Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-09-11
ioHHsOrs POLICY vInDlclTEDI
SPEECH OF
COL. r. P. L. BABER,
AZ the Mass iAheetihG, 10 llatify the
PhiiadelPhia National Union
Convention, held nc UOlum-
bRs. o., on she EveRlng nyFyS-
OF sept. 9, 1899.

claration of Principles made at the Phila-
delOhia National Union Convention, shall
claim not only that my position Is correct
politically, but In perfect accord with the
IDlatfurm upon which President Lincoln
was elected, and the avowed purpose for
which the Union party was organized.
That party, at the outset of the rebellion,
was inaugurated bys call signed By men
of diverse political antecedents asking the
people to lay aside all differences Of lpoliti-
cal oplnion and unite on the platform OF
the Wnconditiondt preservation Of the Union
of these States, the maintenance of the In
tegrity of ithe National Government, and
the vigorous and continued prosecution Of
the war carried on for that purpose, as set
forth in the resolutions OF the Republican
State Central Committee OF Ohio, passed
July %, 1851, declaring 1t not now expedi-,
ent TO call Convention of the Republican
party to make nominations. 1t is fag-
rant breach Of good faith now to demand
Of those who Joined the nes0 organization
on these pledges, TO swallow the old doc
trines of, the extreme liberty party, aud
seek to attach conditions to the preserya-
A persistent effort Is made to conceal
from the people the true issue Ofthe contest
through i torrent of abuse and misrepre-
sentation OF all those who refuse to bow to
the edicts of certain Radical leaders, who
at no time have been able to carry popu-
lar election upon the ultra doctrines which
lie at the foundation of their policy, and
whose only hope Of success Is founded up
on misleading the public mind as to their
real sentiments until after they have at
tanned power under false pretenses. An
Outery Is raised because men connected
with different party organizations, ignoring
past political differences, have come to-
gether on common platform for the res
toratiOn of peace and union. When the re-
bellion broke out no bank man ever sus-
pected himself of being responsible Tor the
hard money doctrines of Pot Metal Tod
because he agreed with him on the then
practical huind issue before the country.
Neither now will any sensible man be
driven from his own conscientious convic-
tions of what Is right by the taunt that the
Copperheads agree with him. Indeed, so
common has become the application OF that
term to all opponents by the stay-at-home
shoddy cotton speculating, treasury swim
ding gentry of the Chase school, that
distinguished Republican General, wound
ed in the war, and now supporting the
Presidents policy, remarked that he sup
posed he, too, was a aCopperhead by virtue
of having several copper balls shot into him
by the rebels. .sf
Even John Minor Bolts, that Radical par
agOn of loyalty, when drlven from the
chair of the late Philadelphia Radical Con-
.1ention by misses, because he protested
apainst ne gro suffrage, was forced to exclaim
that the men who estimated loyalty on that
issue, stood upon very Rdrroo plank, but
when the question is whether one-hatf otthei
country is to be ruled by the votes Of their
former slaves, to perpetuate the offices in
bod htro :
tral military despOtism at washington,
every lover of his country should take his
stand with that venerable statesman, the
Hon. Thomas Ewing, the President of the
first Union State Convention in Ohio, who
saws in his letter of August 2, 1866, "If
they (meaning the Union party) and the
Constil ution and the Union cannot exist
together, as honestly desire their speedy
and final overthrow" But vituperatl0n is
not argument nor badinage logic. What
then are the real points to be considered?
You all know Abraham Lincoln was
nominated at Chicago in 1859, as a candi-
date for the Presidency on the basis of his
published debates with Senator Douglas,
and because on the questions of negro suf-
frape and State resistance to the fugitive
slave law. his published opinions were
avninst the Radical faction. You all rec0l-
lect when our respected fellow townsman,
= Jndge Swan, the founder In Ohio of the an
ti-Nebraska party, was thrown off the Su-
preme bench of Ohio, because he
would not consent to the State
n notification doctrines OF Governor Chase,
then an aspirant for the Presidency, who
in this matter hastened his own tall; ior, In
i reply t. a letter from well known citizen
Aof ithis place, calling his attention to the
outrageous course pursued by tue Radicals
in the Ohio state Convention, Mr.. Lincoln,
y in his first letter in reference to the Presi-
dency, dated Springfield, Ill, July 18th,
1859, SAYS, 1.-Two things done by the Ohio
Il Republican ConventiOn--nam the re-
1Mdiation of Judge Swan aud the plank
ior repeal OF the fugitive slave law, I Uery
much regretted. These two things are OF a
piece, and they are viewed by many good
Inen, sincerely opposed TO slavery, rs a
struggle against, and In disregard Of the
Constit.tion itself; and it Is the very thing
that will endanger our cause II 1t is not
EeDt ont of our National Convention" Sub
seaueutly, on the east steps Of this Capitol,
q In september, 1859, when Invited to Ohio
for the express purpose of bringing him
forward as u candidate for the Presidency,
M reply to charge in the ONO STATES
d MAN that he favored negro suffrage, he said
IT have no purpose to Introduce political
Z. and social equality between the white ana
black races. There Is a ply steal differences
between the two, which, In my Judgment,
will probably forbid their ever living to-
rether upon the footing Of perfect equality,
and inasinuch as II becomes necessity that
there must be difference, /, rs well
'as Judge Douglas, am in favor of the
race to which ! belong having the superior
position. . s's That am not or ever
nave been in favor Of making VOTERS or
Jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them
"a hold OfEice--Or intermarry with the white
people" " Nllii v't1 ~ "Vfi .,I
lido not propose on the present occasion
to dwell further on the history of Lincoln's
first nomination, except to assert from my
+ personaI knowledge, (which many Of you,
INV fellow townsmen, we'll Understand } /
that when all the facts aud documents are
I. pdblished the world viii know that the very
set of Radical leaders now following like
bIoodhounds President johnson, stopped at
no means, however dt,honordbIe, 10 sup
Z 11reae the movement for LincOin's first NOM
inagIon, as well as opposing his second in
dorsement at the Baltimore Convention.
Abraham Lincoln understood these men,
and as a measure Of self protection against
I the Congressional faction which bounded
him throughout his Administration, took
eiFectiye steps that Hannibal Hamlin, the
Vice President, who sympatbized with the
cliorne. should be left of the Presidential
Hcket' and Andrew Johnson, whom he kneO
III he IN perfect accord with his policy for
. State restorati0n, should be substituted in
bis nlace. AS early IS February 18th, 1852,
the movement for that purpose was set on
foot At Washington, and communicated TO |
n