Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-02-04
Gov. Brough's Response-ImpOrt.
amt Testimony.

InThursday mornings issue of The Ohio
State Journal we find the subjoined response
of Governor BRoUGH to the Ohio Legisla-
ture for congratulating him ''upon the
passage by Congress of the proposed Con-
stitutional amendment, abolishing slavery
in the United States:"
Mr.. Speaker, aud Gentlemen Of the Senate
and House of Representatives: Iaccept your
congratulations, and, in turn, congratulate
you and the people of our great State on
the passage Of the resolution to which you
have referred. In doing so, l regard this
as an important era in the history of our
country, as the consuntmdtion Of the sotsh Of
the fatllers Of the Republic; for believe they
soould gladly haze accomplished it if it had been
in their potcer. And here | hope | may be
pardoned an egOtism in which l seldom in
dulge, while revert to antecedents of my
own political history. / was, from early
life, identified with one of the great polite
al parties of the country, having formed my
opinions from the best light then Offered,
and these opinions having been strength
ene0 by the observations of maturer years,
/ always felt and acted upon the convic-
tion In my own mind that slavery was
terrible evil in the land--that it was ter
ribly opposed to all the principles of JUS
tice-that it was intolerably wrong.
But regarded it as an eu1 existing aohen
the government soas formed, as giUen to us By
the mother country, and an eUtl for aohich ,oe
aoere not altogether responsible, and one erceed-
inglv difficult to arrange. Iregarded IL, too, as
one Of the subjects Of compromise in The Consti-
tuition; still disliked the evils of slavery;
disliked the form of government to which
it tended; disliked its educational influence
upon the people of the slave States. From
an early age, felt its Entertainments upon
territory now free. opposed its entrance
there, and within the political organization
to which belonged, warred against it.
The Governor then proceeded to say that
he had disliked to interfere with the sub
ject, but hoped for many years that the time
would come when, by constitutional
amendment, it would be peacefully eradi-
Gated from the land, and that in constitu-
tional manner, its constitutional guarantees
would be removed. While he did not en-
tirely agree that slavery was the cause Of
the rebellion, but rather a pretext so far as
the rebel leaders were concerned, it had be-
cofnc'a means OF uniting the Southern peo-
pie around their rebel leaders. These lead
ers desired to uproot our form of govern
ment and put another In its place; and, fail
ing in that purpose, to erect an oligarchy,
of which slavery should be the corner stone.
And when slavery became means of unit
ing the people against our form of govern
ment, and then means of warfare, he be-
lieved y entirely legitimate to make war
against it.
But he had believed in the use Of peaceful
means Of eradicating 1t, and he now con-
gratulated his hearers on the elimination
Of this great measure Of peace. Here the
speaker was interrupted by the whole au-
dience rising and cheering TO their utmost.l
He rejoiced to have lived to see this peace
full result. He expected that ere conclud-
Ing their labors in these Halls, this General
Assembly would hasten to place our great
State Ia the front rank, where she deserves
to0be, on this great question. ~ GA li
The Governor announced that about five
o'clock q salute would be fired In honor of
the event they had met to celebrate; and
the audience then adjourned with three
rousing cheers. I'D kws ~
In the foregoing, Governor BRouGH pro-