The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-07-05
IPEECH OF HON. JOHN MCQUEEN,
OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
In THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SATURDAY, June 8, 1850.

The House hcing in Committee ofthP Whole
on the Stale of the Uni"n, and resu'nlng the
consideration of the California question, the
Presidents Message in relation to that subject
being before the Committee
Mr.. MCQUEEN said:
Mr., CuA1RMAS: think it more than likely
that nothing | may submit will change tn"
views of members OF this body, or stay the az
gression which, for some time. have too plain
" seen rapidly advancing from The northern
rortion of this Cnnederacy upon that part ot It
from whence come yet feel il my duty to
employ one hour, the first have attempted to
consume in this House, or in any other legsia-
tive holy, in portraying some nf the most prom.
inent facts and indications which threaten not
only the ruin and degradation Of the South, but.
in my Judgment, the downfall at no very distant
day ofthis once happy C"mlrd"racr.. That we
have arrived at a period, when it lrc"m"s ev.
cry honest man 10 reflect, and gravely reflect,
upon the trr,e condition of the country, none can
doubt; and to view that condition properly. the
various causes which have produced it shoh be
mas, carefully examined.
II is useless 10 disguise the fact, that system
Of aggression. regular and una ahaIing, is going
a.n against the South which it persisted ia hy
the North. aud submitted lo bv the South. mast
end in nothing less than nur utter deg: a'la'i"n.
Sir. do n"t 81 cak with nj q meaning. when
saw our utter degradation and min; n"r can any
artihce however ingeniu<. nr unv d"vir" how
ever r,lnningly shaprd. SO cover up the truth
as 10 hide il from the most ordinary capacity.
What. then, is the great and m"ving cause
which has brought us tu this unhappy and dam
yerous condition In NV judgement it pro
reeds from more causes than me. II prmrrtis
from misroncrprion or miscon ,r,Iriion of the
tr,e principles upon which this Cnn"drracy wa>
entered into br our ancestors. aud sickly, ia
natical sent iimrnt. entertained now too genera!
ly by the inhabitants of wha, they please To call
the free States, in relation {" an institution oi
which they really know but little. and with
which they have no more right to interfere, Than
they have to dictate to the inhabitants of the
southern States, in what churches and at what
altars they shall wor.hp that God who gave
them being. Sir. if this Government were Il
union Of underlined powers, concentrated in one
common head here the rights which the North
now claim in relation Ia slavery might, with
some degree of plausibilitY, be asserted. And
tainted rs they are by an education founded in
fasehood. slandrr, and misrepresentation, there
would be some apology for the claim. But,
fortunately for us, the GoyaInnent never was
constituted, or intended to he, one grand con.
solidated engine of powers, that might to. day be
welded by an unrestrained majority to the de-
stIuctnn of any one section 0t the Coniederacy,
while Tomorrow. that section getting the ascen.
dpncy might, in turn, convert il into an engine
of revenge ill destruction. until its devastating
powers should annihilate the whole. No, sir !;
no. ,Tbe trainers of our Constitution were too
secnntLy .rflipved from a struggle in which the
question .oi equal rights and just powers were
deeply involved, to ALLOW them to have forgotten
the rights ,of the several eOInnies, Who in one
.con,mon .osusp had wased war OF seven years
against expressions. Each eolDny was too zeal.
,ols Of its own sovereignty ever to have merged
il in one common sovereignty, which. by bare
plurality of numbers, might he perverted to any
.purpose that iana,icism and madness might sug.
gust.
When the trainers Of the Constitution came
together to adopt plan ofgovernmen' for their
comtnou defence, il did moi enter into he mind
of any one iha, they were o.ber Than delegates
Jn,n thirteen independent s0yereIgntcs-lnde-
bendpn, of each other and independent OF the
world. Il never entered their brain that they
were authorized 10 transfer that high and excu-
sivr sovereignty inhsrrpt in the people of each
.sta,r. I" any power on earth, to be welded by
"A me-. MA jorty against half OF the States,
even L.. their destruction. Nor would those
who So them even have recognized their acts,
had ,hr attempted 10 do so. We sac the Prq.
den, jrnlonsy manifested in the express reserva'
ton Of all powers no. expressly granted to The
general agency. Who for a moment can sup
nose that Rhode Island would ever have con.
scn,ed to commit her fate to the hands of New
York and MASSACHUSETTS, upon the nons'rous