Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-01-19

mn f"s AIS s55o yod gentlemen from the
&ae North tnfeud 10 battle for slavery after
the South a ready TO abandonitf" Wean-
sver. aPrlncipiis obsta.n Mr.. Davis and
his ecadiutors may do >as they please; we
do nal battle for slavery nor against it. We
cling 10 the system of our Government "as
the Bond of unity in the past, as the only
bond of union In the future, the only iahd
lifted above the waters on which the ark oil
Uniouc1n nbcmooreds From that ark alone
will 70 outslhe dove blessed OF the Spirit,
The oiiye-branch 81 peace.7 Not for JET
ferson Davis; not for Virginia; but for our
own States, our own Government, do we
stand on the principle OF self-government
over State Affairs, and against the use OF the
power Of amendment to change that prin-
i6fble. NV doctrine Is better stated than l
can state 1t, In the speech Of Judge Thomas,
or Massachusetts,, from which l quote,
when he says: w 10 .ip M
3 = aa.'whostsr elss may falter, I must stand By the
am not Wise S enough 70 9aa,a on 1s. Sa
tionslife, Thore is TO me no hope a. our country
but in this system Of many States and one nation.
-hshd had nodded them and set them in motion. To
this system the integrity Of the States Is as essential
Is thHt Of the central power. Their life Is one life
would be essentially despotic Government, demo-
.crstie in name but kept buoyant by corruption and
,snioiont BY the sword Desiring the extinction Of
%orfiSs f " events @ With dtycut gratitude and pa
tence BY no rash act OF ours much less any radi-
kal change Constitution. shall we hasten the
humans: II beguiled BY the nattcries of hope or Of
shallow sell lf-concet IL impelled by our hatred Of
ss.son and desire q vsnsssncs, 2, 9s
we yield 10 such change. we shall destroy the best
hope Of freeman and slave and the best hope Of hu-
manity this side the grave" 20"
The Federal system, unamended, embra-
ces three classes Of functions: first those
concerniug the relations of the United
States to, foreign nations; second, those
concerning the relations between the States
and their citizens respectively and third,
certain powers which, though belonging to
the same departments of Government, to be
useful aud effective must be general and
uniform In their operation throughout the
country, In none of these functions do we
find this power over domestic slavery. The
effort Is now to make its abolition a func- |
tion Of the national Government. If you |
begin upon this domain where Is the limit |
10 the exercise Of this plenafy amendatory |
power In domestic affairs Should wei
Imend the Constitution so as to change the
,elation Of parent and child, guardian and
ward, husband and wife, the laws of inher-
Itance, the laws Of legitimacy? Because we
have the power must we seize it? Where
will it end, when once begun? Is 1t, then
q question of slavery, or is it a question OF
home freedom In home affairs; a State
question in State affairs; police question,
municipal and not Federal in:
If we may change the relation
Of the blacks to the whites in one respect
may we not in another? May we not
,hange the Constitution to give them suf-
frage in States in spite of all State laws to
the contrary? Must we not amend the
to allow the importation of
freed blacks into States like Illinois and In-
Llama? Must we not declare all State laws
based on their political inequality with the
white races null and void? If you begin
With this amendnienC, what laws are to be
assed to carry it out? Do you not break
own, by this amendment, the distinction
etween the spheres of the State and ma,
ional Governments, which is characteristic
If our system, as old as our Union? If So I
ire we not asked to change the system.
-ather than to abolish slavery?
Hence, do not place my suggestions ,
lbout this measure on any ground of tn, !
of the Constitution, or of ou
peculiar system. ! place my vote against /
t, because the system it would change is !
good one, made in wisdom and to be per. |
people. If the system of Internal police
over State matters is not of value, discard
it altogether. Deny to Ohio her right t. 1
declare who are born In wedlock, and who I,
may inherit estates; deny to us the right to
have our home courts for home justice; CEN
tralize all power here, in one head, and
make the federation a despotic tyranny.
and thus you will have the gospel of an
archy, the philosophy of dissolution" ]
may admit the wrong of slavery. 1t may
be henious in sight of God and man. may
admit the power by amendment to abolish
it.. am q radical Democrat and believe In
of all organic laws in pursu- /
ance Of the mode described. may admit (
that such an amendment would impair only /
for brief time the checks and balances, the |
very substance and essence of our fedora
tive system, and yet ask you, on the other |
side, whether, If believed that this amend
ment would place an impediment insuper-
able to the restoration of the Union, ought
TO vote for IL? III believed that the rebel
authorities would not meet us in cOnven-
ion, and would stand out against the Union
,n their independence, might consider
new what 1 ought to do. / have no au-
hentic information in that regard. So
oDg as there is a faint hope Of returning
Union will not place obstacles In the path.
viii rather illuminate, cheer, and clear
The pathway to theold homestead. If be-
Iieyed, Mr.. Speaker, that peace could be re-
stored with the Union, by the abolition of
slavery, would vote for it. All / do and
al forbear to do Is to save our imperiled
and restore our priceless
Union. Show me that that will be the re-
'ult, and will vote for your amendment.
But, as 1t stands to-day, believe that this
amendment Is an obstacle to the rehabili-
alton of the States. So believing, can
lot givemy vote for II, nor would any hon.
st patriot ask me to give vote for meas
ire which believe would bring about an
ternal separation of the States of the Union.
Gems to be, that rather than fail in inde-
slavery shall 20, / for one, as a
Democrat, shall be ready to reconsider my
esolution. The party to which belong
owes the Union as dearly as the South loves
layery, II they can let slavery 60 for in
dependence, the Democracy can for the
axe of the Union. II the South refuses to
meet us In convention and abide by its ar
then there is no hope for slavery.
Z the South obtain independence 1t will be
W freedom to the slaves and their ENROLL
nent as soldiers. II they do not obtain
heir independence, between the collisions
4 the belligerents the institution will be
rome, and then IL matters little what be-
ZONES Of this amendment, so far as its own
peculiar subject Is concerned. So far as the
Union slayeholding States are concerned,
hey are rendering this amendment useless.
Missouri yesterday almost unanimously
oted to abolish slavery. Maryland has
lready done 1t, whether by force or free
on III Il not now NV nt1rnosa IN inouire -