Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1849-06-21

the northern side Of the question. Some view of
this may be in my speech on the Ashburton
treaty; but the subject requires separate examina-
ton, aud shall receive it but not now. II will be
curious episode, and will place Mr. Calhoun second
time where he was in -'20--on the northern side
of the slavery question but only for brief space.
MIR. Van Buren, preferred to try to be his own sue
cesSor; and the Texas treaty having gone with
out making its author President, and the Mexican
war promising large crop of popular presidential
candidates. political test become necessary
and the tariff question being settled by the act of
1885, recourse to slavery and abolition became in
dispensable Hence the firebrand resolutions of lS47
"a fire brand which has had the singular fate of dy
ing out where it was put and of raising confagra-
ton a thousand miles off.
The design of these resolutions is now the ques-
ton and that design is apparent in the character
and words of the resolutions themselves-in the pre-
vious of Mr.. Calhoun which have Just faint
y sketched-and in his subsequent conduct which is
yet to be exhibited.
The resolutions then poin, directly to the subver-
sion of the Union. 1t is their language. And for
what cause For cause so absurd and unfounded,
so contradicted by his own conduct, and by the whole
action of the government from its foundaon,to the
present day, that, being confronted with hisown
Duct he has dared to ask vote upon bis reso-
utions.
have no new opinions to express about the design
| of those resolutions i gave my opinion Of them at
the time they we've introduced, and in many ways,
and among the rest in letter to the people of Ore
gon, and another TO the people of Howard county.
The people of Oregon had formed a provisional gov
eminent, and inserted in their articles of government
fundamental act for the prohibition of slavery,
pied from the Jefferson proviso of I7S7. The House
! OF Representatives had passed BILL session of 46
AT, to establish territorial government for Oregon,
| sanctloning their articles of government with the
proviso against elavery in it. This bill defeated
in the Senate just twelve days after Mr.. Calhoun
brought in his fre-brand resolutions, and in giving
account of that defeat to the people of Oregon, in
letter which was then published, I said:
"Your fundamental against that institution, copied
from the ordinance of l757-the work of the South in
the great day Of the South, prohibiting slavery in terri
tory far less northern than yours-w be abrogaed;
nor is that the intention of the prime of the amend
meni Upon the record the judiciary committee of the
Senate is the author Of the amendment; but not the
fact. That committee is only midwife IT, Its author
the mind that generated tho 'fre-brand resolu
tions, OF which send you copy and The amendment
is its legitimate derivation. Oregon is not the object.
The mo rabid propagands of slavery expect
plant il on the shores Of the Pacific in the LATITUDE of
Wisconsin and Lake Of the Woods. a home agitation,
for election and dsion purposes, allthat is intended
by brustng that fre-brand question into your bill and,
at the next session, when il is thrust in again. will
! scourgeit out.
home agitation for election and disunion pur-
poses is what told them the object of these resoIu-
lions was. Cass and Butler defeated upon tests
framed out of these resolutions but the election
part of the object against all northern men, and
bring forward Mr.. Calhoun himself as the Southern
candidate. Failing in this object, to get himself
nominated, the next design of the resolutions came
| into play; and this brings me to the meeting of
southern members of Congress- got up and conducted
by Mr.. Calhoun. 1t was a meeting with closed
doors-every citizen, not actual member from a
savehoding Stale, was exclnded-even Mr.. Bib, of
Kentucky, former Senator end who was fnrned out
under the special decision of Mr. Calhoun himself.
Members came upon invitation. was not invited,
and would not have gone if Ihad been. Gen. Hous-
ton not invited, but went without invitation and
moved the opening of the doors to the public-which
was voted down. have been told that disunion was
expressly discussed and that would seem to flow, as
a regular consequence. from the fundamental propo-
stion of the original address, drawn up by Mr.. CAL
houn. and assimilang its importance to the declara-
ton of wrongs which separated the American colo
MES from Great Britain, and giving higher impor-
lance to The present CRISIS going beyond the for
mer. and involving merely rights. but life and
property-every thing-the safety of the South and
all. The paragraph which contained this declaration
was this:
awe, whose names are hereunto annexed address you
in discharge of what we believe to be solemn duty, on
the important subject presented for your con-
sdcraon excepting the declaration sohich separated
g0 and the other united colonies from the parent country
That inuoUed your Independence but this your ALL not
excepting your safety We aude TO the conflict be-
tween The two great sections of the Union, growing
of difference of feeling and opinion in reference to the
relation existing between the two races, the European
|
acts of aggression and encroachment TO which II ha:
4 led"
From this strong language, exalting the crisis
above that of the revolution, it would naturally be
supposed that the remedy to be the same; and sc
was understood by many and the words struck out
The conclusion would seem naturally TO result
from concluding part of the address. in which una
niiniy was invoked, consequences dsregarded, thu
Union treated alphabetically worse than useless
called sword to assault, and not shield TO defend
and in which it was left to the North to count it
value. This is the paragraph which contained these
expressions
GAS the assailed you would stand justified by all laws
human and divine, in repelling blow dangerous
without looking TO consequences, and resort 10 all mean
necessary for that purpose Your assaIlants and no
you, would be responsible for consequences. III wou
be for them and for you, count the Ualue of h
Union Without your rights, it would be soorse thai
useessa srord to assault, and not shield TO defen
you'll
The most significant of these phrases were strucl
out, doubtless because they more than squinted-il
fact looked straight-at disunion. The striking on
of these passages shows that the majority of tn
meeting dissented from Mr.. Calhoun's views, ont
caused to be exdunged from his address the anti
union passages. The majority doubtless IN ia
of preserving the Union but that is not thepres
emf inquiry. The present inquiry is into Mr.. Cal
houns designs-his design in his resolutions of Feb
ruary, 1647 and every thing that occurred in tn
meeting and especially the passages expunged from
his address, show that his deliberate design wha
his resolutions alphabetically imported-ihe subver
sion of the Union. The paragraph assiuating tn
condition of the South in relation to the North, I
that of the colonies at the declaration of independ
ence. awfuly significant, ard dreadfu!ly false
No wonder it was expunged Compare the list o
grievances which he drew up, and which constiiut
the staple of his address that was published-com
pare this with the list Of grievances against Grea
Britain. drawnb by Mr.. Jefferson and pre6xed TO tn
declaration of independence-and then see what ru,