Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-09

Il we would, and ought not % dc 10 II we
could. What the people Of thiscoantry want,
what they expect ana demand at our hands,
Is not nov truces with slavery, but peFma-
nent settlement Of this question in he only
way e sver can be settled % give peace and
contentment 70 the country and that is, to
settle it wherever the national Jurisdiction
extends, by the Just rule ofright and liberty.
Shall we meet and solve this problem like
men, fairly, honorably, and without dissimu-
lation, and a. the better promptings Of our
hearts dictate; or shall we skuik and dodge
like the trioksters Of an hour7 Shall we
meet tue question like statesmen, legislating
for the generations to come as well Is eur
own; or shall we SHIFT the responsibility,
with all its accumulated complications, upon
those who must succeed US
Mr.. Chairman, the people Of the United
States have been earnestly struggling, in one
form or another with this giant evil Of slaF-
cry for nearly half . century, and though
often betrayed By their leaders into what
we're called " compromises, the faith Of the
masses have remained unshaken, and they
have continued hopeful Though eftan de-
eated in their political struggles for obtain
ing possession Of the GoYerpmept they have
always been loyal, and never threatened or
attempted rebellion or revolution. This
struggle between the people on one side and
. privileged class on the other, has been such
struggle as the world has never witnessed,
because it has been conducted peacefully and
lawfully. No war, no desolated hemes, no
hatred but a generous, noble, self-sacri6cing
struggle that must challenge the admiration
of the world, accomplished, IS it has been,
by peaceful citizens, in the mode and manner
prescribed by the Constitution, by the silent
but all ! otent power of the ballot. No man
could have been disinterested witness to
this grand struggle, and heheld It's frat tri-
umph without feeling that "peace hath her
victories no less renowned than war" With
the old watchword Of "Freedom and Peace"
we have conquered and to-day the liberty
loving men Of al nations Join in hailing with
pride the advancing CHIEF, the chosen Of the
people, The consequences Of this peaceful
victory no man can foresee. The effect Of It's
example on the nations viii be incalculabls,
even though we should have some trouble
with those who are seeking 20 destroy the
Government because they csnnOt llSuger adj
minister Il. Il win reinstate Us where We
were in the days of Washington, in The re-
spect and affections Of the people Of Europe
and the American Governmental If true to the
ideas upon which the triumph Of which am
speaking has been achieved, will from this
time olward hold the first position among
the PoWsFs Of the earth; and Is nation and
people we shall, as We ought, hold the first
place in history for many generations 10
come. II, however, we should fail, from any
cause, 70 carry out in good faith this grand
decree of the peoplej if through fear, decep-
tive compromises are forced upon us and the
people are agsin betrayed under the pretense
Of sppessing those whose whole history gives
Us the assurance that they viii be satisfied
with nothing short Of having slavery recog-
nized as property by constitutional provision,
those who sid in accomplishing this great
wrong will deserve, as they viii receive, the
condemnation Of all liberty loving men.
But lam told that the people demand that
/ such concessions and compromises shall be
granted. Sir, I deny it. I have seen no
| evidence of it, and do not believe it / grant
you, sir, that there are some who demand II !;
the leaders Of the party which have Just been
driven from power by an indignant people
demand it, and are supported in their impe-
rious demands by almost the entire slave
interest of the country; but the great body
Of the people, the millions, not only do not
demand it but I tell you, sir, that they will
never tolerate it. Sir, I should be 10th to
believe that those who, through 50 many long
and weary years, have struggled hopefully on
/ amid the disasters and defeats, the desertions
! of pretended friends and false leaders, could
/ in the hour of their triumph, advise sur
render to the minority, and consent to abandon
that cause IOhieh alone made success N The late
campaign possible / cannot believe that the
people, under the menace Of disunion and
revolution, will ever take step backward I;
that they will, in so cowardly manner, give
up every principle for which they have been
so heroicslly battling for years. No, no.
This grand array Of millions which has with
stood so many defeats while battling for the
right viii march on under the banner of
"Psace," eonquerng, and to conquer. No
earthly power can stay it. In its triumphal
progress it will know no barrier but justice
no restraint but the Just restraints of the
Constitution. Missouri compromises, and all
other compromise lines which you may es-
tablish in your puny efforts to secure new
guarantees to slavery, will fade like the base
less fabric of 8 vision before its advancing
tread. This Government was not organized
for the purpose of making slavery universal
1 and perpetual; but TO "eafGbliSh justice, insure
6Omsstie tranquility PFOVids foF tAs eommOA
dstenes promote DE general Ltare, and SscalTs
the blessings Of liberty to olEsslOes and our pos
tsrity.p
This was the cherished purpose of the
fathers when they launched this great ship Of
State, the Constitution, upon the Jet troubled
Wathers which were crimsoned with the
blood of the Revolution, They firmly be-
lieVed that she would weather every storm.
In this faith they laid them down to rest and
committed to those who should cone aftsr
them its direction and government Shall
we, their sons, falter and desert her now,
when storms and tempests beat against her
or shall we, like true mariners, stand firmly
at the post Of duty and danger2 Shall We,
with the very dawn Of the morning beaming
upon us, give up all, and without struggle
let the tempest and darkEess close around
her and engulf all in one common ruin; o.
shall we cling 10 II e good Old ship, and put ia
new commander upon her deck who will gc
back to the old chart, and put her head "a
the storm, and man her with freemen instead
Of slaves. 5.as. ...-s l-
! MI SnhHLnAuS " = p4IlOt anu lover pl
his country there would seem to be but one
course. The voice Of the people echo but
one cry, but one command; and that is -
Save the good ship Constitution from her
present perilP' If We fail to do this, we are
not the men for the hour. II need be, party
ties must be severed and party divisions for-
gotten; sectional animosities must cease, and
union Of all freedom-loEing men secured
for the sake Of liberty and the Union. If
while the coming dawn oTershadows the de-
liverance of all nations and The freedom o
every race, we alone are found destroy ing the
most perfect form Of government ever given
to man, in q struggle 70 make slavery pet
petual, ofall men WeWiI be the most guilty
Shall history record this, the darkest Of CRIMES
against our names Shall onF children
desecrRte our memories because We were
traitors and towards and, for an hour fpro-
missed peace and commercial prosperity, con
sented to our own and their degradation, and