Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-24

taxes. The people do not forget that the
National debt Is the consequence of the
Democratic rebellion. IL the Democratic
party had not encouraged the South to re-
volt, there would have been no great pub.
lie debt.
Stop your lying. Taking WAsHINGToN's
Farewell Address In their hands, the DEM
ocratic party urged the people to indig-
nantly frown down sectional organizations.
Did the Democratic party therein encour-
age "the South to revolt?" With each
stride that the fanatics made toward the
control Of the Federal Government, the
Democratic party besought the people to
stay their onward march, lest a barbarous
and desolating civil War should ensue.
Did the Democratic party in this encourage
'the South to revolt?" In 1850, the Abo-
litionists, through their conservative cats
paws, disguised in measure their pur-
poses, by declaring that they sought the
control of the Federal Government in Or
der to restore economy, frugalty and integ-
rity in the administration of the Federal
Government, and to befriend the poor men
by so legislating that they would receive
better pay for their work and would have
to expend less for that which they would
have to buy; their tares aoere to be reduced:
the landless were to be given land, and the
homeless were to be given homes without
money and without price. The Democrats
warned the people that their success would
drive the country into civil War. This
warning the Abolitionists and their "Con-
servative" dupes derided as a scare-crow
set up by demagogues. Did the Democratic
party in the warning encourage "the
South to revolt?" When the election was
over, and when from the far South the
notes of discomfort came up, the Democrat
ic party plead with the leaders of the sue
cessful party to give to the people of the
South some unquestionable guarantee that
they did not mediate an inroad upon their
"peculiar institution" with view to its
overthrow. How were these pleadings of
the Democratic party met by the leaders of
the successful party? They replied that
the manifestation of discomfort was nothing
more than natural vaporing, and would, in
a few days, subside, and the country would
then settle down into most peaceful state
Louder grew the notes of discomfort, and
more importunate grew the Democratic
party for peaceful settlement of the diff
Guilty; but the leaders of the successful
party now came forward, after they had
swindled plurality of the people into their
support by assuring them that they con-
templated nothing beyond retrenchment
and reform, and the bettering of the condi-
tion of the laboringmen of the country, and
claimed that they had triumphed GER
tain principle, and that they could not, and
would not, abandon that principle, by any
concession or compromise, though thereby
it would save even fifty such Unions as had
up to that time blessed our country with
unexampled prosperity and happiness
What was that principle? We shall let
General Cox answer that question. In his
Oberlin speech, which was reported to the
State Journal as authentic, he said:
"After sketch of the great four years.
struggle for mastery, the General said: |
refer to this strife now on account OF
the triumph of principles. Slavery had
presented itself to the American people as
an evil, and it was to be disposed of. Our
lamented President declared the Govern
ment could not exist half slave and half
free; another distinguished statesman had
said, the conflict was an irrepressible one.
We were not prepared then to acknowledge
these assertions true. We worked gradu-
ally for the downfall OF slavery.
ave believed that in time we should sue
ceed; that by girdling the tree we might de-
stroy the evil. But the people of the South
saw as clearly as ourselves the tendency of
our action. 1t was not because of the elec-
ton of President Lincoln that they resolv-
ed on new step; but because they saw
where the principle would lead"
Substantially the same language did he
use in his Warren speech. He says their
purpose was to extirpate slavery in the
South. Through the Constitution they
could not strike it, and, therefore, they in
tended to do by indirection that which they
could not do by direction. General Cox
says the South understood what they were
after. 1t was not the loss of the offices
with their emoluments, that caused the
South to revolt. 1t was not Democratic
encouragement that caused the South to
revolt. 1t was because the Abolitionists,
acting through the Republican Organiza-
tion, were determined to extirpate slavery
in the South, that impelled the South to
make the effort to withdraw from the
Union. Such, in effect, is the testimony of
General Cox, the Abolition candidate for
Governor. No responsibility whatever,
therefore, attaches to the Democratic party
for the revolt of the South.
How about the War, when the South and
the North had crossed swords, despite all
the Democratic party could do to prevent
it? Said the Democrats, don't treat this as
a mere irruption. Treat it as general
movement Of the Southern people, and
make your preparations accordingly. Do
not, in any particular, violate the Constitu-
ton Of the United States. You say there
is a large portion of the people devoted to
the Union in the South. 1t is so. Give
them ground on which they can stand as
against the disunionists. The first act sus-
pending the writ OF habeas corpus played
into the hands of JEFF. DAVIS, and he was
prompt to make it the occasion for special
message; the Emancipation proclamation,
likewise, played into JEFF. DAVIS hands,
inasmuch as it enabled him to pr0long the
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