The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-06-05
Speech Of the Hon Montgomery Blair
at the Mass Meeting in Cleveland,
Wednesday, May 20, 1858

FELLOW ClTlZENs MY heart responds |
warmly to The feeling which induces your
kind reception. l could not forepo the
opportunity offered by the invitation to
be present on this occasion, to meet so
many earnest men in the cause Of our
country, and unite in the efforts TO carry
ou The struggle and crown il with success.
SLAVERY OR THE GOVERNMENT.
A reaction against free government in
the United States and IN this age, bears
upon its front the works of insanity. The
fathe: Of the conspiracy, Of which the con.
vulsion which now fills the country with
suffering and dismay is the offspring, wore
on his face, as remarked by many Oh.
servers, when his last words and diving
imprecalions against the principles of our
Constitution, were read in the Senate,
the ghastly aspect Of monomaniac.--
Ills conspiracy, prolonged through thirty
years CESSATION, had even then a vitality
TO make itself painfully felt and now The
monslrous birth is stamped with his
phrepzied TEXTURES.
But neither the myterious workings Of
oath bound societies, nor the public agta-
ton contrived by intrigue in Congress,
in State legislatures and election canvasses,
10 engender partizan fury, prepared the
country to expect and meet the shock i,
has received. The progress of the Gov.
ernment had been SO easy prosperous and
glorious, !, had attained such high rank
with States Of fgreater strength and renown,
that scarcely any sound mind supposed it
possible that an assassin attempt would
be made TO close its career by sudden
blow, as il its life were as frail as that OF
an individual. There is no parallel in the
history OF the world Of similar assault on
a vast, bene6cent, beloved, popular gov
ernment, without even an alleged act o
oppression on its part TO provoke il, and
whilst it was actually administered and
its advantages enjoyed by the very mer
who aimed the stroke for its destruction
But, whilst prosperity made US insensi.
Bile 10 the danger, the wise and patriotic
men who founded our Government saw
IN Slavery mine by which phrenzy and
selfish ambition might lay their work in
ruin. The slavery Of one race they felt
was not compatible with the freedom OF
another. They hoped the superior race,
influenced by the benign tendencies of the
Government they managed and enjoyed,
would ultimately extend the blessings OF
liberty to a dependent people, and effec,u.
ally remove their DISABILITIES on new
eSene VI useru, ana mdependenrpxcruon
These considerations induced the sage!
on founding The Republic not to disturb
this poisonous element, which they believed
the vigor OF the Constitution would worl
out OF the system in time. They lived ts
see their fond hopes prove delusions-,be
noxious plant Of African growth, taking
root 10 the accumulaiions of avarice,
worked by the energy ofa great race out
strip all the sweet shoots OF humanizine Q
culture given 10 our Constitution by the
benevolent philosophy Of our forefathers
In plain truth. Slavery has propoga;ed in
its region in prodigious strength all thai
is evil in the nature OF our countrymen
and slifled all the virtues in which oul
glorious Government had its origin. How
! etrkingly this is demonstrated by the fac
thai, whilst there was not a man in tn
South who con!ibuled TO establish tn
free institutions among Ms, who did no
: denounce Slavery as curse from whicl
the country must somehow be redeemed
now there is not one of that slave breed
ing and governing class who does not pro
cIsim 1t as the all essential blessing, fol
which life itself must be sacrificed.
The process by which this melancholy
change has been accomplished, is illus
trated by the crunlard's career. Tbi;
unhappy class OF reprobates once felt tha
decency, sobriety, industry and purity
were the true sources OF happiness Blu
long indulgence in Intoxicating draught;
render existence burden unless stimu
lated into extravagant foolery; wild hi!ari,y
or sensual incidence then become theil
only good. @
Negro Slavery is that black opium drue
I in the South, which exciles il iE,o deliriou
D pnrenzy, or sinks il into that sad lethargy
! both alike fatal to its prosperity. 1t pam
; pers every vice and impairs every virtue
n And can State prosper under a sys
H, tenn working such decentralization Th,
= picture now presented in the land Of slaves
tells the same story which is to be founC
u in the annals Of every slave empire. Al
Asia has been corrupted by slavery. Al
IS rica, its birth. place, has ever been des
d ert. The glorious ancient Republics per
ished under its inhneuce after reaching
@ the highest point Of civilization by th
II hardy virtues of free people, and moder
Europe only redeemed herself from til
n common fate by the extinction of the feu
n dial system that originated scrldom.
Reverence for the hopeful idea of ou
fathers, that the inherent virtue Of th
!. Constitution would eXlinguish slavery, in
a duced all who felt that its permanenc
! would be destruclive,to acquiesce in pas
:" siye resistance 10 its extension. Alhoug
D that resistance had proved unavailing
" its FIRST encroachmenls west OF the Missi'
DO sippi, it was hoped that the passion lc
" expansion would be allayed By the SUI
I'd render of Missouri and the acquisition {
@. Texas, and that the compromise line Ell
IN tabIished in 1920, and re affirmed in 1854
as tho Northern boundary Of slavery, ,woul
be respected. But, having secured Il
- President, both branches of Congress
70 and the Supreme Court, the slave pow
Is ----t..aI 40 b.aaE oil copnnanfa and siril