The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-03-13
SPEECH OF Mr.. CALHOUN,
or soUTH CAROLINA,
On The NlarerH Quesfi0R.

or SOUTH CAROLINA,
On the Siarery Question,
pELIyrErp N rHE SENATE or THE UNITED
STATES, MARCH 4. 1850.
Ia have, Senators, believed from The first
tha, the agitation OF the subject Of slave
nv would. if no, prevented by some time
N and elective measure, end in disuni-
on. Entertaining this opinion, have,
on all proper occasions, endeavored to
call the attention Of both Of the two great
parties which divide the country to adopt
some measure to prevent so great dis
asier-bui without success. The agita-
,iOn has been permitted to proceed, with
almost no attempt 10 resist il, until II has
reached period when il can no longer
be disguised or denied that The Union is
in danger. You have thus had forced
upon you the greatest and the gravest
question that can ever come under your
consideration: How can the Union be
preserved !!
To give satisfactory answer to this
mighty question, il is indispensable TO
have an accurate and thorough knowl-
edge Of the nature and the character OF
abe cause by which the Union is endan-
gered. Without such knowledge il Is
impossible to pronounce, with any GER
taInty, by what measure il can be saved;
Just as II would be impossible for ply.
sician TO pronounce in the case Of some
dangerous disease, with any certainty,
by what remedy the patien. could be saw
ed, without similar knowledge Of the ma
iure and character ofthe cause ofthe DIS
ease. The first question, then, present.
ed for consideration, in the investigation
propose to make, in order to obtain such
knowledge, is: What is il that has en-
dangered the Union 7
To this question there can be but one
answer: that the immediate cause is the
almost universal discomfort which per-
yades all the States composing the South
ern section Of the Union. This widely
extended discomfort is not Of recent orr
gin. II commenced with the agitation Of
ihe slavery question and has been increa-
sing ever since. The next question, GO
ing one step further back, is-What has
caused this widely diffused and almost
universal discomfort!
Il is a great mistake 10 suppose, as is
by some, that il originated with dema-
gogues, who excited the discomfort with
ihe intention Of aiding their personal ad.
vancement, or with the disappointed am
bition Of certain politicians, who resorted
10 II as the means Of retrieving their for
tunes. On the contrary, all the great
political influences Of the section were
arrayed against excitement, and exerted
to the utmost to keep the people quiet
The great mass Of the people Of the
South were divided, as in the other Sec
ton, into Wings and Democrats. The
leaders and the presses Of both parties in
the South were very solicitous to prevent
excitement and to preserve quiet; because
il was seen that the effects Of the former
would necessarily tend 20 weaken, if not
destroy, the political ties which united
ihem with their respective parties in the
other section. Those who know the
strength Of party ties will readily appre-
ciate the immense force which this cause
exerted against agitation and in favor Of
preserving quiet. But. as great as IL
was, it was not sufficiently so to preven,
the widespread discomfort which now
pervades the section. No; some cause,
far deeper and more powerful than the
one supposed, must exist, to account for
discomfort so wide and deep. The ques-
lion, then, recurs-What is the cause Of
OF this discomfort! Il will be found in
ahe belief Of the people Of the Southern
States, as prevalent as the discomfort it.
self, that they cannot remain, as things
now are, consistently with honor and
safety, in the Union. The next question
40 be considered is-What has caused
this belief!
One Of the causes is, undoubtedly, to
be traced to the long continued agitation
Of the slave question on the part Of the
North, and the many aggressions which
ihey have made on the rights ofthe South
during the time. will not enumerate
them at present, as it will be done here
after IN its proper place.
There is another lying back Of it, with
which this is intimately connected, that
may be regarded as the great primary
cause. That is to be found in the fact
that the equilibrium between the two Sec
tions in the government, as it stood when
the constitution was ratified and the gov
crnment put IN action, has been destroy.
ed. AT that time there was nearly per-
feet equilibrium between the two, which
afforded ample means to each to protect
itself against the aggression of the other;
but. as il now stands, one section has the
exclusive power of controlling the gov
enment, which leaves the other without
any adequate means Of protecting itself
against It's encroachment and oppression.
10 place this subject distinctly before
you, ! have, Senators, prepared brief
toN "a. IL