Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1850-03-16
SPEECH OF HON. j. @. CALHOUN,
ON THE SLAVERY QUESTION.

".
ON THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
DELIVERED IN YHE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES,
March 4, 1850
have, Senators, believed from the first that
the agitation of thcsubject of slavery would,
il mot prevented by some timely and effective
measure, end in d'sunion. Entertaining this
opinion, have on all proper occasions, endea-
vored to call the attention of the two great par
ties which divide the country to induce them to
adopt some measure to prevent so great a dis
aster, but without success. The agitation has
been permitted to proceed, with almost no at
tempt to resist it, until ii has reached pc
riod when it can no longer be disguised or de-
MED that the Unionis in danger. You have
had forced upon you the greatest and the gra-
vest question that can ever come under consid-
eration How can the Union be preserved
To give satisfactory answer TO this mighty
question: it is Indispensable to have an accu-
rate and thorough knowledge of the nature and
character of the cause by which the Union is
endangered. Without such knowledge it is i'm
possible to pronounce, with any certainty, by
what measure it canb be saved, just as it would
be impossiblefor a physician to pronounce in
the case of some dangerous disease, with any
certainty, by what remedy the patient could
be saved, without similar knowledge ftle ma
ture and character ofthe cause ofthe disease.
The first question. then, presented for consider
asion, in the invcstigationI propose to make,
in order to obtain such knowledge, is: What is
it that has endangered the Unicna
To this question there can be but one answer:
that the immediate cause is the almost unver-
sal discomfort which pervades all the States
composing The Southern section of the Union.
This widely extended discomfort is not Of re-
cent origin. 1t commenced with the agitation
of the slavery question, and has been increasing
ever since. The next question, going one step
further back, Isl What has caused this widely
diffused and almost universal discontentl
1t is great mistake to suppose, as some
have done, thstit originated with demagosues,
who excited the discomfort with the intention
fading their personal advancement, 6. With
the disapp5iifted ambition of certain politicians
who resorted to 1t as the means of retrieving
their fortunes. On the contrary, all the great
political influences of the section were arfayed
against excitement, and exerted to the utmost
to keen the people quiet The great mass of
the people OF the South were divided as in the
other section, into Wings and Democrats. The
leaders and the presses of both parties in the
South were very solicitous to prevent excite.
sment and to preserve quiet; because 1t was
seen that the effects OF the foTnies would neces-
sarily tend TO weaken, ifnot destroy, the ponr-
cal ties which united them with their respec-
tive parties in the other section. Those who
know the strength of party ties will readily ap-
preciate the immense force which this cause
exerted against agitation, and in favor ofpre-
serving quiet. But as great as twas, it was
not sufficiently so TO prevent the widespread
discomfort which now pervades the section.
No: some cause, far deeper and more power
full, than the supposed, must exist to account
for discomfort so wide and deep. The ques-
ton, then recurs What is the cause of this dis
contentl 1t viii be found in the belief of the
people Of the Southern States, az prevalent as
the discomfort itself that they cannot remain,
as things now aye, consistently with honor and
safety, in the Union The next question to 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 they have made on
the rights ofthe Sonth iufihg the time. will
not enninerate them ct present, as twill be
done hereafter in its proper place. d
There is another lying back of IL, whl1which
this Is intimately connected, that may Se re-
parded as tine great aud primary cause Ms
obe found in the fact that che equilibrium be
The two sections in the Government, as j
stood when the constitution was ratified and til.
t,overn,ncrt p,it in action, has been destFt yed
oS AZ that time there was nearly q peyfee
eauilibrium between the two which aifs sled an
NE means to each to protect itself asa.ssss th
aoefession of the other; but as ~ nov ssasie +
osS saction has the exclusive power sot eoIisso
,,pv tns Government, which leaesst the 9th,
~Tishcut ANY adequate means u protecting
salf aeainst ito oeacroacbmanss esid oppressiy
T.S ,,;sa., fj.ss snnieet Alt before you
49, aenatefs, IiFagate a brief statistic
siatemer,t, showing file Fe,atixe weight OF =
ssgo sscticas ii alle government pisieg the III
census Of lf9o ssd tlie last census os SAo.
,,aSInsted Slates sincluding Vermont K,
wy ,,5s4ss ss n tsnNessas which were Ia thS<