Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-10-29
A Historical Reminder.

Democrats often refer with enthusias-
tic pride to the "glorious old times
when they controlled the country, and
when the whole machinery of the Gov
ernment was run in the interest of the
South alone. The following extracts
from speech of Alexander II. Stephens
before the Georgia Secession Conven-
tion, January II, 1861, show very clear
ly what use the "Solid South made of
the National Government when they
had it, (Stephens attempted to show
them the folly of leaving the Union, but
failing in that, afterwards event with
his State" as we all know:
This step-seoession-once taken can new
er be recalled, and all the baleful and wther-
ing conse luonces that.mu follow las you Will
see will rest upon thisConventiun for all com,
ing time When we and our posterity shall
see our lovely South desolnted by tho demon
of war, which this act of yours will inevitably
provoke, when our green fields and waving
harvests shall be trodden down by murder
GUS sOldiery, and the fiery car OF war sweeps
over our land, our temples OF Justice laid in
ashes and every horror and desolation upon
us, who but this Convention will be held re-
sponsiblo for it, and who but him who shall
give his vote for this unwise and ill-timed
measure shalt be held to q strict account for
this suicidal act by the present generation, and
be cursed and eXecrated 10y posterity in all
coming timer Pause, / entreat you,
aud consi Ter for n moment what reasons you
can give that will satisfy yourselves in calm
er moments. What right has the North
assailed2 What interest of the South has
been invaded2 What justice has been de-
nicd? Can any of you name to-day one Gov
ernmental act of wrong deliberately and pur-
posely done by the Government at Washing
ton, of which the South has right to com
plainY | challenge an answer. On the other
hand, let me show the facts OF which 9 st, Wlsh
are clear and undeniablc, and which now
stand in the authentic records of the history
of our country. When we of the South de-
right for twenty years. When we asked
three-tifths representation III Congress lor
| our section, was it not grantod2 When VIC
| demanded the return of any fugitive from
| justice or the recovery of those persons ow'
| ing labor or allegiance, was II not incorpOr
| ated in the Constitution, and again ratified
| and strengthened in the Fugitive Slave Law
| of 1892 Do you reply that in many instances
| they have violated this compactI AS lndf
| viduals and local communities they may have
done so, but not by the sanction of the Gov
ernment, for that has always been true tC
to Southern interests. when we asked tna
| more territory should be added, that We
might spread the institution of slavery, did
| they not yield to our demands in giving III
Louisiana, Florida and Texas, out OF whlcf
| four States have been carved and ample ter
ritory left for four more, TO be addet
| in due time, if you by this unwise anC
| impOlitc act do not destroy this nope
| and perhaps by it lose all and have your las
slave wrenched from you by stern military
| rule, or by the vindictive decree of II untvers
al emancipation, which may reasonably he eN
pected to follow We have always had the
control of the Government, and can yet have
if we remain in it, and are united as we hav,
| BEEN We have had majority OF the Presl
| dents chosen from the South, as well as tn
| control and management of those chosen from
the North. We have had sixty years of South
ern Presidents to their twenty-four, thus con
trolling the Executive Department. SO of tn
Judges of the Supreme Court. We have ha
eighteen from the South and but eleven iron
the North. Although nearly four-tfths of tn
judicial business has arisen in the free states
yet majority of the court has always bee
from the South. This we have required so a
to guard against any Interpretation unIavora
BILE to us. In choosing the pre-
siding officer, pro tenn, of the Senate. we hav
hah twenty-four and they eleven. Speaker
of the House we have had twenty-three, the
twelve. While the majority of the RepreseI
tatives, from their greater population, nav
always been from the North, yet W
have generally secured the Speaker, bt
cause he to n great extent shapes and control
the legislation of the country. Nor have W
had less control in every other department Q
the General Government. Attorney-Genera
we have had fourteen, while the North nav
had but five. Foreign ministers we have ha
eighty-siX, and they but ffty-four., Will
three-fourths of the business which demand
diplomatic agents abroad is clearly from tn
free States, because of their greater comme
cial interests, we have, nevertheless, had th
principal embassies, so as to secure the worl
markets for our cotton, tobacco and sugar o
the hest possible terms. We have had vas
majority of the higher officers of both arm
and navy, while Il larger proportion of th
| soldiers and sailors were drawn from til
North. Equally so of clerks, auditors an
| comptrOlers filling the Executive Deplr
ment. The records show for the last tifl
years that of the 5000 thus employed, we hay
| had more than two-thirdS, while we have onl
| one-thiTd of the white population of the Il
public. From official documents "
learn that more than three-fourths of the re
enue collected has uniformly been raised fro
the North. The expense of the tran
portation of the mails in the free States WI
| in 1860 n little over $l3,OO0,0O1, while the i
come was $lg,U0JO0l But in the slave Statt
the transportation of the mail was Sl4, 1900
and the revenue from the mail only SSOO) ,2G
leaving dcicit of S6,7l5735 to be supplied
the North for our accommodation.
Mr.. Stephens ended with an eloqueI
encomium on the American Cover
ment. Now, instead of the Souther
people holding their leaders to "strit
account and cursing and execratin
them," as Mr.. Stephens acknowledge
! they would deserve, they elect them
Congress and load them with honor
, and the people of the North are aske
, TO assist in restoring to them the M
! tional Government. The Democrat
! Congress has already done much
: show us what they will do when the
, "git us,"--St. Joseph (Mo.) HerGl
|, October I6.