The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-04-17
Speech Of MIR. Badger,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,
M THE TERRITORIAL QUESTION


~. Senate having under consideration
-. ,s,.,lu,.ons .bmIued by Mr. Clay
Mn lladser said: Mr.. President. il is
-, .urprisins. sir. considering The sub
;se,.,ua,.er @ Of The resolutions submitted By
a. Loaorable Senator from Kentucky.
fw, clay.l iI,ai there should been warm.
snI even an rxriisd. debate produced by
,h-m in this house. Nor is il surprising.
considering the variety Of topics embraced
n ,l,ose resolutions. that there should have
bsen grea. diversity of sentiment among
,hs members Of this bosiy. The delicate
nature Of the subject out Of which these
resolutions have grown-lo which. direct
~ or indirectly. they all uelais--furnisl,es
abundant excuse, and even Justification.
Tor The large amount of excited feeling. and
warmth. aud animation OF discussion.
here and elsewhere. DO not rise. Mr..
= President. with view ofssying any Thing
which shall tend to aggravaie cxrilement.
or Al all TO lessen the prospects Of an
amirablr accommodation Of The various
matters in dispute. pending between The
different portions OF this county. On The
contrary. while shall express, with plain
ness and sincerity. the views which |
entertain. | shall endeavor TO avoid saying
any thing which can give Just offence. In
the remarks which shall submit to the
Senate. 1 shall endeavnr 10 cultivate IN
myself, and. 50 FAR as depends upon me.
in Others. that spirit OF mutual concession.
compromise, and kind feeling, in which
The Union of the States originated. and by
cuIiivaiing which alone can il be preserved
There can be no question that the sub.
iect under The consideration OF the Scna.e
is vastly important. |, is, in my judgment,
as important as The value Of The Union;
and for the estimate Of that value. | my.
self possess no adequate powers of COM
putalion. TO US. Ms . people. il Is, in
deed, inesiimable. When, therefore, ques.
lions are moved here which do, either di.
rec,ly or indirectly, involve the conlinu.
anre Of this Union and the maintenance
of the form of government under which
we live, I must consider them Of sucll
iranscendent importance az 10 be worthy
Of every exercise Of the understanding ol
every member Of This body. and as de-
manding from us all The exercise Of mo-
deraiion, Justice, care. and conciliaiion, IN
order 10 produce good and avoid evil.
In the frst place, | concur entirely in
whs. has been so often said upon this floor,
that there can be no peaccable separation
os this Union. From The very nature ol
the ease. from the character of our insli-
tulions, from the character Of the country,
from the nature OF government itself. il
is. in my judgment. impossible that there
can be a peaceable separation OF this
Union, But il there could be, agree
entirely with The honorable senator from
Kentucky. that that state Of peace IN
which we might separate mus, be speedily
ended--must terminate in Intestine Gen.
flicls, in wars. which, from the nature ol
the case, could know no amicable termi'
nation. no permanent peace; but, until the
superiority cf one or the other side in the
conflict should be completely established
would admit &c nothing bst hollow truces
in which each might breathe from pas
exerlions. and make preparations for fu
,ure conflicts.
Sir, The idea Of separation OF thes'
States into distinct confederacies wat
thought of. and considered. and spoken Of
before the adoption Of this constitution
Al the time that the question was beior'
the American people, whether the consti
tuition proposed by the convention shoul'
be adopted. il was then spoken Of. IL
probable. yea, certain consequences, wer
referred to by the writers Of that admIra
BILE series Of papers denominaied th
Federalisl;" and beg the indulgence
Of The Senate while read very briefex
krac., conveying the views Of those emla
ent men:
If these States should either be wholly disu
niled, or only united in partial confederacies,
man must be far gone in Utopian speculation
who can seriously doubt that the subdivisions int
which they might be thrown would have frequen
and violent contests with each other. To pre-
sumo want of motives for such contests, as a
argument against their existence, would be
forget that men are ambitious, vinlictiye, an
ra,aci,us To look fer continuation of hal
mony between number Of Independent, uncor
nec,ed soyereignties, situated in the same neigh
borhood, would be to disregard the uniform cours
pfhuman events, and to set at defiance the accu
mulatcd experience Of ages"
II this was jus, view OF the probable
the certain results of a separation OF thes
States al that time. and underline then cir
cums,ances, pray you. sir, upon what
at the present day, can we found bette
hope! Then the States were fresh iron
the conflict of The revolutionary war
Then not only had they lively remem
hrance of The contest in which they hat
fought, and in which they had galhere'
victory and honor together, but tie leading
men oflhat time were those choice spirit
" 10 had carried them through that recen
cna1'ci; who had established the indrpen
dclicc of the country; and who exercised