Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-08-22

nicipal, corporations-of States which ar,
sovereign, except in so far as thew hay,
delegated the exercise of. certain powers
and contracted to abide by the exercise O
others, independent, except in so far al
they have bound themselves together-dis
united except in so far as they have united
themselves blythe terms OF the Constitu
tlon. This system OF government ha!
solved the great problem. It has, recon.
ciled vastness of territory to strength o
government with. liberty. It has made II
possible that we should be one people, ant
at the same time free people. It has Sc
cured strength to the Federal Government
and strength and health and yigor to, tht
constituent parts. The States have in
creased in number and grown in popula
ton, power and wealth. They have de
have secured to-. their citizens sucf
institutions and such measures of lib
erty as they desired for themselves
The general features of the State govern
ments have, Of course, O striking similari
ty, While the diversity of their policy il
wonderful. The policy OF each is adapted
20 the interests and habits and pursuits O
It's people,, The manufacturing States, th'
commercial States, the agricultural States
have their respective systems, and adap
their laws to their material interests. Law
which are appropriate to New ENGLAND
could not be passed, or If passed, could no
be enforced in the West. ---.,.,
Many of the customs ,transplsnted by th,
people who have built up our thriving
towns and cities in the Western States
would shock the feelings Of your people.
@ Has not this system of government, re,
suited IN benefit to us all |? Has it mo-
proven beneficial to you in Maine, and
have you not enjoyed liberty and prosper.
tfxya c-<<. IN
mics abroad have you not directed your
local affairs in your own way have MOI
your relations with your sister States been
agreeable and useful; have you not beer
represented with dignity and power and
splendor in the great family of nations p
| [Applause.l ieszi = Boa 80 sssaFsG
And yet, my fellow-citizens, the Repub-
lican party desires to change this great and
good Government, and substitute one oi
their own creation. They hate the Constf-
tuition as their adversary, they hate the
doctrine of State rights. They hate the
Constitution as their fathers made it, and
have deliberately conspired for its over
throw. They want consolidated Govern
ment, they prefer stronger Government
They intend, if they can, to break down
the barriers which the States, with their
reserved rights, meant to interpose, and to
erect on the ruins Government so sensi.
tive that it will follow the least impulse OF
popular will, and so strong that it will ex-
ecute that will. They believe this win be
a better and freer Government than the one
our fathers gave us. i7i15ll91 BIO E1G r
Hence, since the close of the war, they
have used all the powers which the posses
sion OF the Government-both State and
Federal-has given them, to amend the
Constitution, and in each case the amend
ment has been in derogation of the substan-
tIal, recognized rights of the States. By
the first OF these amendments, the power OF
the States to own slaves was abolished. By
the second, citizenship in the States is made
TO depend upon the will, not OF the States,
but of Congress, and, the exclusion of me-
grOes from the right of suffrage is punish
ed by the laws of reconstruction. The Con-
has vested in the President the
powers of separate department, and made
him responsible for the management of the
armies and for the execution OF the lave.
The Republican party has stripped him OF
his constitutional powers, deprived him of
his patronage, and taken his right to select
his Cabinet and appoint his officers; and,
finally, it was chiefly through the indomit-
able firmness and Justice of one of your
own Senators that they did not depose the
President from his Office, and put their own
leader in his place. 9l5 lu797 ttf 7if;
The State Governments were in full vigor
before and during and after the war. Dur
ing the war the State Government of Vir-
ginia was called upon to give its assent to
the creation OF West Virginia into sepa-
rate State; and members of Congress were
from Louisiana as soon as the
Federal army obtained a foothold in that
State. After the war the States of the
South were invited to ratify, and did ratify
The thirteenth amendment to the Constitu-
tion. abolishing slavery, and to-day that
derives It's validity from their
assent. The Republican party, by the re-
acts, abolished these State
Governments, and, In their stead, enacted
governments, which no man will
pretend were in the constitutional power of
Congress. By the aid OF the army, they have
built up other governments, not according
TO the will Of the people, but according to
the will of Congress; and they have founded
them upon the exclusion of the intelli-
g4nce, the wealth and virtue Of the white
race from the right of suffrage, and upon
The admission of every negro to that right;
and they have given these negroes, b, their
exemption from the interference of the
army and their recognition as States, and
BY the ratification of the fourteenth amend
ment, control of these, and they pledge
themselves that they will never change the
rule of suffrage. Do not their own acts
convict them of the charges have made?
Are they not surely and rapidly sapping
the foundations of the Government, and
its form and nature? Are they
not accommodating power in the Federal
and taking it away from
the StaLes? Do they not declare OPEN
" and make it the basis OF their
creed, that Congress has all power
over the right of suffrage In ten
States, while it has no such power in the
40 fhax h,,;I
.hese governments upon the basis of the
negro vote alone? My friends, divest YOUR
selves of passion; look at this work care
Fully. Is not the stolid ignorance of the
slaves too narrow a basis for
, prosperous State, possessing equal power
with the State of Maine? Why is it insist
I'd on? The reason, the whole reason is,
hat they believe they can control the negro
vote; that, by this vote, they can secure
,he election OF the President, and Senators,
of the House, and Governors,
md legislators, and judges, and so WELD for
i longer ,ime the power of the Government.
know many OF these men well They are
men of intellect and daring; they are men
If firm resolve and lofty purpose. and are
lot actuated by low greed of gain nor love
If the emoluments and honors of Office
They have the true spirit of fanatical re-
ormers, and they seek power that they
nay overturn this system of government
md build up another system instead.
My friends, we are engaged in no scram-
lie for office. We are stimulated by no
ust for power. This struggle touches the
ife of our political system; it involves the
luestion of union or unity. 1t will decide
n the far off future the destiny of onr
If our opponents succeed. we
will have first unity, and then despotism,
md then revolt, and then separation, and
Goo, in his wrath, may deem
proper to infiict. If they fall, we will
ave the Constitution obeyed, the Union
liberty enjoyed, prosperity un-
peace everywhere, and all the
,lories of our past career will be but as the
arly bud compared with the blooming
BEAUTIES of the ull-blown flower. alp Il
In this supreme hour of our fate I beg
-ou to pause and weigh well your duty to
he country, as in the hour of death you
you'd oS Sweign, your 6a SGiemn duty to your
ostly. We cannot afford it. We might