Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-09-15
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/ THE GREAT sPEECH
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HON. WILLIAM AIiLEN,
Dslisysdo at HamiitOn, But4r County, on III
10h Of Stptsmt.r, 1868, " n easf 30 ,i.s,.t
Three years ago this nation was free; iht
country was prosperous, and over every acre oi
isa soil there prevailed Law ead order, peace and
happiness, Up 70 that period not the first drop
Of human blood had, from the found alton Of The
Government, been shed for q political offepse.
but now the land 10 desolated with the uost
stupendous civil war that has ever dlsfi cured
the face OF our planet, or cast reprcach upou
the frailty OF our nature. Instead of this old
peace, We have this destructive war: instead
Of the security which this gave and which Was
enjoyed by every citizen, We are now endaneer
ed, for no other crime than for our opinions: 10
have our houses entered at midnight BY armed
men, and our people taken off 10 Be tried. not
before Jury, but before military inquisition.
and, for the crime of thinking, condemned 10
exile. [Great oheers.l Wherever there IA a
great effect produced, whether 10 the world Of
politics, morals, or In the world OF matter, there
must be corresponding cause to produce tt
What cause could that be which was powerful
enough to transform this great people from q
band Of associated brothers into 20 meuy in
yeserate enemies2 Was Il because Won disa
greed with each other on the questions of he
Internal policy of the Governm mt, such az he
Tariff question, the Bank question, or the ris.
tribution Of the Proceeds Of the Public i Lluus
No; that belonged TO the class of questions
which could be dsbated and decided, and acted
4 Na
country, or without ipficting any more evil than
| lie measure But there Was another cIass of
questions, and these were precisely of shat class
of questions which our forefathefa foresaw,
and against wD.ch they go loudly and 30 repeat.
edly admonished us. These were local, sec.
tional OUT stions; questions calculated to array
one part OF the States against another part, and
there happened to be In this country one faction
which admitted OF being used for the pu.poae
of destroying the Union through the very in
strumentslity that had been anticipated BY our
forefathefs. No question touching commerce
no question touching agriculture, or the me.
chanical arts, no question which had any rela-
ion whatever to the bare means of subsistence,
or happiness among the people should be made
local question; no question Of this sort could
ever be made sectional question by which The
people of one end Of the Union could be made
the enemies OF the people of the other end Of
the Union. But there was one question, one
fact which afforded On opportunity for evil.
minded men to produce this mischief, and thls
question was the question Of elavery. Now,
my friends, | wish to make come remarks upon
this subject, which l wish you all to bear In
mind and think over when you are upon your
farms aud In you. workshops. First, remember
the fact that slavery existed before our Gov
ernmont; Femem ,er the fact that slavery wss
no fault Of the American people. II was bronghI
here BY British legislation; u Was here when
our thirteen original States were colonies. The
fact ofslavefy existing was no fault then, Of ouI
Government-eith State or Federal. After
the revolution the States-being bound together
together, but were totally Independent of each
other. When the revolutionary war was con.
cluded, they were at liberty, If they thought
proper, to exist side by eide as go many inde-
pendent sovereignties. The revolutionary war
had given them Alright 60 to exist. The Ayti-
oles Of Confederation, which bound them to.
gether during the war, ceased with the war;
and therefore each State was independent to
aot FOR iteelf. All this time slavery exlsted.
The Constitution of the United States was
formed, being no more nor less than great
treaty or stipulation between the States with
regard TO their future conduct. When the Con.
stitution was formed, therefore, the fact OF
slavery existed; aud consequently 'lt did moi
depend for lbs lie upon any act of Congress,
and consequently no act could deprive It OF lie
life. Whom The Constitution was .adopted,
slavery was recognized In its double aspect Ii
Was recognized even 90 an article Of foreign
commerce, and o. solemn stipulation was
placed In the body of the Constitution that
the slave-trade should not extend - where7
Beyond the adoption Of the Constitution
Not at ALL But that the African slave.trade
should not be stopped for twenty years.
Mark that! For twenty years from The adop-
tlon of, the Federal Constitution-up to 1903,
The Government having gone into opsradon
twelve years before tho conclusion OF Tho last
century, and eight years, of, this century, she
twenty years within which II was lawful 10 car.
~ on the slave-trade BY importing fresh slaves
from Africa. Now, when the Convention put
in this amendment, limiting the duration Of
the African. slave trade, why did they not pul
In 40 emendment limiting the duration OF
domestic slavery In the Stales7 Because they
had no power TO put it-there. GLaughtsr,l Bul
yet II II Was sin, then was the time for Che
AbolItionists 90 have prevented this sin from
enterlng the new Government. Here was th,
Garden Of Eden. A new Constitution about Il
be togmed, ,they wer about 10 start up on q new
state Of exlstance. II slayoIy was q sin, nov
10 your time, before the fatal fruit thereof shsl
be plucked. Bat they did no, even make :
\ proposition. They never offered, they never pre-
i tended 70 have the right 20 Interfere with slay
cry. Now, You will observe that the tepdency
OF tbe population of this country has been
Iregulsted BY climate. The gros! fact Cha. the
two races exists upon the continents, 10 fac.
that existed before the Government. In The
course Of time 1t was found that the Northern
people preferred white labor, and In order "a
make way they sent their slaves South and
sold them. The South was willing TO receive
black labor, and thus both parties we're gratified
one making bis choice Of white and the o.hel
OF black labor. Nov, suppose there had been
no South TO send those negroes 70; suppose thsr,
had been no such place % the South to which
10 Iend these negroes. As . matter OF couYBs
these negroes would have been amonx then
and the places now occupied by a million whli
IlAborers would have been occupied by ,millio
Of free negroes. Now, u ia q curious wsrt {.
reverse this state Of things. They have sszei
upon this war as the fundamentally by which
lthey can just reve. . this order Of things. Now
! what do they, want to do7 They want to brinf
lthe negfo back to the North, to MAXI room 10,
him, 70 send % many white men Of our people
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