The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1862-09-05
who Are Responsislel

O'o, Wuo "to hh tuO uuutJ W ChdtRiuS
the principle responsibility OF the
wm on the Aboii,ionists. Let US
examine this charge, and see OIL
what il is based. The ofense,
charged against the Abo,itionists, is.
that thoy expressed their opinions on
slavery freely, and without any par |
ticuisr regard to the righta and inter
ests of the shareholders OF the South.
Now, their opinions may or may m /
have been right, and the expression
OF them. ia the manner which they
choose to do. may. or may not. have
been in the best Of taste. The C'n
sii,ution, however, guarantees the
right to freely speak and publish,
and, in doing this, they were not
exceeding its authority. The right
was one common to oil sections, one
too which was freely exercised by
tn Sonthern people themselves. and
yet, they were not willing that 9TH
ers should erjoy the same privilege.
They not only regarded the exercise
Of that right on the part Of those
who differed with them as an offense.
but endeavored to create q public
opinion in the North which should
deem it a sufficient justification for
any outrage. In this attempt. to
certain extent, they succeeded; but
they were content with nothing
short of absolutely silencing their
opponen,s. They demanded, there
fore, of the people Of the North that
they should suppress the abolition
societies, and prohibit men from
speaking or writing anti slavery sen.
timents. The failure OF the North.
ern people to do this constitutes the
whole OF their alleged grievance. -
Eecause q portion OF our fellow citi,
zens exercised their constitutions al
right, and because the orth refused
TO violate q constitutional principle
which il was equally the duty OF all
sections to defend, the Southern pol.
i,icians rebelled.
The truth is, that the attempt &c
suppress the freedom Of speech, the
failure to do which is put forth as
their justification, was in itself a
gross wrong, and serves only to ag
grsvate the enormity Of their subse-
Quent treason. The Aboli,ionists
have never had any control OF the
Government. They have therefore
done nothing of which any one has
the right to complain, and, 80 far are
they from being responsible for the
war that they are entitled TO the re-
spcct and gratitude Of the nation fol
the courage and tho constancy with
which they defended their constitu
tionsl rights. On the heads OF tn,
traitors alone rests the responsible
ty. lle who attempts to transfer an,
part of it to loyal citizens ia no frienC
OF his country.
The Nashville Union, in the fol
lowing article, fairly, aud with force
states tho truth upon this subject:
"The most bigoted, Jealous, grasp
ing, insstiate, cruel, barbarons an'
despotic influence which ever cursed
a nation has been the political pow
er of African slavery. Tho doadl,
foe to all progress and improvement
the enemy of free speech, and OF ire,
thought, the oppresser and dsfran
chis r OF the poor, the monopo!ize
of land and the eonsolidator G
wealth, hostile to the mechanicn
arts, and 10 all inventions, the cor
ruptor OF courts and the pollutor O
churches, it has sought to make it
sell not only the "chief corner stone
Of the Government, but its suprem
autocrat. A republic cannot toler
ate the rule of sucr political infiu
ence, which from being a modest 10
cal system, now claims to be III
Federal Constitution
So long ss slavery occupied ,h
position in which it was tolerate
by the founders Of our Government
as a local and domestic system.
excited no hostility and was inll
protected by the & ,vernment. AT
olitionists and abolitionism we're uu
known. So utterly groundlers i
the assertion, made by tho partisan
of slavery, that aholitionists bega
the sectional controversy, the cur
trary is true, that certain politician
sought to raise slavery from its loct
snrity to the dignity OF q politics
organization, and made loyalty to il
interests the passport to politics
honor. The slave States unhapp
y we're too readily led into til
snsre, and the system soon becam
the platform OF q consolidated poll
ical organization. Every statesm a
/ / the country, no matter how pun
and eminent, who r-iused to bo til
slave OF this detestable faction. cor
trolled by such traitors as Calhou
and MDutiie. and such ruGians q
keitt, Toomba and Wigfall, was pei
secuted by it's bloodhounds. IIor
Edward Everett was near being r.
jected by the United States Senate
when his name came before it fo
confirmation as Minister to EngIant
solely from the fact that he was
Northern man. And the questo
naturally arose in the minds of n