Year: 1859




This is the momentous question that the
voters Of this State will be forced 10 meet
at the next election. We need not look to
the South for disuniouists; the Greeks are
at our doors. Shall tho national govern
ment be reformed by the legitimate and
peaceful weapon Of the ballot box, and by
the impartial decisions Of an independent
Judiciary; or shall rebellion run riot, and
precipitate an intestine conflict between the
national and State agthorities, and our glo-
rious republic be blasted with civil war.


To show that this is no idle alarm, but a
practical question that cannot be longer
STAYED off; that, to use the elegant warning
of the patriotic Vallandigham, We have
got to moct party demanding the nullif-
cation of an express and fundamental pro-
vision of the Constitution" and "inscribing
treason upon its banners;" that we have
"got to battle for the Constitution and the
Union, no longer insidiously, but now open
ly and wickedly assailed," we point to the
following sentiments openly declared by a
man whom political party have placed at
the head of their ticket for the responsible
office Of governor of Ohio; sentiments which
can have no other result than collision be-
tween the state and federal authorities, and
the nomination of such man at this crisis
can have mother intention than to defy tho
General Government in the administration
Of its constitutional powers.


Alta public meeting held at the county
seat of Mahoning county, Judge Rufus P.
Ranney, a man who cannot plead ignorance
Of his constitutional duties as an excuse for
his deliberate proposal to destroy the con-
stitution, advocated the following nullfca-
ton resolutions relating to the fugitive slave
act:


"ReSolved, That we will not, under any
political necessity, whatever, vote for any
man, for any Office of trust, honor or profit,
who voted for, or aided, directly or indirect
ly, in the passage of the act, or approves
Of its infamous provisions, or aids in itt
execution.


"Resolped, That come life or come i'm
prisonment-come fine or come death, we
will neither aid nor assist in tho return Of
any Fugitive Slave, but on the contrary, we
will harbor and secre.e, and BY all just mean.
protect and defend him, and thus give him
practical God-speed to Liberty"


The editor Of the Noble county Registe,
who was present on the occasion, has the fol
lowing remarks:


We were present at this meeting, anG
can never forget the burning indigna alton
the withering satire that characterized Mr.
r a 0reat sneech IN that occasion HI,
brow, knit with rage, and his keen eye
seemed to spit fire when he hurled defancc
at the law, and pledged himself before thai
great assembly, to stand by the right of ha
beas corpus as the palladium of American
liberty, and that no political necessit,
should ever whip him into the support o
so Infamous an enactment.


This is the man that democrats hav,
nominated for the highest Office in tn
State; an executive to carry out the law
who openly defes them; man who de
nounces the most cherished institution of dc
mocracy in the free states--the fugitiv
slave law as "infamous." Need We sa
more TO show that the crisis is upon Us
and that on the next election depend
whether the State Of Ohio shall fulfil he
obligations to the national compact, rely
ing upon the constitutional institutions i
right any wrongs in its operation, or shal
be put in a condition Of rebellion and nulli
fication towards the national governmenti-
0. S. Journal.