Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-03-07
LETTER FROM
HON. H. G.. BLAKE.
"Democratic" Instructions Considered
No Compromise rith Traitors.

"DeM0crdtic I1stTucttOnS COnStdefed-
No Compromise UiM Traitors.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.
S1R:-1 see by the Wayne County Dem
ocrat of the oath ult., that the following
resolution was passed at the late Demo-
cratic Convention for the County of Wayne:
RESOLVED, That Harrison G. Blake, Rep
resentative in Congress from this District,
be and is hereby instructed 10 vote for Ell
ther theDouglas or Crittenden amendments
to the Constitution, or such other of like
kind as may hasten a speedy settlement of
the present difficulties that now threaten
dissolution of the Union, and that if he
cannot vote for such amendments consis-
tent with his Republican principles, that
we then demand that he then resign his
seat in Congress, and give the people an
opportunity to elect one who will represent
the Union sentiment of this District.
The respectable character and standing
of maDy of the gentlemen who compose
that Convention, induces me to give the
above resolution passing notice, and at
the same time let my constituents have the
benefit of my views on the pending crisis
before the American people.
The first article of Mr.. Crittenden's pro-
posed amendment to the Constitution de-
clares that
"In all territory of the United States
now held or hereafter acquired, situate
north of latitude thirty-six degrees and
thirty minutes, slavery or involuntary SER
vitude except as punishment for crime, is
prohibited, while such territory shall re-
main under Territorial Government. In
all of the territory south of said line of
latitude, slavery of the African race is
hereby recognized as existing, and shall
not be interfered with by Congress; but
shall be protected as property, by all the
departments of the territorial government
during its continuance; and when any ter
ritory, north or south of said line, within
such boundaries as Congress may prescribe,
shall contain population requisite for a
member of Congress, according to the then
federal ratio of representation of the peo-
pie of the United States, and shall, if its
form of government be republican, be ad
mitted into the Union on equal footing
with the original States, auiM or without
slavery, as the Constitution of the new
State may provide"
1t will be seen BY an examination, that
this proposed amendment is to give pro-
lection to Slavery in all the territory of the
United States south of SO deg. 80 miD.,
not only the territory we now have but
what it is intended by negotiation, robbery
or theft, hereafter to acquire. The whole
controversy in regard TO the question Of
slavery in the territories turned on giving
protection to it in the territory south Of
SO deg. 80 min, in the Democratic Con.
veDtion at Charleston and Baltimore, and
which disrupted and destroyed the party.
1t was admitted that as 10 all territory
north of So deg. 80 min., the question had
been settled in favor of freedom-the
Breckenridge men contending for, and the
Douglas men opposing protection TO sla.
very in their platform. How comes it now
that what the northern Democratic party
would not give at Charleston and Balti
more, am instructed by portion Of thai
very party, and by one of the delegates
from my district to the Charleston and
Baltimore Convention, to have put into the
Constitution cf the United States? Less
than one year ago those men pretended
to be opposed to forcing slavery on the
people anywhere; now by the resolution
before me dsclare their willingness to car.
ry this institution into an empire in def
ance of the will of the people. Last Oc
tober and November "Popular Sovereign
ty, 'and my "greot principle" was the cry
that animated those who opposed the Re
publican party, but now the great princi
pile is constitutional protection to Slavery
not by the constitution as our fathers made
it, but BY an amendment whereby proper.
ty in man shall be recognized in our na-
tional charter.
1t was with the greatest care, the patri
otic men who framed the Constitution ex
cluded every VOID that could possibly be
made to convey the idea, that man could
hold property in man; but now the great
effort is being made py the Shareholders O
the South to put into the Constitution wha
Madison and bis compatriots declared they
never would consent to 60 there; and l an
sorry to say, that the resolution before mi
affords evidence that there are men il
Wayne County, who desire to aid the mel
of the slave States 10 accomplish the pur
pose of destroying the Constitution o
Madison and Jefferson, which established
! freedom, and to make one, to suit Yance,
and RheH to establish slavery.
1 desire to be frank and fully understood
by those whom l have the honor to repre-
sent here. therefore say l never shal
vote for the Crittenden amendment to tn
Constitution, or any other amendment o
proposition, favoring or sanctioning SLAYER
! in the territories of the United States.-
When my constituents want my seat il
Congress because l do not properly repre-
q sent them, they can have it,; but they ca
never have my vote in Congress to eaten
or protect SLAVERY anywhere. And unde
present circumstances, I intend to vol
J, against all compromises, whateuer, aUit
traitors. When the South will conced
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