Year: 1860

Npeech OF Hon. Thomas COfWin


The great speech of Mr.. Corwin, deliver
ed in the House on the Esd and Path of
January last, has just made its appearance
in the Globe. 1t occupies twenty-five solid
columns of that paper, and at this late day
We must content ourselves with publishing
the few specimens subjoined:


THE HIGHER LAw-oUEsTIoN STATED.


One of your statesmen of the South,
whom I have had the pleasure of knowing
for good many years-I allude to Mr..
Stephens, of Georgia-in recent speech
said that be was in favor of Mr.. Stewards
higher law, not exactly in its application,
but he said, that if it be not better for the
white man as well as the black man, that
one should be master and the other slave,
they had no business with slavery, and
should surrender it. l give :he substance
but perhaps not the exact words. All who
have read that geDtlemans speech to the
people Of Georgia will know that | quote
him fairly. That, l think is the true phil
osophc ground upon which TO put it. Ii
it be better that the negro should stand in
the relation of slave, better for all concern
ed, then slavery is right. If the converse
be true, then slavery is wrong, and Of
course, if possible, should be peacefully
abolished. Thus this vexed question is sta.
ted and submitted to the world by living,
leading Southern statesman. Let calm
reason and fair discussion by those whom
it concerns ascertain the truth. The path
of duty is then made plain TO all.


/ am not now and bere about to argue
for either side Of the question thus gener-
ally propouuded; but one thing will say:
it is not good thing for white or black
men to hold negroes as slaves in the State
of Ohio, because we have tried it. We
are sure it is better that the black slave
should not be where the white man has to
work by the side Of him. II is better. We
think, that the work of our state should be
done BY its white men. We have couclu-
ded without any doubt, that wherever the
white man can lire and ,0ork, there, at
least, no system of forced labor should ex-
ist. It has been ordained that man shall
"earn his bread by the sweat of his brow"
There are but very few men living on the
face of the earth, If they live honestly, who
are not compelled to do something, by
head or hand, or both, for their own sub
sistence. For instance: in the whole fif-
teen Southern States there arc only about
four hundred thousand who own slaves.


Mr.. Keitt, (in his seat.) Heads of FAM
lilies. ...s -


Mr.. Corwin.-I was speaking of the
heads of families. That may involve an
interest of two million people. Let it be
so. 1 am not particular about it. There
are eight million white people q. the South
are there not! / wish there were one
hundred million, for want The South to
be strong. A great majority Of the South
ern people must labor at something, as ]
doubt not they do. They who own slaves
are the exceptions 10 this old rule. / am
not about to make any inyiduous or ungra-
cious remarks on these two classes of peo-
pie. am free to admit and happy to say,
with truth, that, North and South, We are
the most favored and happy people that
ever lived in the tide of time, and | think
the history of the world will prove it.
But we will not allow ourselves TO think
so; we are like Mr.. Brown in the farce-we
will allow ourselves to ba "excitedr' As
there is no hostile flag from any part Of
the globe to disturb the repose of our thir-
ty millions of free people, we, of course
such is the frailty and unsatisfed nature Of
man-will find cause for fearful conflict at
least among ourselves. And yet would,
under no circumstances, vote to furnish
men and means to carry on war abroad
merely for tho sake of avoiding internal
strife. prefer what am sure, if we are
not doomed people, is easy and practic-
able, to put our passions and party animos'
tiles under recognisance to keep the peace
where we are. .--


DOCTRINE OF THE FATHERS.


The Republican party does claim, and


has always claimed, and the Democratic
party always claimed until about the year
1852, throughout ell the North, thst Con-