The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-08-30


Government, arguments against hi
T country's claims, and torebodings 0
the gloomiest, saddest kind, the,
would have stood amazed at sue
support.
Mr.. Chairman, did sincerely hop
when | saw the declaration of the ex
istence of war adopted by vote O
LA to IA in this House, and 40 to
in the Senate, that We should b.
spared recurrence of the disgrace
ful scenes of the late war. / dit
hope that the "peace party" men 0
that day would have no imitators
uow."
The distinguished member of Con
} gress who made the speech from
1 which these quotations are taken, i:
the present candidate for Governor
of Ohio, Judge Thurman Now al
though the war OF the rebellion in
volved such vital nterests-lnterests
in comparison with which the issues
in the war with Mexico sink into in
significance, i am yet so charitable as
to be willing that the people of Ohio
should apply to the conduct of Judge
Thurman during the war Tor the
Union the same rule which he laid
down as to the duty of public mel
twenty one years ago, during the
war with Mexico. Many of us were
just beginnining our political educa
tion when Judge Thurman taught
these doctrines. And when we wenl
forth to do battle for our country in
the war of the rebellion, in the Ian
guage of Judge Thurman, we "did
sincerely hope that we should bt
spared recurrence OF the disgrace
iul scenes of the late war" W.
''did hope that the peace party mel
of that day would have no imitatol
now" But unhappily for our Owl
country, we were deceived; there
were lose who sought "to make +
little paltry party capital by throwing
the blame OF the war OH the Presi
dent" Judge Thurman must there.
fore not complain if We now ask the
people of OHIO to judge him out oI
his own mouth, aud administer to
him good strong dose of his OWL
medicine.
Judge Thurman says that "the old
Wing party became diSorganized by
the poison OF Abolitioni,m, and ii
became changed from great nation
al and Union preserving party, into
great sectional and Union destroy
ing organization. Judge Thurman
fixes no point OF time At which 1.-THE
old Wing party became Uuion de
stroying organizations" but az he
more than once designates 1.-THE past
six years" as the period during
which 1.-The enemies of our Govern
ment," as he chooses to call his pol
ltical adversaries, have been in pow
er, l suppose it is fair to assume that
he means to charge that Mr.. Lincoln
and his supporters had been ''chang-
ed into great sectional aud Union
destroying organization by the
poison OF AboliLionism, as long ago
as the Presidential election of 1861
Now, l submit that there was
nothing in the abolitionism of Mr..
Lincoln, or oil his supporters, which
warrants Judge Thurman in calling
them "a Union destroying Organiza
tion,' and the enemies of our Gov
ernment.' l submit, further, that
there was nothing in Mr.. Lincoln 5
abolitiOnisn which justiiieS Judge
Thurman and the peace Democracy
in their hostility to the war. What
was Mr.. LincOln's abolitionism!-
What issue was there between him
and the Shareholders? Mr.. Lincoln
was opposed to the extension OF
slavery into the Territories. The
shareholders insisted that they had
the same right to carry into the Ter
ritories slave property, that the cit
izen of a free State had to take his
property into the Territories. That
TO deny the STAKEHOLDER this right,
was to deny the slave States equality
OF rights with the free States. On
this, as the main issue, the election
of 1860 turned The Democracy,
North and South, call Mr.. Lincoln 8
doctrine abolitionism, and his sup
porters Abolitionists. Even if it is
abolitionism, there is good authority
for the doctrine Turning over the
Congressional Globe, the other day,
| read ON page l9l, the second sess-
ion of the Twenty ninth Congress-,
these sentences:
"Why, then, does the North insist
on opposing the extension of slavery
a answer
Because, first, as the municipal
Legislature of the Territories, il is
the duty of Congress to promote
their interest. The people of the
free States think, whether erroneous
ly or no.. that it is for the interest of
any country that slavery be prohib
ite";; and thinking SO, we. as the leg
islative power over the Territories,
deem it our duty, where it can be
done without too great sacrifice, to
exclude slavery from them,
Another reason: That Congress is
tile National Legislature, and there
fore, must look To the national inter
est; and as the strength and pros
perity of the nation is composed of
the strength and prosperity OF its
parts, it is duty of Congress-no
insuperable obstacle standing in the
way-to pursue such course of pol
icy as shall strengthen, in the great
est degree, the United States; and
believing that free territory would
be more populous, wealthy, abundant
in resources and everything that
makes great a nation, it is for the ma
tional interest to have as much free
territory as possible, compatible with
the existence of the Union.
The third reason is that, in the
opinion of the North, it is inconsist-
ent with the genius of our institutions
and injurious to the character of the
United States to extend slavery.-I
Where it exists let it exist, says the
North; but do not extend it by the
action of the General Government,
and convert what is now free States
into slave territory, and especially
when the only probable means of our
acquiring foreign territory is by
arms.
There is another reason yet, viz