Year: 1860




The Issues and the Candidates.


Speech Of Hon. John Hickman, OF


Pennsylyania.-Delivered at Phila-


delphia, July oath, 1860.


Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN =
The intelligent voter will SO shape his
action as to make itconduce to the sue
cess of principle, rather than the ele-
vation of man. He will feel this to
be the more incumbent upon him at
such a time as the present, when the
tendencies of parties are more distinct
ly marked than in any previous cam
paign. 1t will be my object, this eve
ming, to endeavor to exhibit in a
similar light, the dividing line
between the political parties of the
day, and to ascertain, if possible,
what, in all probability, would be the
effect upon the country of the election
of the respective candidates for the
Presidency.


If this were strife merely between
individual men, it would possess but
trifiing Importance, and ] should not
trouble you with either remark or sug-
gestion. But as / regard the contest,
the determination will soon be made,
not alone as to the value of the Con-
federacy, but as to the destiny of the
nation itself:


The policy Of our, Government is, in
many respects, underlined. The moro
serious questions affecting us, have but
recently become topics Of careful con-
sideration. Our fathers were unable
to foresee, during the formation ot
the Constitution, the'greater embarrass-
ments to which the future of the coun-
try was to be subjected, and conse-
quently no provision was made against
them. Subjects which distracted ard
divided them, in their deliberations,
have lost much of the former conse-
quence, and we seem to be more anxi-
Gus to ascertain what they should have
said further than what they actually did
say. Even the controversies in which
we ourselves have been engaged within
the last decade, have been settled OF
lost sight of, and we are now about to
enter into that conflict which is to de-
fine many of the most important pow
ers of the Government, and to fix the
character of the dominant institutions
of the country. The propriety of re-
eligibility to Office, the exact relations
between Federal and local authority,
the constitutionality of banks, and in
ternal improvements, the regulation Of
the currency, and the distribution Of
the proceeds of the public lands, are
no longer agitated; and discussions
upon them are only to be found in our
past history, and in the fossil remains
of extinct practice. It may in truth
be said, that old things have passed
away, and all things have become
new.


There was a time, not very far back
in the past, when slavery was univer
sally admitted to be wrong, IN Sc, un
wise in practice, detrimental in both
individuals and communities, and
against the spirit and genius of our free
system. Now, however, it issdeolared
to be divine in its origin the highest
type Of human civilization, and ndindispen
sable to the maintenance of a Democrat
ic Republic. Formerly it was regarded
as condition to be constantly reduced
and finally to be extinguished. Now
on the contrary, the demand is urged
that it shall be extended, and made con
trolling. Here l find the cause, o.
source, of the great political issue O
the present. Shall slavery become (:
national institution, and a governing
power In the country, or shall it remain
as the Constitution left it? This is no
an inquiry propounded by us of the
| North, but forced upon us by our breth
rem at the South. They REQUIRE al
answer at our hands, and we canno
avoid response, if we would. Silenc,
upon our part, under the circumstance
could not be construed otherwise thar
as affirmative of their claims. l max,
the distinct avowal, that slavery seek
the acquisition of all our new States
for two objects: First to secure tn,
value of slaves; and second, to direc
the powers of the Federal Government


''The irrepressible conflict" so FIRE
quently commented on and denounce'
by the South, is constantly admitted
and acted on by them. They are to-
astute as observers and sagacious a
politicians not to know there is neces
sary and pending antagonism betweel
liberty and slavery. If they though
differently, there would be far NOR
peace and harmony between the section
1t is their full appreciation of the strue
i gle for the mastery which arms then
for the conflict, and induces them t.
wrestle for the victory. There is n,
more evident fact than this, that tn
advocates of slavery seek its extension
so as to limit the influence of the SET
tlement of slavery. We hate TYRANNY
and would prevent such consuming
ton. They ask that all who toll sha
be held as property-be regarded, i
the chaste language, of an eloquen