Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-12-29

ment of these auestions. I have almost de.
SPARED of any such, at least from this House
We must arouse a.ld appeal to the nsfion-
We must tell them, boldly aud frankly, that
we prefer any calamities to submission TO
such degradation and injury as they. would
entail upon us; that we hold that 10 be con-
summation of all evil.
Mr.. BAKER ofIll. desired to remark upon
the threats of disunion, listened to so painful
y and so intensely. Sir, / deny that tile
great body of the people from the North have
wished to raise such a question, or TO excite
unreasonable agitation; nor, when the scenes
and speeches of this day shnll he spread be-
fore them, will they believe our brethren of
the South to be in earnest.
Mr.. WALLACE, of s. g. We will teach
you that we are in earnest.
MIR. BAKER. 1 should be obliged to gen.
tlelnen if they would tell me how this knowl-
edge shall be impaired.
MIR. WALLACE. When / said they would
teach you, l spoke in the name of the people
OF the South, and in my opinion they will
have their rights in spite Of the North and
it is that we intend to teach you.
Mr.. BAKER. Sir, | profess myself still I'M
able to learn from the gentleman's explana-
ton how we are to be taught. The North
will stand by the constitution, and thus stand
by the Union. We will think, and act, and
vote upon the proviso as Jefferson did. We
will be governed by the majority of the peo-
pie on this question.
Mr.. HLLIARD denied that a majority of the
people had a right, under the constitution, to
decide it.
MIR. BAKER. / repeat, sir, we will he gov
erned by the will of the majority of the peo-
pie, constitutionally expressed; but neither
for the District of Columbia, nor California,
nor New Mexico, will we desire, or even
dream of n dissolution of the Union.
Gentlemen, when you threaten a dissolu-
ton of the Union, we shall doubt; when you
protest, we shall disclaim; but no fervid dec
larations, no fiery appeals TO Southern feel
ing, no solemn invocations TO the Almighty,
las if indeed he was n God of discord) will
make us believe that here, in this hall, there
is one man who chambers in his secret heart
a purpose so accursed and deadly. Sir, we
do not believe the Union can erer be diSSolued.
No evidence shall convince us, until the deed
is done; yet if such a thing be possible, it
shall not be our fault. We shall not be in
2 Inundated by threats of violence. We shall
: not shrink from the calm expression of our
deliberate Judgment. We are here as free
e men, TO speak for freemen; and we will
@ speak and act as becomes us, in the face o.
tic world and of posterity. Gentlemen, who
is there among us, amid all this talk of disso-
a luton, that does not love the Union? Is there
a man in this vast assemblage, who, on the
: 'Nolest reflection, would not give his blood to
cement it? Is not this our country, and is il
: not all our country? [Applause.] Sir,
V confess this response gladdens my heart
I and already i reproach myself that ] could
waver in my confidence but for a moment.
y 1t was Il mournful spectacle to a true-minded
man, when threats of d%isunion, fierce and bit
ter, could draw forth shouts of applause from
gentlemen on the other side of the House,
a as triumphant as if disunion were glory, and
as if, indeed, the threat We're already accom-
plished. And yet, sir, the echo cOntradicts
s the utterance. This shout for the Union will
be taken up by the masses until it becomes
e a perpetual anthem of hope and Joy. 1t will
q swell among the mountains of the North,
: and travel with the winds across the prairies
of the West. 1t will reverberate through
s all the vast extensions of the Cenfedcracy,
8 and be repeated by n thousand advancing
r generations. Sir, in the name of the men
\ of the North, so rudely attacked, and speak
ing what ! know to be their sentiments, ]
; say q dissolution of this Union is, must be,
$ shall be, impossible, as long as an American
r heart beats in an American bosom, or the
q Almighty sends His wisdom and His good
ness TO guide and 10 bless us.
1.-THE delivery of these remarks was in-
r terrupted several times by applause.
9 Mr.. STEPHENS of Georgia, rose and said
; that he never expected to live to see the day
when, upon this floor, he should be called
0 upon TO discuss the question of the Union Of
these States. If in early life continued Mr..
S. there was any thing in my heart cherish
ed above all others, it was the glorious COM
pact formed by our fathers ofthe revolutions
t airy struggle. Sir, as has just been said, !
e believe that SO long as American hearts beat
4 in American bosoms the day will never come
when the Union of these States shall be dis
solved. But | tell that gentleman, (Mr. Ba-
! ker,) and / tell this House-whether he be-
I lieves il or not, and whether the people of
the North believe it or not-that the day in
which aggression is consummated upon any
section of the country, and much and deep
ly as Iregret it, this Union is dissolved. How
l ever much gentlemen may refuse to believe
l il, they will find it true.
The Union was formed for the benefit of
+, all. We of the South who came into this
Union came into it for mutual benefits, rs
3 well as you, gentlemen of the North. 1t was
| not for the purpose of having aggressions
/ committed either upon our rights or feelings
!, that this Union was formed; and | tell the
gentleman from Illinois, and all gentlemen,
from whatever sections of the Union they
may come, be not deceived. We do not in
tend to submit to aggressions on our rights
and tell this House that every word uttered
by my colleague (Mr. Toombs) meets my
hearty response. lApplause.]
If gentlemen suppose that by singing
peans to this Union it is 10 be preserved
they will find themselves mistaken. The
Union was founded upon iustice-immuta-
Il IL, .,.,.~. - i'll. -
the weak subject to the aggressions of the
strong. II is MS well that this debate should
have come to-day as at any time, so that the
great American heart may be awakened. |
believe that it has heen slumhoring. We of