Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-27

G0VcrnOrS OF states, III puUllc speeches. ia Z
such imputatiOns upon majority OF their
own constituents; when every artifice, that
malice can invent and indtsty apply, Is be-
ing resorted to, In order to mislead and
prejudice the army against the Democratic
party; when, for that purpose, Democratic
newspapers have been excluded from its
lines and camps, while Abolition newspa-
pers are freely admitted; when secret, ire
sponsible, oath-bound and armed societies
are forming to suppress the voice of De-
mocracy and trample upon the public will;
when all the machinery to produce a reign
Of terror is being prepared and set in mo-
tion:is itwonderful that Ignorance, passion
and prejudice should bid defiance to the
~ What, let me ask you, Mr.. Speaker, Is the
object Of the revolutionary policy of Lin |
coins Administration Tosave the Union, |
| Is Che answer. Save the Union by tramp |
| ling upon Constitutions and laws? By |
trampling upon the sAered prerogatives of
State sovereignty ?ssBy dismembering |
Statesp By forcing upon them spurious
| minority governments? By acknowledging
| the right of secession through the national
Legislature and the leading spokesmen of
the Executives? By involving the country
immense standing armies Of Pretorians ?
By employing them to suppress the freedom
of elections? By establishing national
banks, provost marshals, military governors
and other officers, all alike unknown to the
| fundamental law of the land? BY placing
military power above the law? BY freeing
the negroes and enslaving the white peO--
plep Save the Union! Attain Heaven
through hell! Liberty through slavery!
Good God This must be one of Lincoln's
jokes! III. ee.
Look at the Administration! 1t assumes
to represent the country, it claims at our
hands allegiance which we only owe to
our country. Examine closely its motives,
objects and actions! 1t is party, nothing
but party, from top to bottom. With the
Chicago Platform i'm its right hand it was
sworn into power! That Platform has been
its norm, its biblel Not the Constitution,
not the principles of Jefferson, Jackson and
Washington! And this mere party Admin
istration, this 'office insurance company for
all who hate the Democratic State rights
doctrine" this embodiment of wrong and
crime, this ulcerating body of corruption
presumes to sit in judgment over the peo-
! pie; undertakes to intimidate and destroy
the Democratic party! Why? Because
we oppose the Administration. That is our
sin, our only sin! We represent just now,
us it were, the conscience of the Republic.
Its voice, the voice of truth, must be hushed
s. by fair or foul means.
Hence Abolition speakers, even on the
floor of this House seek to cast odium upon
us. Hence the Abolition press infames the
people and incites them to acts of violence.
Hence we hear of Democrats being insult
, ed, assaulted, murdered by the misguided
!, rabble; of their property being wantonly
destroyed by brutal force. Hence we see
that our opponents are released from the
!, obligation to obey the law, while even the
! ordinary protection of the laws is taken
, away from us by arbitrary executive edicts
and by the unconstitutional legislation of
, corrspt and partisan Congress. Outrage
follows outrage! And how can it be other
wise? The mob spirit pervades the ranks
OF the dominant party. Did they ever ar
rest any but Democrats? Did they mob
J any but Democratic presses? No! The
scheme is aimed at us, at us alone. The
motive is not Unionism, not love of law and
order, but simply hatred of Democrats and
Democratic principles. D.
All, let them come on, the strapped and
unstrapped miscegenation gentry! Let
them try their bullets and bayonets against
the principles of Democracy! Can they
stop the waves of the ocean, Can they
tear the sun, moon and stars off from the
canopy of heaven? AS little as they can do
that, as little can they subdue the spirit of
Democracy, which Is the spirit of truth,
liberty and true Republcanism! Their
bayonets may press the thorny martyr
crown on the brow Of our Vallandigham!
Our body they may put in bondage, but the
spirit that moves us, the everlasting princi-
pies of Democracy never, never! i
Woe to those who have let loose upon us
the bloodhounds of despotism! Soon they
will feel their fangs themselves! Usurped
power knows no bounds, knows no rule
Who once enters upon the path of lawless-
ness, cannot retrace his steps. One crime
begets another. Tomorrow the usurper
will cruelty those whom he embraces to-
day. How was it in the French Revolution?
Danton and RobespierTe introduced the
guillotine, and soon their own heads fell
victims to its hoirid blade! III. !
The day of retribution cannot be far off
Justice proceeds slowly, but 0vertakes the
evil doer with unerring certainty. So sure
ly as there is a God in Heaven, those who
are now oppressed, will soon set their feet
upon the neck Of the oppressor! Those
who are now engaged in digging the grave
of liberty, will soon find out that they have
dug their own graves!
Sirs, let me appeal to you once more! You
owe the same obedience to the Constitution
! and laws that we owe. We are all in the
| same boat. You have the same interest
that we have to maintain the peace Of soci-
ETY., to protect the liberties of the people, to
be secure in your houses, persons and prop
erty from lawless intrusion, to prevent
anarchy and civil war! We will do our
aSty yNhs And " sS sO SSa 2 Gs wB2 B2
ness by voting against the substitute and
for the original resolutions now under con-
| sideration. r. ~ ca -E4AJ !
|