the protection of our citizens against
kidnapping are absolutely necessary. 1t is with
in the history of our State that men. women nd
children guiltless OfWrong and free as the winds
put cursed with a "darkened skin" !" have been
carried away into hopeless bondage, and been
SON like brutes of the field. Ohio has suffered
terribly In THIS manner, and at this moment is
engaged in an attempt to recover her citizens
from the South who have been proved to Be free
but yet are now suffering all the evils and cruel
al claim then that the personal liberty bills -
also give no real grounds for dissolution of the
Union
The last excuse given by the South is. that we
are attempting TO deprive them of their share in
the common territory OF the nation.
freely admit thai the victory we have Just won
was upon the basis of the non extension of slave
ry in the territories, and am for standing by our
cOOrs to maintain this principle till the last legal
effort has been made and defeated. But even at
this point we propose no violence-seek no resist
ance to law. The decision of the Supreme Court
must stand until an enlightened opinion shall de-
mand its repeal To effect its repeal shall be one
of the aims of my life. But if the decision must
remainif in all our vast possessions there Is not
one spot where slavery is not sanctioned by law,
then we will be compelled to submit. Our vic
tory will net make one hair white or black But
please God, do not believe it to be with law
and if the Union Of these States can only be
maintained by adding clause to the Constitution
recognizing and leq1zHq slavery In the territories
then BY no act or deed OF mine shall Il be held to-
gether for moment. We will stand with the
fathers and founders of this Government upon
that question, and If necessary appeal to the God
Of battles TO defend our decision.
Unless, then, the people of the South would
have been dissatisfied with the action of the fran
Of Government, they cannot quarrel with us
w e stand where they LtOod, and our motto is /
"The Union, the Constitution, and the enforce
ment OF the laws" If we cannot hold the Union
together under this flag, nothing can save it.
am opposed, then, to this ConnissiOr, or at this
time 70 any concession or compromise, because it
looks like buying the privilege Of taking posses
sion Of the government to which we have q copsti-
cause believe at tis ti tbey are etoTfed fe De
and coercion. believe the people have passed upon
this question, and their voice nlust be obeyed and
respected. For nearly century we have lived IN
cent has been our federal government, that we /
scarcely knew Of its sxistenee except BY benefits de-
fallen on the just and on the unjust We have grown
to be great, powerful and mighty nation, and few
world Is it to fall TO pieces and its go down
ioreverl believe not and for one 1t shall not
Let US not DO driven from the straight line Of duty
and honor, by threats Of violence and blOOdshed- |
brethren. God Forbid But II traitors seize upon our
prcperty-if lsWless men Outrage the and tram
laid upon Capital and force is to be used to pre-
vent the peoples choice from assuming the duties Of
his ONCE then say LET the Government protect it,
self before It alls telow contemplate It's mighty
power be felt to sustain the majesty Of the Oonsttu-
ton ana the laws.
So long, then as the South retains Its present ati
tude can no hope from compromises or concas- /
sOns. They desire none that can possibly grant /
When Lincoln shall have been peaceably inaugura-
ted, and after the people OF the South have an op-
portunity Of witnessing the benevoence and wisdom
Of his rule then if they still dissatisfied with the
government, and desire to leave II, will agree to
vote for convention that shall take into consfiers
tOn and redress, If possible their Complaints IN
I'll thea, we wrong ourselves by attempting I'll
At present then, conclude, that the reasons lfar
ed BY the South for secession and disunion are /
ptertis in character, and are simply offered a. an a.
cuse tor doing that, which she has fully determined
to dO-f0 SET up and Independent CoHfedsracit-
nEsss de sldUehOldig interest entirely control fhs
0ousT1lmeH e has determined upon is desFuction No
fact is better established But warn our Southern
brethren to be careful Of the mode and sadnner In
which they attempt it. While we do not desire TO |
" conquer the people Of te Souh do not mean maj
thev shall conquer us. The North at this moment h
bearing losd Of oppression and wrong at the bands
Of the fOufh, fghtful to contemplate She has seem
South Carolina seize the government property-fre
UPON an unarmed vessel, and disgrace our dag ShS
has seen Florida bought and paid for at enormous
cost Of blood and treasure quety geesde taking with
her all the property that she could hnd within her
reach. She has seen Louisiana, bought BY our gov
for the express purpose Of holding forever
the mouth Of the Mississippi Tree TO it1 citiEenS fol-
low in the same path and Steamers bearing her COM
fha r.FT TT,e, !