Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-02-24
US, OHIO, WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEB,

C0perfect social equality OF black and white,
and can only end in this detestable doctrine
: of-MlscegenatiOn!
Gentlemen may deny that this is the ten
J dency of their party. They used to deny
that they favored the doctrine of the polit-
ical equality of black and white, which was
once charged upon them, and which they
are now SO boldly consummating. The
truth will appear. After year or two
some member from New England will come
here recognizing the great fact that four
million blacks are mixing more or less, and
ought to mix more with the whites of the
country, and will advocate a bureau of an
other kinda department for the hybrids
who are cast upon the care of the Gov
ernment by this system of miscegena-
tion. ~ q GAb..
Mr.. Speaker, since have been upon the
floor, the gentleman from Massachusetts
more than limited that the Democracy might
desire to compete with his party in this new
scheme of miscegenation. Not at all, sir.
Our prejudices are strong, but they are in
favor of our own color. We have, in times
past, affiliated with the Democracy South,
but do not understand that the Democrat
ic party North is responsible for what the
Democratic party South did since or when
they separated from us, or since and when
they divided our party and helped you to
of the North never was a pro-slavery party, |
as has been libelously charged. Laughter
on the Republican side.] Oh, know you
laugh. gentlemen, at that; but your laugh |
is "like the cracking of thorns under a
pot"
The Scripture tells you what kind of
laughter that Is. 1t would be unparlia-
mentary to characterize it further. | re-
peat it, the Democracy North never was
pro-slayery party. know the contrary
has been reiterated by the crew who have
floated on the summer current of northern
prejudice, until many good people believe
it. A grosser falsehood was never uttered.
Even Horace Greeley is ashamed any more
position correctly, when he said that 'north-
ern Democracy is not really pro-slavery,
but anti-interventi0n; maintaining, not
that slavery is right, but that we of the free
States should mind our own business and
let alone other peoples" Our platforms
are but the repetition of this idea of nom
interference. Beginning with 1910 and
ending with 1850, we resolved
That Congress has no power. under the Constitu-
ton, to interfere with control the domestic insti
tuions of the several States; and that such States
ing to their affairs, not prohibited by the Con-
stitution; that all efforts by abotionsts others
Of slavery or to take ncipent steps in relation there
to, calculated to lead to the most alarming and
dangerous consequences, and that all such efforts
have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happi-
ness Of the people, and endanger the stability and
permanency Of the Union, and ought not TO be
countenanced by any friend to our political nstitu
tions. '.
The Democracy ever favored local sove-
reignty as to slavery and every other do
mestc matter. They would have extended
eli 60
States to the Territories. On that question |
of extension of -interYention. the DEM
ooraoy NurGn and South unhappily divided.
The consequences are upon us.
1 accept events as they transpire. Not
responsible for them, yet not unobser-
want of them, / call the attention of the |,
House to the bold strides which have been |
made since we last met, by fraud and force, |
to crush out the institution of slavery. I
need not point you to the black recruiting
system in Maryland and Missouri. need
not rehearse the orders of generals and
subordinates, all working to this end, re-
gardless of the rights of property or local
sovereignty. Slavery hangs precariously,
by a hair, in Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisi-
ana, Maryland, Missouri, and Florida. Even
in old Kentucky, where her loyal people
cared less for it and more for their State
right over it, anti-slavery is at work. Wher-
ever in our lines slavery yet exists it is
comparatively free and altogether profitless.
1t works at its own will, and not at the will
of the master. Outside Of our lines-within
the Gulf once worth 81, 600 are
now only worth their 500 in gold; and this
depreciation will go on If our armies con-
tinue to penetrate the South. If it thus go
on, where will it end? In the grave of the
slave! Read the accounts of mortality among
Al. al In, fho
Each camp is hospital. The deserted
families perish by their removal from their
homes, by vice and starvation. We of this
side have no power to stop it. The war
keeps it going. For this condition of the
negro let the Abolition party and its savage
counterpart South answer to God and the
country. To the horrors and calamities of
the whites growing out of this war is to be
added the miseries and destruction of the
blacks; and this indictment of high crime
will not be found against the northern De-
mocracy, butagainst itsrevilers North, who
divided our Union, and its enemies South,
who divided our party.
In the forthcoming election for Chief
Magistrate you will find the Democracy
making no issue about slavery. If 1t is
dying or dead, as you allege, you will find
them striving their utmost to preserve what
they can of local and personal liberty out
of the chaos of this conflict. We have
been the champions of local and State liberty,
not because slavery was guaranteed by it,
| No, sir. We have not championed slavery.
We never placed 1t In our northern constitu-
tions. | would fain have seen slavery die, |
| if die it must, by the unforced action of
the States, as it has died in the now free |
States, and not by the rough usages of war,
which destroys the slave with slavery; not