The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-04-29
REmARKs oF mir. HowEILs.

and ratified In Ohio, MAY l3 1861, com
monty kaopa as the COricin amendment
On the 2S,h of March 1864. the following
Resolution being under discussion .
whereas the General Assembly of Ohio
did on the 18Th day Of May. 1861. adopt the
following resolution, TO wit Whereas the
General Assembly has received official no.
tlee OF tho PASSAGE by Congress, of tho fol.
loving proposition to amend tho Consttu-
tion OF tho United States-that tho follow
ing Article. shall be proposed to the Legis-
latures OF tho several states, etc. "Article
MIL No amendments shall be made to
the Constitution. which will authorize or
give Congress- tho power to abolish or in
terferc, within any State, with the domestic
institutions thereof, including that ot per.
sons held TO labor or service by tho laws of
said Statos:" Wboroas three. fourths of the
legislatures of the States are required to
give their assent thereto Resotrrd Ju Me
General assembly ttc. that We hereby rati.
ty, IA behalf of The State of Ohio, tho above
rceted proposed amendmen, of tho Cousti.
tuition OF tho United Statos"
Aud whereas this generous ofTor of CON.
promise has boon rejected bv those in re.
beilion, With contempt and Insult.
And whereas the supposed necessity for
such compromise has boou removed by
the war ier the preservation of the Union
aud tho continuance of such an enactment
upon the statue book is contrary to the
spirit OF the age, is not an expression of the
public sentiment of-Oho. aud is an imoedi-
mont to tho FREQ action of Congress in the
exigoncies Of tho timos.
BE resoiusd by The General .4ssrn.Jlu
Of The Stute "' Ohto, that the above do.
scribed resolution be and the same is here
by rescindcd. . .....
MIR. HowclIs said -
| have introduced this resolution, Mr..
President. for tho simple reasons set forth
in the proamble-that the supposed necossi-
ty Tor sucl an amendment as il seeks to in
tercept, had passed; because such. amend.
ment would be adverse to tho spirit of tho
age, and is not an expression of tho public
sentiment of Ohio. l might also adG
that | do not oilar it in any spirit of ia
natlcsm Though have long since ceased
to offer such apologies FOR anything | NAV
do IT am convinced that measure is
right. am not disposed to admit that it is
iana'lcal while am proud to exhibit in
its support all tho enthusiasm that a good
cause inspires, aud risk the impression il
shall make upon others. i nm impusiye {:
aud rejoice in tho reflection, that va, are
SO constituted that wo cannot hide under a
cold exterior, the ardent love of great and
living truth. Where toe right is assailed
by argument and logic, we can patiently
meet il with cool reasoning; aud more than
that is out OF place. But when Justice and
truth are scotfed at IN high places, the love
of thcm in the hearts of the brave aud good
is speedily warmed into enthusiasm and
unreasoning passion rises to the diguty of it's
sublimcst appointment, as tho protector of
the truth which speaks but cannot strike.
II was wisely ordered in the Divine econo-
my, shat the reason, which guides our pas.
slons in the regular course OF things, should
when tho storm rages--fnd its protector
IN the passions it was wont 10 guide. !
valuo enthusiasm AYE, tanaticsu if you
will so call it-and | fear no. tho charge
that my poor etfUr, 10 behalf of what know
to be right, is enthusiastic or fanatcai |
would not neodlcssly excite opposition, or
invite combat over what my understand.
ing secs to be true, and my heart fools to
DO good. But there has been honest differ.
ence OF opinion about tho question inv olved
in this resolution, especially TO the rrpetiien
cy OF acting upon IL, aud | would like now
to understand the views of nv fellow Sena.
tors in respect to ii while l ask them to
joia me in withdrawing the consent of the
State OF Ohio from an amendment te our
National Constitution, that intorposes itself
in the way of progress, that sulienly dc.
mands halt IN tho march of freedom. Ii
will be remembered that in the ea:ly part
Ot tho year 1861 when tho rebellion was
imminent, great effort was made to avert'
the coming storm and all were willing to
sacrifice their particular preference to ap
pease the nalcontents, whlo unhappiiy,
some were prepared to sacrifice the right.
Tho long agitatod subject of slavery, that
ghost that would not down at. our bidding,
but whose CORY locks shook sell. .convcting
accusations at US in every breeze, the skelo.
ton that has stnlked unbidden into every
banquet, has presided n. every feast, came
as usual, into our councils for safety. aud
demanded slonce. Tho institution of sla.
very. in its war upon every form Of freedom,
had reached i;s eliminating point; and was
about to strike at the National existence,
that 1t might rule in the desolaton it would
mako. Tho period was one Of intense in
terest; and so much depended upon il,
that every expedent to avert tho threatened
danger was naturally resortod to. Ono Of
the expedlents was the convention known as
tho oaco couFentioh, over winch John
Tyler presided which body, after labors
that cast tho travail of Esop's Mountain for
into tho shade, agreed upon an amendment
to tho Constitution of tho United States. in
which il was provided that Congress should
neper, by any act. interfere with the usurEa
tioa--l cannot call II right--bv which sla
very existed in tho States. The smond
meut proposed by that convention was sim-
lar to, though not identical with tho one |
now sock TO reject, The difference between
them is not material now. The Convention
adjourned with feeling that thcy had done
nothing. Northern mon had offered all thew
dared, Ia the way of compromise; and
Southern mon felt that they had accom-
plshed nothing of consequence in their es.
timation. But the never. ending desire to
keep on terms with the South, was active
in Congress land prompted by it, Mr..
Corwin offered the Resolution before us. as
the forthest step that could be made to the
verge of the gulf to which tho slave holding
interest would drive us. AS q desperate
resort. Congress yielded to the pressure and
passed this resolution; which was to be.
como a part of the Constitution, il three
fourths of the States by their Legislatures.
should accept it. This Resolution passed
Congress just before the Inauguration of
this administration, and was sent out to the
States for their approval, aftor many of