The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-09-14

responsibility upon unoHendlhS ahu lhhO |
cent freedmen.
The infatuated ty.ant that stood ready to !
crush his own people in Tennessee, when
thoy wero struggling to maintain govern |
ment erected by himself against his and |
other traitors prosecutions, was even more |
eager to illustrate his savage policy by |
clothing, with the most despotio power,
the rioters Of New Orleans. No.withsiand |
ing this heartlcss dcsertion aud cruel per.
seoution by Andrew Johnson, the States of
Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Western |
Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, imbued |
with the democratic republican principles
which the fathers Of the Republic designed
for all America, are now making determined
battle with the enemies OF free cOnstitu-
tional government, aud, by the blessings
uf God, these States will soon range them.
selves in line with tho former free States,
and illustrate the wisdom aud beneRcence
of the great character OF American liberty
by thor increasing population, wealth aud
prosperity.
In the rem lining ten States the seeds Of
oligarchy, planted in the Constitution by
its slavery features, have grown to be
monstrous power, whose recognition, thus
wrung from the reluctant farmers of that
great instrument, enabled these States to
intrench themselves behind the perverted
doctrine of States Rights and sheltered by
claim Of constitutional obligation to
maintain slavery. in the States, or present
to the American government the alterna-
tives of oligarchy with slavery, or demo
cratic republican governments without
slavery. A forbearing Government, bowling
to supposed constitutional behest, ao'
quiesced in the former alternative. The
6 H., n,k kNs cla al
for eighty years. The principles of constI.
tutional liberty langushed for want of
Government support.
Olgarchy malured its power with subtle
design. It's history for eighty years is re
plete with uaparalltlo lod injuries and usurpa-
tons. 1t developed only the agricultural
localities. geographically distinct from the
free labor lbc,,'ities, and loss than one
third OF the whole, with African slaves. II
held four millions ot humm beings as chat
tells, yet mAdo thrm tho basis of unjust
power tor themselves il eleral aud State
Governments. 70 mt,ntajn their enslave.
ment it excluded millions ni Tree white
laborers from the richest agricultural lands
of the world, forced them to remain inact.
i've ahd unproductlve on tho mineral man.
ufacturing and lumber local ties, comprising
vo thirds of tho whole South in square
miles and real undvcloped wealth, sim
ply because the localities were agricul-
turally too poor for slave labor, and con.
demned them to agriculture on this unagri-
cultural territory, aud consigned them to
unwilling ignorance and poverty by deny
ing capital aud strangling enterprise. 1t
repealed the capital, energy aud will of the
free States from free labor localities, by un-
mitigated intolerance and persecution, thus
guarding the approaches to their slave do
main against democracy.
The statute books groaned under despot.
ic laws against unlawful and insurrection.
ry assemblies aimed at the constitutional
guarantees of the right to pcaceaby assem-
hle and petit on for redress of grievances,
1t prescribed Democratic literature as in
cend y. 1t nuIlifed cen ditutional guaran-
ties OF freedom, and free speech, and n free
press. 1t deprived citizens ol the other
States of their privileges and immunties in
The States, an injury aud nsurpation alike
unjust to Northern citizens and destructive
OF the best interests of the States them.
selves.
Alarmed at the progress of democracy
in the face of every dsoouras cement, at last
it sought immunity hy secession and war.
The heart sickons with a contemplation OF
the four years that followed, the forced
loans. Endorsements, conscriptions, with
bloody hands and bayonets, the number of
AGED men who had long laid aside the i'm.
pements of labor, but who lad been sum.
moned anew to the field by the conscrip-
tion of their sons, to support their children
and grandchildren, reduced from comfor.
to the verge of starvation, the slaughter Of
noble youths, types of physical manhood,
forced into an unholy war against those
with home they were identified by every
inter( 81 long months OF incarceration in
rebel bastilas, ,banishmept from homes and
hearth-stones are but partial recltal'0 OF tni
long catalogue Of horrors.
But Democrats, North and South, defeat
ed them. They lOst-what did they lose
The cause of oligarchy lost African
slavery by name only. Soon as the tocsr
of war ceased, soon IS the clang of arms
was hushed, then came the cry of immedi
ate admission. and the watchword ''Seek tc
organize under new forms contest to per
petuato our unbridled sway" They at
tempted to regain sweeping control of al
local aud State organizations. The FEEDER
al Executive, easily reduced yields will
ing obedience to his old masters. Aided
by his interruptions disregard of Consti
tuition and LAYS, by his merciless proscrip
tion of true democratic opinion, and by all
his appliances of despotic power, they
defantly enter the lists in the loyal North
and seek to wiring from freemen an indorse
ment of their wicked designs. Every
foul attorney is at work to accomplish this
result.
Falsely protesting to favor the abolition
of slavery they "a striving to continue il
detestable power by legislative acts against
pretended Vagranis. They know that any
form of servitude will answer their unholy
purpose. They pronounce the fonr years
war brilliant sword scene in the great
revolutionary drama. Proscriptive public
sentiment hollis high carnival, and profting
by the example of the Presidential platform
b eathes out threatening Of slaughter
against loyal men, ignores and denOunees
al legal restraints, and assails with the
tongne of malgnity and slander the CON
Stitntionally chosen representatives OF the
people. To still the voice OF liberty, dan.
& ,us alone to tyrants, midnight conha
srltOns aud assasnatiOns. and murders in
open day, are called to their aid. A reign
of terror through all these ten States
10 ,kes LOYALTY stand silent in the presence
of treason, or whisper in bated br, ath
Strong men hesitate openly to speak for
liberty, an1 decline 10 attend at convention
at Philadelphia, for fear of destruction.
But all Southern men are not yet awed
nto submission to treason, and we have
a, sembled from all these States, determined
hat liberty, when endangered, shall hnd o
mouth-piece. and that the government OF
the neople, by the people, for the people
sha not perish from the earth. We are
here to consult together how best to pro