Year: 1861




legal enactment the men of our State who will
set on foot servile instructions in Kentucky or
Virginia


But, my friends, some say still that the State
of Ohio has not pursued other than an upright
course toward the South. Stop, while we con-
suit the record On the 18th of April, 1857, the
Legislature of our State adopted a resolution in
structing the Congressman to vote against the
admission of any State whose Constitution did
not clearly prohibit slavery. And again, on the
same day, resolutions denouncing Judge Taney
and his associates for their decision in what is
known as the Dred Scott case were passed.


Aresolution bringing into contempt and derision
the highest official dignitares of our Government.
Before we charge the South with acting wrong
fully we must take the beam out of our own eve.
We must come with clean hands to the work of
conciliation; we must call on the Legislature TO
expurgate from the statute-book every act which
has in its provisions tendency to raise a sister
State against the Federal Union. Having done
this, we shall have dealt justly by the South and
we will then be in position to admonish them Sc
verely. Do you believe that the Southern
States possessed of the idea that they have
not been wrongedg Do you believe that South
Carolina has now just cause to complain? say
she has; she has a right to complain that Ohio
has not observed the Federal Constitution In this
/ connection / will use the words of Daniel Web
ster, who, on one OCCASION said a bargain broken
on one side is bargain broken on all sides


am not regarding the issue from an abstract
point of view. i am speaking facts. The people
of South Carolina will, without any doubt, sever
their connection with the Union. 1t ought not to
be so; but it is so. Other States preparing to
follow, and, as sure as stand here this day, most
of them will go out of the Union. The only
question is, how shall we win them back when
they do gof five resort to force, we will not
only lose them entirely, but every slaveholding
State We speak about using coercion, and com
pei the seeding States to remain in the Union.
Where is our army? 1t is on the Mississippi pro-
tecting the frontier from the incursons of the diff
ferent tribes of Indians, and the mere cost of
bringing it here will cost sum of money that
would astonish you.


Where is our navy? 1t must be remembered
! that the Government can not afford to keep the
ships of the line into service, save some few to
give the officers and men an opportunity of per
iecting practically their naval knowledge. Be
sides home squadron. we havea few ships in the
Mediterranean and other parts of the Western
Continent, these foreign vessels being gone on
cruises of four, five and six years. To maintain
| a single vessel one wear would cost, nv friends a
sum equal to the whole expense of your city gov
ernment for the same time.


Where is the money? The Treasury is empty


to-day. Shall issue Treasury notes? Who


will take them except at ruinous rates? What
then. snail we nave direct taNatlOn DN the e0-


eral Government?-that is the alternative; there


fore, when il comes remember that told YOU of it
All this for whatl-to set on foot breach Of the


order of society; to coerce, by the sword, those


whom a few words of kindness, a few acts of con-


citation, few measures of compromise, would


bring back into the Union and maintain them


there. 1t is the apprehension of war that now


threatens the country.


Political excitements there have been but the
of trade and comm, erre would continue. n


is the fear of violence that drives coin from cir
culaton, and makes every man unwilling to owl
; any property he can not Immediately take charge
of 1t prostrates the energy, the capital and tn,


intellect of this great city and the people of this
! great country. Those who preach war, preach
that which is not merely fatal to the prosperity o.
our city, but they plunge us into an abyss from
which the Union will never be relieved. Ap


plause.


If YOU step forward to South Carolina, anC
these other seeding States, with fair PROPOSE
tons of compromise, holding the olive branch il
J one hand, you might possibly carry the sword
but without the olive branch, the Ohio river will
in twelve months, be the boundary of two hostile
empires. [Applause.l


These are my opinions, according to my bes
i. Judgment. i have no purpose to serve IN givin;
4 them to you, except that duty owe to you bot
e as your representative in Congress and as citi


zen of Cincinnati. What we if this Union is dis
e solved? Cities further to the north and furthe
$ to the south may flourish; they may attain som
degree of prosperity; but as for us if dissolution
4 comes, especially if it be accompanied by civi
$ war-whether you call it coercion, or enforcing
4 the laws, or collecting the revenue, or defendn,
: the public property-if disunion be followed b,


civil war, the glory of this city is gone the plow
I share will pass over its ruined foundations. lie
e us avert it. Be wise in time. Never in all m
life did any thing more impress me than remarl


made by Henry Clay, in reference to the Florid
{ war.


4 He said if you will convey yourself back to tn
E DAYS of ancient Rome, if you will mingle in tn
throng there meeting some proud citizen and tel
4 him that imperial Rome Will one day be no more
e he would say: Never, neverl 1t is impossible.
, Rome stood a Republic more than five hundre
| years. Yet we are not one hundred yeards old
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Be warne
in time. The people of the slavehclding State
have their faults, but they the faults of mel


who waged with our fathers the battles of the Rev
e olution. Applause You must look at il a
they look at it. They are the minority, the weake
vessel. Ifthey gave all their votes united for on
candidate, they could not elect either Presiden
{ or Vice President. If they elected all thei
representatives, they could not prevent the pas


sage of any law in either House without assistanc


from the North.


{ They are defenseless so far numbers are con
e cerned and their only safety under the Constitu
e ton is an appeal to our generosity to maintain
the Constitution, and give them the full enjoy
r ment of their rights. They look upon it tina
their rights have been trampled upon, that thei
D property has been plundered, and their institu
n tions stigmatized; that they have been held un


worthy to colonize any further territory in short


that they are disgrace TO the family, and at th
d same time they see powerful forces in the Nort
r unite together, and choose President and Vic
Sf.e..
d a single electoral vote. Is not that cause fo
y complaint? But it is one step against which. 81
k far as | could, warned the people.


= Not that had any hope of electing Demo
t cratic candidate, but did hope that either by th
= popular vote or the vote of the House of Repre-
d sentatives the choice would have fallen upon
e man of known patriotism and conservatism, il
g whose hands knew the country would be safe


/ mean John Bell Applause.l
d You may accept or reject these opinions, as yo
S like III you reject them, the consequences ar
e with you, not with me; charge me with none o
$ them; wash my hands of the whole affair. ]
e you differ with me in many particulars, agre


with me in this proposition, that there ought 10 b
), an efficient method for the rendition of fugitiv
e slaves. If the present law be not sufficient le
l us enact one more stringent. IL constitutions
: requirements are necessary, let them be given
j Agree with me that il is our duty 20 expung


every thing that is justly offensive to the South
agree with me that this Territorial question ougt
$ to be restored to the old foundation upon whic
d it stood before the present Constitution.
4 Agree with me in these particulars and wi
a 60 back to the Senate Of the United States wit
the full assurance that your endeavor Is TO pepe
e uate the Constitution and the Union as handle
}, down by our fathers.


After Mr. Pugh had concluded, the Committe


on Resolutions returned and reported the follow
o ing, which were received with long and continue
d cheering:


e RESOLUTIONS.


u We citizens of Cincinnati without distinction Of part
assembled for the purpose Of deving ways and
the fearful advance Of dsunion and


looking upon the Of the Union Of these


paramount TO all other considerations Of political


ture holding with the great Webster, Liberty and Unio
s and inseparabe and forever" and with the hs
n roc jackson, that The Union must be preserve" "
, filled with apprehensions of alarm the present crisis
= national affairs, and the unsettled and unsasfac0r
u condition Of hitherto happy country, hereby decaI
e that willing sacrifice peculiar clashin
and conflicting partisan opinions upon the altar of III