The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-09-18
The Ohio state Journal and Sc.
CC&8i0m.

The Ohio state Journal and Sc.
The Ohio State Journal is the Ohio
Republican central organ. 1t occupied
that relation to the Republican party
in 1860. The Journal has denied to
the Cincinnati Enquirer that on the
14th of November, 1860, it claimed
that "to coerce them 1.-THE Cotton
States to remain in the Union by
forces of the United States Govern
ment, is to entirely change the nature
of Federal authority" The Enquirer
says that the Journal denies "with
some violence of epithet and angry
emphasis" that the matter quoted ap-
appeared in the journal. 1t is prob
able that it did not appear on 14th of
November, as our memorandum
makes it the 18th of November, 1860,
in its editorial entitled, "Is THE AMER
ICAN UNION A MYTH" argued in ia
vor of Secession as follows:
"Just now we are passing an i'm
portant climacteric. 1t will soon be
determined whether we are capable
of existing as confederacy OF States,
or whether we are subject to disuniOn
at the will of any one or more States !;
whether the Union is grand
startling reality, or myth, fiction,
with which we have been deluding
ourselves and cheating the world.
"This question seems to pose our
statesmen and rulers at this time.
They seem to consult our written Con-
stitution in vain. The trainers of
that instrument evidently never an
ticipated secession. PrOctsiOn scas
made to let States into the Con- feder-
acy, BUT NO OBLIGATION IS IMPOSED,
BINDING STATES TO REMAIN IN THE
UNION, nor potOes giren directly to
0ny constituted authority TO CoERCE
THEM INTO OBEDIENCE in case they
,cish quietly to scithdraa0 from the
family circle Our President has de-
clared he would resist notification,
but not secession. Can any State or
States secede, and continue to obey
United States laws2
"The object of the American Union
is to provide for the common defense,
general welfare, SC. 1t is 80 stated
in the preamble to the Constitution.
The General Government IS but a rep
resentatiue of all the States. 1t is not
q genuine Federal, centralized power.
Now, If any State.0r States scssA to
renoMnce the benefits uf this general
to continue the recipients of such ad-
uanteges? HE CoTroN STArEs ARE
NOTlREBEILING AGAIsT THE FEDERAL
AUTHORITIES, nor multiplying any par
ticular general law. Thev simply re-
quest to be released from the Union
compact. To coERCE THEM TO REMAIN
IN THE UNIoN,i BY THE FORCES OF THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, Is TO
ENTIRELY CHANGE THE NATURE OF
FEDERAL AUTHORITY, 1t s0iU. be to.
make the Federal Government, not a
representative Of the States, their an
stTwnsent in providing .tor the common
defense, &c.y BUT a. SUPERIOR GEN.
TRALIzED POWER, HAVING AN. EXIST
ENCE INDEPENDENT OF THE STATES.
We regret being compelled to take
this view Of the matter, but it seems
inevitable" .e>amaaa o.
The journal can readily find the
above if it wants to. This. waa not
strange doctrine to the Republican
press in November, 1860. On the 9th
Of November, 1860, the New York
Tribune-then the leading Republican
paper in the United States-said - ,s
The right to Secede may be rev:
one but it erists neyerthe-
less Whenever a considerable
section of ourU Union shall deliberately
resolve to go out, Ue shall resist all
coe,cive measures designed to keep
them in" qa
On the 26th of November, 1860, the
New York Tribune said: .s,.af,.a q
III the Cotton States unitedly and
wish to withdraw peaceful
ly from the Union, zoe think they
should and s00uld be allosoed to do so.
Any attempt to compel them by force
to remain, would be contrary to the
principles enunciated in the Immortal
Declaration of Independence-con.
trary to the fundamental ideas on
which human liberty is based" ,.
Then on the 18th of December, 1860,
the New York Tribune said:
elf it 1.-THE Declaration of 'Independ.
ence] justified the Secession from the
British Empire of three millions of
Colonists in 1776, WE DO NOT SEE WHY
IT SHOULD NOT JUSTIFY THE SECEs-
SION OF FIVE MILLIONS OF SOUTHERN
ERs FROM THE UNION IN 1861" ufa5l
Then again on the 23d of February,
1861, the New York Tribune said:
Whenever it shall be clear that the
great body of the Southern people
have become conclusively alienated
from the Union and anxious to es-
cape from it, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO
FORWARD THEIR VIEWS"
Heretofore we quoted the Cincin-
natl Commercial as having said in
March, 1861, to the Cincinnati Ga
zette: ,s.
"We ADVOCATED PEACEABLE SEPA- |
r1oN, and gave many of what we con-
slider good and substantial reasons for
30 doing" @
This is the way these leaders of Re-
publican party opinion talked while
Stephen A. Douglas and General
and the Democratic party
North were doing their utmost to
bring about concession and compro-
mise to the end that the Union might |
be peacefully Observation-Disclosures
20. Dem. |