The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-02-08

H
> or oonciliatc nothing-couljt they be seen
with all their hopes and fears-couli their
constituents see them then, they would
seorn the hazard Of intrusting ia such
hands their glorious aud priceless trea-
sures Of liberty and peace. They were
told that they, lorsooth, held thu dcstinies
OF The county ia thoir hands. As well
might 500 hockmGn Of Now York City,
in Convention assembled, say that they
held the destinius Of the country In their
hands They were sworn to support tho
Constitution, and yet they were upheld
with an unustal confidence, or torn with
iealousies. The fathers Of the Republic
knew that men were wicked and corrupt,
and that was the reason they Wore sworn
to observe and uphold thd principles cfthe
Constitution, Even the Father Of his
Country was compelled to swear 10 sup.
port the Constitution which hc had helped
to raise, and the reason that he had indu-
cod the authors Of the Constitution 10
make short the term Of Office was that
people who elected men 20 rulo over
them might have an opportunity Of reno-
wing them and olecting b1tter men in
their places. And il was said now that
il they did not dccido the issues which
distracted the country, the country must
60 to ruiH, and public liberty would be
ovorthrown. lie protested against such an
idea. Hs demanded delay for tho mon,
women aud children Of the country. In
their names he demanded an ADJOURN
mont Of this quarrel from Jealous aud
maddened politicians. II they did not
adjourn the quarrel to the people, on that
floor Il could never be settled, and they
would be responsible for what ever evils
might follow. What right had they TO
assume that they alone could settle the
question OF pcacel Not that alone, but
the question involving the existence Of
the Government. They had not the
right TO assume Il; and, therefore, he there
i announced in his place, that ii the two
houses " CoAgress should fail 70 come TO
proper settlement Of the question, be-
fore he should see them oyerturn the tenn
ple of liberty, aud crush out the last hopes
OF the people, and burying them beneath
the ruins, he would move an adjournment
of the quarrel from them to the people
LOT the country. But he would address
them on the assumption that thev were
an honest Jury, and that they would look
on the question with tho eye Of reason,
and deal with it by the light orauthority.
Revolution was threatening to subvert
the Institutions Of the country--a revolu-
tiou Of the most unauthorized, the most
unjIStfablc and objectionable that the
world ever looked on--a revolution Of the
most fearful consequences TO the whole
country. Aud yet they calmly looked on
ut the impending ruin the precipitators
threatened He would meet the issue
raised by these precipitUtors fairly and
frankly, and show tho madness Of at.
tempting 60 subyert this Government
under which the people Of both sections
had derived 40 many blessings. II was q
remarkable fact that this revolution was
not carried on with reference 70 anything
in the past, but was solely carried on
with reference TO some dangers 10 be an
pretended in tho future. lie would
make QUO cxception-the Personal Lib.
erty bills which existed in some Of the
Northern States; and In dealing with
them he would challenge any man who
was in favor Of dsunion TO controvert
what he said. There was Personal
Liberty bill This was one cause of
complaint. There was opposition to the
execution Of tho Fugitive Slave law.
That was another. They charged that II
was intended % exclude African Slavery
from the Territories. That was another.
That the respective sections were not
homogeneous, and hated one another, and
that some of the Northern States were
for negro equality. These charges con-
stitutcd all the allegations in the bill ol
I indictment which they had fled. As to
: the first, he confessed that Personal
Liberty billA did exist, without oxtenua-
&c ton and without excess. But It was due
to truth TO say that these obnoxious bills
would be soon swept Off the statute book.
of all the Free States. That was the
y only charge that could be sustained. Thu
w balance OF the allegations they mad,
be out werc all with reference to thing,
y. which never happened, and which never
OF could have happened had the seeding
A. States remained in tho Union, and haC
be- their representatives not stopped at home
e, And now as to the Personal Liberty bills
It. the only charge on which they had to re
s. ~. lie wRs assured that the Persona
lk Liberty bills had been struck from tho
to statute books of oil the border Free
n. Sta t's---from Iowa, Indiana, Illinois
-, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey
nd To be sure, they were still retained II
re Vermont, where, he was assured, fugi-
D. tive slave had not been seen for forty
he years, aud which was as inaccessible "a
10 slave as was the kingdom Of South
III tC-rolino 10 him at that moment. Now,
to he lived within a days ride of three
e. Free States, and he had never known OF
ch a slave to have been stolen from his dis
no trict and retained. He had known OF
of one esoaping and passing through the
to district represented by his friend from
lit Kentucky, who made his way into Illi-
I'd nois, whore he was arrested by the peo-
III pie and returned TO his owner. But had
r. the South ever appealed to the North 10
a. repeal their Personal Liberty bills! They
ed had done no such thing. But they said
a. that the North would not execute the
ly Fugitive Slave Law. But what was the
al fact! Tho present Executive, in his late
t. Message, used this language: That the
II Fugitive Slave law had been executed in
n every contested case that had arisen
10 They knew it was 50. Every attempted
tx rescue had become q matter of public
nd notoriety; but Il was not 50 sedulOusly
in made known that fugitive slaves were
e. arrested every day in the Free States,
as and carried back to their masters But
e. the iIarper's Ferry riot, and accounts OF
at Tescues Of slaves, was the food which re-
To- yolutiOn riots in and grows fat upon.
90 But If II ever was all true, would thee be
1n an excuse for dissolying the Unioni
nd Would they have law aud order, would
to they respect tho Constitution, and live
r. IN feeling of brotherhood with their fel-
n low-eountTymenl They would do noth-
ud ing of the kind Tennessee and Ken