Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-08-25
special dispatch 70 The CINCINNATI Gazette.


Special Dispatch to the Cincinnati Gazette.
OBERLIN, O., Aug. 21.
A compact crowd of the solid, thinking
men and women of Lorain to-day filed
the largest audience hall of Northern
Ohio. to welcome Gen. Cox to Oberlin--
He was received with hearty cheers, which
truthfully testified that that famous letter
to the Oberlin Committee had not impair
ed their confidence in our candidate. The
General alluded to the interesting cireum-
stances under which he spoke, n dis
claimed any desire to thrust the crudities
of a political speech among the academic
exercises. He had always been proud
that Oberlin haze been eager In sustaining
the war, but the rebellion broke up slave
nv before the war began. Slavery could
not coexist with our free Government
We had sought In peaceful efforts to
hedge its growth, and at last remove the
evil. We thought we could girdle the
tree and so finally kill it, but the South
saw our purpose. They saw that their
power had departed, and resolved to make
war. Even at the Moth the doctrine of
State rights had gained too much respect
We leaned to it IN Ohio. and we found
when the wal came a strong Northern
party sympathizing with the heresy of Sc
c%ession; but we repudiated the doctrine,
and must repudiate it forever. We have
been Obliged to affirm that we owe to the
Federal Government a prior and deeper
allegiance than to a State. The idea of
slavery must also fall, and this has been
settled, so far as arms can settle 1T. But
out of the new condition of things grow
new questions. Certain sections of the
slave States were excepted from the terms
of the emancipation proclamation. We
must complete by political action what
the war did not finish. We must keep IN
the close bonds of one party all who are
united in the cardinal purpose of Kidding
the nation of the evil of slavery. One or
two Southern States must be secured for
the constitutional amendment. We must
not seek to bind our party to all that we
believe, but rather to the greatimmediate
end to be secured.
The General gave a graphic description
of that memorable winter time when the
troops in East Tennessee re-enlisted as
veterans. The thermometer fell to 20 de-
grees below zero; the men were in rags; /
the daily ration was a handful of corn to
a group of half naked soldiers shivering
over a sputtering camp fire. He said How
is it with YOU, boys? They answered,
Pretty rough, General. but well see it
through" And these regiments, veter-
apized. who were they? Pro-SIavery men,
but Union .men-Kentuckians
and TeLnesseeans-Who carried the old
flag in many a hard place. We must re-
into our party these men. Those
who abuse them abuse me.
I have seen black troops fight nobly,
and Isay of all, that they who were good
enough-to fight with us are good enough
to stand on the Union platform with me.
We must settle this State Rights theory
first, then the other questions will come
ap in their time. To meet them We must
first get at the facts. IF we see them alike
viii not long disagree on modes of ac-
ton.
The question of suffrage is not a ques
lion OF absolute right and wrong. We be-
ieve-in giving to all men, as linen, equal
rights to Advancement, but how to do this
is where we differ. / do not know how
far we can trust the returning rebels. |
that generally the broadcast exten sion
Of the right of suffrage has been the path
IF safety. The TIME will come, when all
,hese people will be fit to exercise the
of freedom, but now we are trying
experiment; and [ confess that my
study of this matter gives me less faith In
own opinions and more of a DISPOSE
ion to wait for the logic of events. We
must do for the negro race what is best
or them and US; We must consider them
where they are and as they are. On one
ide we have their distrut of their old
masters, on the other a deep, settled hate
White race that they will not share the
Government with them. Various plans
f reconstruction are proposed. The Union
,arty of Ohio has been blamed for not de-
iding which it would favor. l affirm
hat they did right. There was not sufi-
lent unity of conviction and design to do
huS. - -- --ui