The North-Carolina standard., 1850-03-13
SPEECH OF MIR. CALHOUN,

SfEECH OE M Its CAAI1OONS
OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
Delivered in the Senate of the United States, the 4h
Of March, 1850, on the Slavery question.
The Senate proceeded to the consideration of the
specal ORDER being the resolutions submitted by Mr.
Claw upon which this day had been assigned to the
Senator from South Carolina, (Mr. Calhoun.)
Mr.. Calhoun said, as much indisposed as have
been. Mr. President and Senator's have felt it to be
my duty to express to you my sentiments upon the
great question which has agitated the country and
occupied your attention. And l am under peculiar
obligations the Senate for the very courteous man
ner in which they have afforded me an opportunity
of being heard to-day.
had hoped that it would have been in my power
during the last week to have delivered my views in
relation this al-engrossing subject, but was pre-
vented from doing SO by being attacked by cold
which is at this time prevalent and which has re-
tarded the recovery of my strength.
Acting under the advice of my friends, and appre-
hendinp that it might not be in my power to deliver
nv sentiments before the termination of the debate.
have reduced to writing what l intended to say.
And, without further remark, will ask the favor of
my friend. the Senator behind me, to read it.
MI. Mason. 1t affords great pleasure to COM
ply with the request of the honorable Senator, and
to read his remarks.
The honorable gentleman then read MIR. Calhoun's 8
remarks as follows:
Mr.. CALHOUN. l have, Senators, believed from
the first that the agitation of the subject of slavery
would if not prevented by some timely and effective
measure, end in dsunon. Entertaining this opinion,
have, aproper occasions, endeavored to call the
attention of the two great parties which divide the
country to adopt measure to prevent SO great
disaster, but without The agitation has been
permitted proceed, with almost attempt to resist
it. until it has reached period when it no longer
be disguised 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 qaes-
ton is indispensable to have an accurate and thor
ough knowledge of the nature and character OF the
cause by which the Union is endangered. Without
such knowledge it is impossible to pronounce with
any certainty, by what 1t can be saved just
would be impossible for to pronounce
in the case of dangerous disease with any, GER
tainty, by what remedy the patient could be saved
without familiar knowledge of the nature and charac-
ture of the cause of the disease The first question:
them presented for consideration in the Investigation
propose make in order to obtain such knowledge,
is: What is it that has endangered the Union!
To this question thre can be but one answer; that
the immediate cause is the almost universal discomfort
which pervades all the States composing the Southern
section of the Union. This wdely-extended dlscon-
tent is not of recent origin 1t commenced with the
agitation of the slavery question, and has been ncreas
ing ever since. The next question. going one step
further back, is: What has caused this widely diff
fused and almost universal discomfort!
1t great mistake to suppose, is by some, that
it originated with demagogues, who excited the dis
content with the intention of aiding their personal
advancement, or with the disappointed ambition OF
certain politicians who resorted to it the means of
retrieving their fortunes On the contrary, all the
great political influences of the section were aryed
against excitement and exered to the utmost to keep
the people quiet. The great mass of the people of
the South divided, in the other section, into
Wings and Democrats. The leaders and the presses
of both parties in the South were very socitous to
prevent excitement and to preserve quiet because
that the effects Of the former would neces-
sarly tend weaken, if not destroy, the political
ties which united them with their respective parties
in the other section. Those who know the strength
Of party ties will readily appreciate the immense
force which this cause exerted against agitation and
in favor of preserving quiet. But, as great as 1t was
it was not sufficiently SO to prevent the widespread
discomfort which now pervades the section. No;
some cause, far deeper and more powerful than the
supposed, must exist to account for discomfort
wide and deep. The question, then, recurs
What the Of this discomfort! twill he found
in the belief Of the people of the Southern States, as
prevalent the discomfort itself, that they cannot re-
main, things consistently with honor and
safety, in the Union. The next question to be con-
sidered is Wha. has caused this belief!
One of the causes is, undoubtedly, to be traced to
the long continued agitation of the slave question
the part of the North, and the many aggressions
which they have made the rights of the South du
ring the time. will not enumerate them at.present,
as it will be done hereafter. in its proper place.
There is another, lying back Of it, with which this
is intimately connected, that may be regarded the
great and primary That to be found in the
fact that the equilibrium between the two sections in
the Government, as it stood when the constitution
ratified and the Government put in action, has
been destoyed. At that time there nearly per-
feet equilibrium between the two, which afforded
ample means to each to protect itself against the
gresslon OF the other; but as 1t now stands, one Sec
ton has the exclusive power Of controlling the Gov
eminent, which leaves the other without any adequate
means Of protecting itself against its encroachment
and oppression. To place this subject distinctly be-
fore you, have Senator'S prepared brief statistical
statement, showing the relative weight of the two
sections in the Government under the first census of
1890 and the last census of 1910.
According to the former, the population of the Uni
ted States, including Vermont, Kentucky, and Ten
nessee, which then in their ncipient condition
of becoming Staies but were not actually admitted,
amounted to 1929 1927. OF this number the North
States had ,899, and the Southern O72,
making difference of only 25,927 in favor of the
former States. The number of States, including
Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee, sixteen, of
which eight, including Vermont, belonged to the
Northern section, and eight, including Kentucky and
of the States between the two sections under the first
census. There was small preponderance in the
House of Representatives. and in the electoral COL
lege, in favor of the Northern, owing to the fact that
according to the provisions of the constitution, in
estimating federal numbers, FIVE slaves count but
three but itwas too small to affect sensbly the per-
feet equilibrium, which, with that exception, existed
at the time. Such was the equality of the two Sec
tiors when the States composing them agreed to en-
ter into Federal Union Since then the equilibrium
between them has been greatly disturbed.
According to the last census the aggregate popula-
which the Northern section contained 9,72s $780, and
the Southern 7,334,437, making difference in round