The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1850-03-20
Speech Of the Hon. J. c. Calhoun
D.s uhe SIN very n ,sessin,
pEIWrBED IN the SENATE OF THE uSirrp STATES,
March {, 1850.

=
1 have, Senators, believed from the first
ths, The sguaion OF the sutj~ct OF slavery
~ould, IL not prevented by some timely and
effective measure, end IN dsuLiou. Enter.
tanning this opinion, hive. on all proper oc.
cssioos, endcavorrd to call the attention of
both ofthc two gtea, parties ~blch divide the
county, 10 adopt some measures TO prevent 60
great . disaster, but without success. The
axast.oa has b.en permitted 10 proceed, sih
slnosi no attempt to resist, until II has reached
period When II can 40 longer be disguised
or dsnied that the Unlon 10 ~ danger. You
have thus had forced upon you the g'eates,
and the gta,est QUESTION that can ever come
under your ccns,detaiJn. How can he un.
ion be preserved
To give satisfactory answer TO Il is nigh.
I, question, IL IS Indispensable TO have an &C.
cura'e and thorough knowledge ot the nature
aud the charsc,cr OF the cause by WHICH the
Union is endangered. Wlthrul such kn0sl
edge, II 10 impossible TO pr n'upce, with sny
certainty. by What measure II can be saved
IS, as II you'd b. lmposs BILE for physicisn
10 pronounce 10 the case ois some dangerous dis.
ease, 9th any ceriaIn'y, by what remedy the
patient could be saved Without similar knos l..
sd.c Of the nature and character Of the dii.
ease. The e st q ,esilon, ihen, presented for
the cons ;defa,ion, IN the investigation | pro.
POGO to make IN order 10 obtain such know.
,dg-, i.-Whtt IS Il that has cadangei ed tue
unioh
To this question there can be bot one an
sscf; that the immediate cause is the almrsl
universal discomfort which pervadts all The
States composing The southern section Of The
Union. This widely extended discomfort, s
not Of recen, origin. IL commenced with the
ag.tiiion of the slavery question, and has been
tnctessia: ever s.nce. The mex, question.
going one step further back. is--W hat has
caused this widely fused aud almost univet
sal discob,rnli
Ii isa great mistake 10 suppose. "a is by
some, that II otisinaied stih demasoaues,
~ho excited the di content suh the intention
Of aiding their personal Advancement, or vi h
the Disappointed ambition Of certain po',pcaus,
~ho resor,ed to II as the means OF retrieving
their fortunes. On The contrary, sll The great
political II q icnces OF the section ~ete airayed
sRainst excitement, ard exeritd to tie utmost
TO keep The people quiet. The great mass OF
the people Of the South wefc DIVIDED, Us IN
tho other section, into Wings aud Drmoctas.
The leadess and tho presses Of both parties N
the South were very solici,ous 10 prevcat cx,
ci,emen, and TO preserve quiet because 1t
was seen that The effects Of The former would
necessarily tend to weaken, 4, nos destroy, the
political iies which bind them wra iheIf res
p-ctive PARTIES 10 the other section OF the L O.
,on. Those ~ho know lhs strength Of party
ties will readily appreciate the inmCns force
~hich this Cause eSett.d egairst sgi;allon and
in favor OF preserving qpe,. Bot, as great A.
IL vns, It vas no, suflicIeutly so 10 pteSen, he
vide spread dnccnioni which now pervade'
the section. M; some cause far deeper and
more powerful than the one supposed must ex
,s', TO account for discomfort 50 vide eud
deep. TIE question then, rccufs-W What''
the cause Of ihi. dlscon'en II ~t BE- found
10 the belief II the Sou hetn Sates ns p'esa
lent as the discomfort ilseIt, that they can o
remain, Ne things nov are, consistently viii
homo, aud sufe,y in the Ualon. The neS
qrcs,ioa to be considered .Is-Nhat hai
caused til, brIiel
Oae OF the causes is. undoubtedly, To b'
traced TO tho loug continu egltaiIon OF thu
SLAYER, qae.ton on the pa. Of the North, ent
the many sggressions which they have msd'
= the tigh's Of the South dufng the lime. -
s,i no, enumcra,e them a, present as II, vii
be done hereafter in lis proper place.
There is smother lying back OF II, wit
which this is intimately connected, tha, may
he regarded as the great aud p',mnfy cause
That ~ TO be found IA the fact that the ,qml
ibr,um bct~ cen the two sectnns N the -os
erBmcnt, as u stood when the Cons itullon
vas ratified aud The Government put N action
has been destroyed. Al that time there va,
nearly a perfect equilibrium between the two
which aIordedample means 10 each 10 pro'ec
itself sgsins, the aggression o! the other but
90 il nov stands, one section has the exclusive
power Of controlling The government, which
leaves the other without any adequate mean,
Of protecting itself against Its encroachmen'
and oppression. To place .hI. sui jec, distinct.
ly before you, have, Senators, prepared a
brief statistical statement, showing the rsla.
tive weight Of the tao sections IN the Govern
ment, uuder the first census OF 1900 aud the
last census Of 1910
According 10 the former, the population Of
the Unted States, including Vermont, Ken
lucky and Tennessee. which then were IN
their 'nripieni condition Of becoming States
bu, ~e,e no, actually admitted, amounted to
5029 s27 OF this nunber The northern
States bad 977 COZ and the southern States
.032 ,072, making difference of only p
e27 10 favor Of the former States. The nun
bet Of States, including Vermonts . Kentucky
and Tennessee, we're sixteen OF Which eight.
including Vermont. belonged to the Northern
section. and eight, including Kentucky aud
Tennessee, TO the southern, making an equal
r. ha G,.ta h.s.. a.