Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-01


declaration of Southern Senators that all
they asked was the f'Union under the Con
they wanted was "their
rights" And their constitu-
tional rights were never infringed upon,
except on the subject of slavery. 1t was only
on this topic that they complained. They
claimed that in the "Union under the Consti-
tuition" they hf d the right to carry slavery
into all the territories Of the United States.
Thew aid: We have constitutional
right" TO hold our slaves, just as you hold
your horses and mules, in all the territOr
les. The right to put slave labor by the
side of free labor throughout all our ter
ritories, now acquired or to be acquired
throughout our whole future history, was
thus claimed as a right "under the Consti
ton" In addition to this they claimed the
right to carry their slaves into tho free
States, under the clause of the Constitution
relating to the extradition Of fugitives
from service or labor. They claimed under
this clause not only the right to take a
person actually escaping from one State
into another, but, coastructively, one who
escapes from his master IN free State.
They claimed, further, the right to take
their slaves through the free States and hold
them there as long as convenient
for the purposes of business or pleasure.
Under this construction of the Constitu-
ton, every free State mu t, in time, be
come slave. Further, to ensure them
these " Constitutional rights they de-
mauded an arrangement which should
give them majority in one of the Houses
Of Congress, a majority on the Supreme
Bench, and q control of the Executive de-
partmont, or else a new Constitution which
snould provide for dual Presidency, each
L. - II
idea was fathered by Calhoun, and was the
l,iyorite project of Jefferson Davis. And l
have heard the latter maintain this theory,
with great bitterness, as the only means OF
securing to the South the perpetuation OF
their rights.
Now. what do the gentlemen of the Chi
"a 20 Convention mean by the use of this
expression? ? Why do they take up and
repeat the old phrase of the shareholders
and save propagandists in Con gress, unless
thsv mean the same thing? They must
~ .iasll tlIO-,. UltOn 04rdsE thO Oenatit"tion-
as the oligarchy claim it. they know very
well that no other "Union under the Con-
,titution'' is acceptable to that Oligarchy.
But Mcclellan comes forward and says
that "we should exhaust all the resources
of craftsmanship practiced by civilized
nations and taught by the traditions of the
American people, consistent with the honor
and interests ofthe country, to secure such
neace. rs-establish the Union, and guaran-
Zee for the future all the constitutional
rights of every State" What does he
mean? I? 1t cannot be forgotten that he was
one of those who went farthest in all his
concessions to the demands of the south. II
will. be remembered that this idea of a dual
Presidency was set up in the Peace Confer
snee, and received majority there, in the
shape of proposition that there should be
no acquisition of territory except by the
votes OF a majority of the Senators repro
seating both the slave and the free States.
I mention this to show how persistent the
south was in this demand, and that am
not unjust in asrribing to General
Mcclellan a disposition to include
this in his constitutional guarantees
% the States in rsbelli'n. Remembering
this, and remembering that Vallandigham
and Fernando Wood boast, and truly too,
that they were chiefly instrumeRtal in
framing the platform at Chicago. we get a
clear idea of the Union which the opposi-
tion party desire 10 bring about by nego-
tiaticn.
They want Union with slavery estab-
Iished in the territories, and guaranteed
They want Union with the right Of
holding slaves in all the states guaran-
teed there.
Thev want a Union with the right of
passing through the free states with slaves
Guaranteed to the South.
To preserve these guarantees they want
dual Executive.
This is the kind of Union which the
opposition propose, aud which the people
say they DoNiT WANT. Loud applause
For this issue has been distinctly presented
10 the people in two elections. In 1855 we
were beaten at the polls. And did we rebel2
Did Massachusetts, rebel Did any State
think or dream ST rebellion? ? Not one. The
people had spoken, and though the man
elected was not very agreeable to his
opponents, and not even to a great many OF
his supporters, every one acqUiesced. They
didn't rebel, because they had no right TO
do so. The voice ofths people was sovereign,
and it hushed all controversy Applause.
In 1860 the question wEs again decided, in
favor of the men who represented the idea
Of freedom, by the election of Lincoln and
HamIin as President and Vice President OF
he United States.
THE UNION PARTY WANT UNION AND FREEDOM.
We have now anideaof the Union which
inc advocates Of General Mcclellan are
wiling to restore, if they can obtain the
-o,l sent Of the South to do so. Now what
sort of a Union do the Unionists want?
IRE Question is answered in a word. They
want Union with every living man in all
.6e territory of the United States free
-Cpeers.7 The opposition want a Union with
slavery: we want a Union with Freedom.
This is not what every one has wanted all
.iong. At first many, the President, my
,.lE anti-slav<Hg man as l am, desired that
=, a. al = of
eaviug slavery to be removed by the States
1nder thu christfanizing influences of
mankind. But it didn't take me long
!, get cured of that idea. Laughter
md applause It b5came clear to
ysrv rejecting mind that it was i'm
possible TO put down the rebellion without
putting down slavery, one of the chief sup
,orts Of rebellion. We found in the black
population our truest allies in the South.
When the Union flag came in sight they
welcomed it with cheerfulness and thanks
irving to God rs a sign of deliverance.
When an Union officer or soldier escaped
rom prison in the South, and, in making
1is way through forest or morass, caught
gbt Of the light twinkhng in negroes
l1t. he went to it, confident Of finding
ood, FIRE, shelter, guidance, and
lever in single instance was he disap
pointed. [Appisuse.l Mr.. Chase proceed
"A most eloauently and lucidly to show
low useful the slaves were, and how neces-
ary il became to issue the Proclamation.
lie continued: ! said, when many shrank
rom approving the proclamation "This
let of the Presidents, however people may
ensure it, is one for which posterity will
lold his name in eternal honOr''-and so it
viii. loud cheers.l l only re- ret the
RECEPTIONS made in it. And do not know
me loyal man in Virginia, in Louisiana,
Ii Tennessee, in Maryland-one truly earn !
st Union man-who does not regret these |
Andrew johnson and Horace
both declare that they regret |
hem.
We have learned that it is just as good
,olicy to arm negroes as white men; and |
o-day, tive hundred thousand negroes are |
the uniform of the United States |
nd fighting the battles of the Union
lighting their own battle for
10 8.