Year: 1860

MI. OQaSe SdlCE


CftizenS of Kentucky:


1t was my agreeable duty, some month
ago, to take part in welcoming the Gov
ernor of your State and the Members o
your General Assembly, together witt
some of the Executive officers and tht
Senators and Representatives in tie Gen
eral Assembly of Tennessee. to the capita
of Ohio. Tie sentiment to which L wa
called to respond, on that auspicious occas
ion. was simple repetition Of the words
of Andrew Jackson. "Our Federal Union
it must be preserved" (Applause)
declared then. as | had before declared IL
the city of Baltimore, and as now de
clare. here. before the freemen OF kentucky
nv settled conviction that the masses ot
the American People are entirely sound OIL
tho question of the American Union-that
among their most cherished sentiments
there is not one more deeply cherished than
that implied in the simple yet most en-
phatic language of the patriOt-hero of Ten
nessee; and whatever temporary discontents
NAV prevail in this or that section of the
country. disunion will never be admitted
as fit remedy for them by the common
sense OF common patriotism of the coun-
try


What 1 said then had the good fortune
to meet the approval of the Tennesseans
and Kentuckians who were the guests Of
Ohio. | come to you ts-night in the same
spirit. shall speak of another, but not
unrelated subject. | venture to hope for
your approval [ am sure, at least OF
your attention and of your patient consld-
Grafton.


We are approaching the close of anOth-
or Presidential election. The public
mind has been deeply excited by the dis
cussions necessarily incident to such a
transaction. And the excitement has
has been somewhat greater and more GEL
eral than heretofore, because the questions
discussed have touched more closely than
usual the fundamental principles OF cur
government. Thus far, however. the ex-
citenent has been, on the whole, reasona-
be and healthful. And l see no reason
/ to doubt that the decision Of the people,
whatever it may be, on the questions III de-
/ bate, and between the respected cltlzens'
who, as candidates for the Presidency rep
resent the principles respectively maintain
ed by the several parties of the country
will be received with that patriotic defer
ence to the will of the majority which dis
tinguishes Americans from every other ma
4 ton.


Of course no one here is ignorant that
the main question before the country con-
Germs the institution of slavery And |
am going to speak of that question frankly
and sincerely; not L hope as mere dog
matist or thcorist, but as an American
citizen to whom the peace, the safety. the
interest of no State Of the Republic is a
matter of Indifference.


! | know, indeed that there are other great
questions beside this of slavery, which de-
I mand the attention of statesmen and of
constituents for whom statesmen act For
eign relations, Tariffs, Postal Intercourse
| Naturalization, Territorial concerns, Pub
, lie Lands, New States. suggest questions
enough,-provoke discussion enoueh--e-
quire action enough to engross public
consideration and to task the utmost capac-
ity of craftsmanship, and l should be
ashamed to belong to any party so over
jealous for theory or so exclusively devo-
ted to single idea as to be incapable Of
Just regard to such questions as those |
am Republican. and intend to vote for
Abraham Lincoln; but | would not be a
Republican if believed that the Republi-
can party meditated hostile aggression
upon the constitutional rights of any State
or any citizen of any State, (applause) or
that it will fail when charged with the
national administration, to promote any
just measure of public policy, because its
benefits may enure to States South rather
than States North of Mason and Dixon's
line; nor would vote for Lincoln were
OF firmly persuaded that he has heart
large enough and intellect comprehensive
enough to administer the government of the
people for the good of the people, whether
they live in the North or the South, the
East or the West. Enthusiastic ap
plause.


The Republican party has indeed frank
ly declared its policy on most public ques-
tions before the country as well as upon
that of slavery. 1t has expressed its
opinions on Naturalization, on the Home
stead and the Tariff; it has declared It's IN
violable attachment to the Union. and 1t
has avowed Its purpose to substitute econo-
my for extravaganza, and reform for mis-
management in national administration.-
There are very few, think, who do not
approve what the Republicans propose in
in these respects. and certainly it cannot
be denied that their compact unity, their
determined energy and their superior
numbers afford pretty substantial ground
of expectation, that their purpose in these
respects will be accomplished if the power
Of the Federal Government shall be CON-
mitted to their charge. So far as other
questions than that of slavery are con-
cerned. therefore, there is clearly no reason
to deprecate Republican success.


come back then to the slavery ques-
ton. and first of all let me say what
suppose all will admit, that it is exceed
ingly desirable that this slavery question
shall be settled, and finally settled IL some
way. 1t has disturbed the peace of the
country too long. Let it be settled. and
let it be SO settled that it will stay settled. /
All unite in this wish--at least all who
have no ends to promote other than the
public good.


Nearly all viii, probably. agree also
that all plans 1or the settlement of this
question hitherto adopted have proved ut |