The North-Carolina standard., 1849-07-25

been made, from accidental circumstances more the
subject OF coarse denuneiation and rufianly rdcule
than any other member of it, beg leave to my
whole responsibility in this affair." and to incur all the
dlscredit to which the public may Judge entitled
by reason of my acts. l avow, then, sir, (as find
am charged In various newspapers with doing that
did In conjunction with worthy friend of mine,
(alSo member of this body,) enter the hall of Rep
resentatlves, In order to summon the Southern
bers of that body to meet In this chamber night,
(for that was the only time when such meeting
could be possibly held,) for the purpose of taking
into grave consideration the various aggressonS upon
our rights which had been perpetated by wicked and
unscrupulous men and for the counteracton of which
1t was obvious that the most prompt and vigorous
measures were necessary. Yes, sir, 1 did perform
this subordinate ministerial part of summohng the
Southern members of the House of Representatives.
l summoned Wings and summoned Democrats. /
myself summoned, directly indirectly, the repre-
of nine of the sovereign States of the Union
Moreover, talked freely with those whose presence
requested, in explanation of the objects of the
templated meeting. l could confidently appeal to
them, whether in all said, l limited at disunion.
Well, sir, that convention assembled. Much debate
occurred, and much division sprang up, chiefly on
minor points-such as the time most proper for de-
cided action against adversaries, and the mode in
which such action should take place. l maintain
(and defy contradictory that there was single
sentiment uttered in that body tha fairly and dispas
sionately considered, if made known to the world
could bring the least dscredit upon the assembly in
which it was announced.
South, every statement of which is beyond con-
tradicton, every word of which is of irresistible CO.
gency-every sentence and line of which is marked
with hghtoned patriotism and devout regard for the
Union This address,, sir, was subscribed by large
number of the Southern members of Congress pres
ent 1t not subscribed, for different reasons by
others, whose refusal subscribe it is, hope, capa
bic of satisfactory explanation their respective
stltuents. feel bound to go further and say, that
there among those who thought it not -politic
under all the circumstances of the case, to subscribe
the address, Gas preliminary to its publication,
OF the most worthy men and unquestlonabe patriots
to be found In the republic And now, sir, the ad-
dress has gone forth-t has performed its high office
The South is reused up to circumspect and scruti
nisng survey of all the dangers which threaten her
present peace and future safety Our enemies stand
parayzed by the moral energy suddenly and so
imposingly displayed by Southern Senators and Rep
resentaives and the contemporaneous Legislative
solves of nearly all the Southern States of the
federacy At last there is some prospect of pachca-
ton, of compromise of the final settlement of the
most distracting and dangerous question which has
been agitated in times. Darkness is fleeing
away, and light is beg inning to beam upon us. Who
shall dare to denoUnce those who met In that conven
tion traitors to the Constitution and the Union
Who shall presume to arraign now, the sound inten
tions of that noble body of Southern gentlemen and
patriots Who among all those that SO fraternally
co-operaed for the defence and vndication of south
rights and southern honor, will to be
proud that he of that glorious Southern Con-
vention, the members of which dared, in spite of
maledicons, misrepresentation, and rdicule to per-
form high and sacred duty their constituents and
country, by which those constituents and that country
have been, in all probability, rescued from dangers
which could not have been ehectually warded of
by the means providentially adopted, and so
fearlessly put In exercise ~ : ..--
Mr.. Benton complains: that he not invited to
attend the meeting of the Southern members of Con-
press. / should have thought that man of his
gacity would have been able to account for this fail
to secure his valuable presence, without feeling
himself compelled to impute unworthy designs to
those'who got up the meeting. 1 will enlighten him
little this point. He was not invited to be pres
ent, because he known to be hostile to the adoP-
ton of all defensive measures against Abolition and
Free Soil hostility because it was as well known
then, as it is now, that he was Free Soil man in
opinion and feelings because he was known to be In
secret spondence with the enemies of the South
and had already entered into compact with certain
Abolition and Free Soil managers, to sacrifice South
honor and Southern prosperity upon the altar of
his own political advancement. 1t was known to
some of US at that period, we'll as it now is from
his confession at Jefferson city. that his 'per-
sonal sentiments against slavery" We had
perfectly ascertained and had charged the fact upon
him in public debate, not when he absent, but
when presen-in sight, and not ten feet distant-tha
he had openly avowed the Wimot Proviso faith His
formal declaration at Jefferson city, that it is alb
surd deny the power to Congress to legslate
pleases upon the subject of slavery in Territories,
not at all necessary to assure US that such was
his opinion and, therefore, did not perceive any
advantage which could accrue his presence or coun-
sells. Indeed, he avows that he would not have at
tended the meeting had he been summoned. There
FORE no consequence, good bad, could have pro-
ceeded- from our inviting him. 1t is most evident,
now at least if it before his late speech,
that could not have at all profed by his sugges-
tions for does he not, in that same speech,
this language " have seen danger to the slave
property of any State from the action of Congress,
and cannot contribute to alarm the country by en-
gaging in discussions which assert imply dam
ger! :" These are his very words; and, if sincere
ly spoken, his presence among us would have been
as little beneficial his present freesoi speech
es in Missouri. --
But is he sincere in thus declaring? cannot be-
lieve that he is. think that prove that he is
not, and by his spoken words, in the best and
most approved speech of his political life. l alude
to the one he delivered in the Senate of the United
States during the winter of 1930-nneteen years ago
single member of either House of Congress, who
was an open and avowed Aboitionist. The FreeSoil
question, in its present terrible form, had not been
even heard of. Wilmot himself a boy Hale
Seward, and Tuck were, should suppose, scarcely
grown,up to manhood. John Quincy Adams had not
concluded to figure in the House of Representatives
Giddings had not yet become name OF fearful augu-
ry. Full six years after the delivery of this speech,
Martin Van Buren, in his inaugural speech as Pres-
providing for the abolition of slavery in the District
of Columbia, if such monstrum horrendum ofcon-
gressional legislation should dare to show its
accursed visage at the White House.. Then, Mr.
Benton, who now sees Sc danger whatever to the
slave property of any State in the Union from the
tion of Congress- whilst making speech on the
subject of the public lands went out of his way to
express himself as follows: !
g The annihilaton of the States, under doctine
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