26 upon slavery as an evil, and unfavorable to the development of the spirit and practical benefits of free institutions, and that entertaining these sentiments, they will at all times feel it to be their duty to use all power clearly given by the terms of the National compact, to prevent its increase, to mitigate, and finally to eradicate the evil; but be it further “.Resolved, That the Democratic party of Ohio do at the same time fully recognize the doctrine held by the early fathers of the Republic, and still maintained by the Democratic party in all the States, that to each State belongs the fight to adopt and modify its own internal affairs, to hold and maintain an equal and independent sovereignity with each and every State, and that upon these rights the National Legislature can neither legislate nor encroach.” These resolutions were reaffirmed every year at State Conventions of the Democratic party up to 1854; and during all this time, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Vallandigham] was a prominent member of the party, sustaining these resolutions. Could any man have believed this, who heard his speech the other day ? A speech remarkable not only for its misstatements, but for its audacious attempt to hold the Republican party responsible for this wicked rebellion I Not only did the gentleman and his party sustain, these resolutions, but they^electbd Reuben Wood Governor of the State of Ohio, who in his address to the General Assembly of that State said :—“ The Demo- •ratic party ever has and ever will oppose either the diffusion or the extension of slavery into any free territory of the United States, by every legal and Constitutional means, and would rejoice if any mode, not doing violence to others, could be devised to overthrow and eradicate the evil.” On the subject of the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, Governor Wood saidh—“That Congress, having by the Constitution authority to legislate for the District of Columbia in all cases whatsoever, may there abolish it, I entertain no doubt. Congress is by the Constitution the- local legislature of. the District, and all cases within the sphere of legislation are embraced within the terms ‘ in all cases whatsoever,’ as used in that instrument. Congress appears to me to possess the same legislative power over slavery within the ten miles square, that may be exercised by the legislatures of the slave States over it within their respective jurisdictions; and that it has been considered in those States a proper subject for legislation, their history furnishes the clearest evidence. I have ever viewed the abolition of slavery in the District, not only as a matter of expediency, but of absolute right to the colored race.” Such were the expressions of a man twice elected Governor of Ohio by the vote of my colleague [Kir. Vallandigham,] and his party; and these sentiments on the subject of slavery-from 1848 to 1854 were endorsed by every leading paper of the Democratic party, and by every leading man of the party in the State. Who then are the abolitionists! The men who are now denounced by the gentleman, and those who are insympathy with him, as abolitionists, never said anything stronger against slavery than was said by Governor Wood, and repeated in the Democratic resolutions for six years in every State and county convention held by the party in the State of Ohio. And now, after supporting the Democratic party with the resolutions I have referred to, for six years, and after having aided in the election of Governor Wood on two several occasions,'the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Vallandigham.] stands up before, this House and declares : “Sir, 1 am one iff that number who have opposed Abolitionism,; or the politi- 'al development of the anti-slavery sentiment of the North and West from the
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