The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-28
SOUTHERN POLITICS.
Speech Of the Hon. John O. Calhoun,
In Charleston, on the 9th inst.

Fellow Citzsn.:-ln complying with the request Of
your committee to address the general state OF
our affairs IN connection with the Federal Government,
shall restrict remarks TO the subject Of peculiar
most i'm porant TO u.s. but also because have fully ex
pressed my views in my place in the Senate the only
other Important subject, the Mexican war.
fully concur In the dress Of your committee and
the resolutions accompanying it, The facts stated
unquestionable. and the conclusions irresistible.
Indeed, after all that has occurred during the last
twelve months, 1t would be almost dioc 10 doubt that
large majority Of both parties in the slaveholdng
all the territories OF the United States possessed
hereafter 10 be acquired to themselves the entire
clusion Of the vshoding States Assuming then that
to be beyond doubt the grave to u.s. Wits, question
presented for consideration have they the power TO
carry Ia, "a ds,ssmina ~ into effect
swer this question that it 10 my intention place before
you the danger with which threatened from this
determination, plainly and fully without
or axtsnuson, and also the yan,sgcs havs Ter
polling H. leaving it to you to determine what
should be adopted for that purpose.
now resurn to the question, and answer, Yes, they
have the power, az far mere numbers give it.
every department ersSs Federal Government The Cd
mission Of Iowa and Wisconsin will give them two ad.
a ah;ob s.ass and majority Of four IN the Senate
other dangers Of ~ kind. We are already in minor.
ity in the House ofepresenativss and the Electoral
College; that wtkfhe loss Of the Senate shall be
in minority in every department OF the Federal Gov.
ernment aud ever must continue so, If the slave
holding States should carry into effect their scheme of
appropristing to their exclusive all the territories OF
the United States But fortunately under our system
government mere numbers are not the emily element
OF power. There are others which would give ample
means Of defending. ourselves against the threatened
danger, il We should be true to ourselves.
We havo, in the first place, the advantage of having
the Constitution side, clearly and unq
and in its entire fabric much that the whole body
propriang the territories themselves TO make good
this assertion 1t is only necessary TO remind you that
ours is Federal, and not National or Consoiidaed
Government-a dstipc ion essential 10 correct under.
standing of the Constitution and safety 1t ought
never to DO forgotten or overlooked As Federal 60
vernmen. the States composing the Unicn are its con-
stuen and stand IN tho relation to H. in that re-
spec az the individual citizens of state do its go
v ", a. constituent members Of the Union
belong to them, as JOINT owners or partners and
not to the GovernMent' a. !, erroneously sup.
agent n.rusted with the management And hence
the constitution expressly declares tho territory BIO tbs
or the States OF the Union, which but synony
expressions. And hence also Congress has
the sany portion Of the States to the exclusion Of
the Others than it has to appropriate the way the
forts or ether public buildings or the navy other
property Of the United States That it has such right
no one would venture to ASSERT and the ono placed
exactly on the same ground with the other BY the
siutiOn
1t this solid foundation that placed the right
oil the saveholdpg States to full and equal parcipa
ton IN the territories Of the United States in opposition
TO the DETERMINATION OF tae n0Dslaveholdng States TO
appropriate them exclusively TO themselves my
Intention to urge them VOTE but unable to
ing the last few days session Ii felt by those
opposed to u.s. that, the foundation which placed
my resolutions be admitted, the could be
successfully sssalsd and hence the bold bat
ful attempt to assa the foundation itself By contentns
that ours is national or consolidated government in
which the States would stand 10 the Union ,ho
ties do to the States and be equally destitute If oil poll
,ical rights Such iusion II could DO establish
Cd, would, indeed pace Us and our peculiar domestic
institutions marcy oil the onslavsholring States
out fortunately II Cafrs. bs maintained, without sub
verting the very foundation of ur entire political avs
tan audd he III n "a ran
nsced with tue foundation and adoption Of the const
tuition
constitution clearly side, when jority
in the aveholdng States stand prepared to deny in
gain much by the advantage it gives US. speak
now from long experience. have never known
truth, promptly advocated in the spirit Of truth fail to
succeed 10 the end Already there many highly
ghtcned and patriotic cz sns i'll those Setes VINO sgree
with this great and vital point. The effects OF the
discussion will not inprobably greatly increase their
number; and what il OF little importance induce
still greater number hesitate aud abate hat in
their confidence in former opinions ana thereby prepare
this way to give full effect to another advantage which
We possess To understand what ii is will be
ry to explain what 10 the motive and object OF this
sade the part OF the States against
peculi r domestic institution.
II Is clear that does not originate in any hostility OF
the profit Of their capitalists the wages Of their opera.
ves or In any way njurously affect the prosperity OF
those states, either as relates to their population
wealth On the contrary II greatly increases both Its
products manly stimulate and render their
capital and labor profitable while slaves furnish
the time, extensive and profitable market for
what they make Annihilste the products of heir labor
strike IRON the list the three articles which
almost exclusively the products OF their lsbor-coon,
and tobacco and what would become of the great
shipping navigating commercial and manufacturing in
terests Of the non.savsholding States What OF their
Lowels and Walthams; their New York and Boston, ard
other manufacturing and commercial cities What, to
enlarge the question, would become Of the exports and
imports OF the Union itself is shippug and tonnage
its immen.e revenue 10 the disbursement OF which mil
lions E those States, directly indirectly live and
Pc, Fortunately, them the crusade against our do
nestle institution does not originate in hostility Of int,
rests II it did, the possibility OF srresng the threaten
ed dnge are saving ourselves short OF disrupture oil
the Union would be altogether hopeless SO predom-
nsnt IS the regard Tor interest In those Staos ali
other considerations
Nor doe, it originate in any apprehension that the
vsnolding States would acquire an undue
nnce the Union, unless restricted to their
limits II even full share of the Territories should fall
to our lot we could never hope TO outweigh by any
creased aber Of savehodng States tue great pr pom
dsranoe which their numosrs give to the non saveho.
toal College, All could hope for would be to pre-
serve equality In the Sc nate or at most 10 acquire
preponderance in that branch Of the government.
But If it originates neither in the the other Of
these, what the real motives snd objects Of their cru
SADIE sgainst institution To this 1t will be
necessary to explain what the feelings end views
ths people OF the non States in reference to
with their effects their party operations especially
in relation to the fresdential eIe ction.
They may in reference TO the SUI ect under consider
ation be divided into four classes or these, the sbo
tnists operhe raDid fanatics, regard slavery ss
mus deem u h4hest TO
OesIoy II, even IOuid involve the destruction OF the
constitution and the Union constitute class II IL
snail one not probsby exceeding five per cent Of the
population Of those States. they voted II rec oil ect
scy, about OO0 al 40 OO0 la the last
lost OF ncr sire 9Th IN the state Of New YORK. out OF
about 400 90 voes, which would give about Eve Pc,
cent Their strength In tnat STATE, would pposa,
fully equal to their average strength IN the
slave holding States geperiy. Another class contists
Of the great body OF The citizens OF States const
utng least seventenths OF The whole, and who while
they regard slavery as evil, ami such spDsed
AID In restIic,ng and extrpsting it, when 1t be
done consistently with the constitution ana without
dangerng the psace or prosperity OF the country do not
regard ss sin TO be put down ~ AL and every
OF the other two, small class pcTh aps
ceeong five per cent Cf the whole who view slavery
DO more institution, and tne only QUE by which
two races so dssmar those nhabiiiDg the
ing States can live together nearly in equal numbers
pence and prosperity and that Tvs abolition would END
In the exrpation Of or the other II they
gard 1t evil 1t IL ia the abstract just govern
ment, with oil its buuhens. labor with ali its oi.s pun.
ihment with ell its Infections and thousands Of olher
tsinss, are evils, when viewed in the abstract but far
otherwise when viewed In the concrete because they
prevent greater amount of evil what they INFECT
a. is the case Of slavery rs it exists with us
ha amir is hutst