The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1863-01-23
THE HOPE OF THE COUNTRY,

Mr.. Chairman, my yet young heart
longs for the glorious Republic Of my
bovhood's affections, that glorious mo
North, no South, no East, no West" of
but few years ago; those better days
Of better construction Of better feeling,
and of lofier eloquence. What is now
the hope of this country? Assailed on
one side by er.law,ism and war.
powerism; assaied on the other by Sc
cession, perjury, treason of the. foulest
dye; the Constitution defed and con-
temned by powerful insurrection, and
the same Constitution being cast aside
or avowedly disregarded by dominant
party, as being insufficient for the work
of its own preservation; what, l ask, is
our hope? On one side is the spirit OF
dissolution, a political struma that would
soon slough away the vitals as well as
the territory of any republic in which 1t
is adopted as a legal right, or received
as truthful principle in politics. There
is no hope in that direction. On the
other We have acts, assumptions, meas
uFes, that lack only the name to make
the Government an unlimited despotism.
There is no hope in that direction. Then
where is the hope of the country? Sir.
it is in that great middle conservative
party that will resist, and is here to-day
to resist both extremes, both heresies,
both rebellons against the Constitution.
And ]. thank the fates that rule US that
this element is stronger in the countrv,
and will be stronger in the next Con-
gress than it is day, in this Hall.
If ain told this is too much to be un.
dertaken in the present conjhncture, and
that the elements of rebellion and higher
law being practically in cooperation,
though seemingly opposed, make pow
er for aggression too great to be resist
ed by the conservative element, / have
only to respond, be it so. II so great
madness has overlaken the country, let
us find it out. 1t is said to precede lie.
Strnction. Let Us make an honest and
n brave effort to save the country; and
if, making it, we go down, the Constitu-
tion-mark my words-the Constitution
and the liberties of the country go down
with us. The great problem will have
been solved-the great experiment will
have proved failure-and the people,
who will have failed to govern them.
selves, will then deserve to be governed
by master In this great upheaval, ,
this commingIing Of tempest and earth.
quake, we have selected our chart. 1t
is simple and truthful. The polar star
! tuat guides us on our way is the UNION
OF ALL THE STATES, and the solar SUI
that lights us on that way is the Gov.
sTlTUTIoN that makes that Union-the
great center around which they cluster
aud upon which they hang. If on this
strong and simple platform, including
the provision for Amendments, we can
not ride the storm, then the fates are
against US; and when we go down, we
will have one only consolation--if such
it may be called-that, though seces.
sionists and traitors, fanatics and higher
law men have triumphed, over the Con-
stitution and the liberties Of their coun-
try, they will also have reaped the res
ward Of their own folly, for they, in turn,
will be speedily and bitterly crushed un-
der the ruins of that great temple whose
pillars they undermined and pulled down.
IhGue another hope. ltis in return
to reason, good promises, and the Con-
sttution. Any man may cling TO an
error; brave man becomes braver, a
generous man more generous, in renounc.
ing it. ...
THE DANGER.
These people, both North and South
though more at the South than the North
are threatened with danger which many
Of them do not suspect. They may ye'
fulfill great historical rule. believe
/ it was Washington who said there was 9
natural progression from liberty abused
&a liam ntiouonaoo into onahohva and frnu