The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-07-25

mate character as to enablemeto,speak
ofhis private opinions, or TO hare form
ed my own upon them, but because ii
was impossible for any South Carolinl
an, deeply sympathlzing with the. peo-
pie of that Statein the nnbounded affec-
ton and confidence which they mani
tested towards him from the beginning
to the close of his illustrious career,
not TO have his political opinions great
|ly modified by those ofthat Distinguish
ed statesman. 1t is something, if we
cannot equal excellence, to possess pow
er to discriminate and freedom from
jealousy to admire it,
7 turn now to the consideration Of
this Missouri compromise line. Idoubt
not but that the position which my
distinguished predecessor occupied in
relation to this matter was not widely
apart from that which now occupy M
With myself, he maintained that the
saveholding States ofihis Confedera.,
cy are the equals Of the other States
with which they are associated. !
speak not now Of equality in wealth, in
morals, or intellectual culture, speak
Of equality Of political rights. Enter.
ing into this Confederacy upon terms
Of perfect equality with the other States
| recognize nothing in their past histo-
nv or present condition which has just
ly forfeited this their rightful position.
They have fully, faithfully, and with
patriotism discharged the duties which
their relation towards the other States
imposed upon them. deny that any
proof can be offered, for the past or
the present, of such marked inferiorily
as to Justify the withdrawal Of any Of
the privileges exercised by any other
portion of the confederacy. might
we'll go further and appeal to the INTEL
lectual and moral condition of the slave
holding States, manifestly indicating
that they have not at all degenerated
from those whose alliance you eagerly
sought, association with whom you earns
estly desired. Where is your warrant
then, for eudeavouring to fix the brand
Of inferior ty, upon such peoplel And
yet such is the design which you have
recently prosecuted, and are now about
to consummate. Because their social
condition differs from your own, be.
cause the institution of slavery exists
among them. to which experience as
we'll as habit has strongly attached
them: and upon whicn their whole civ-
Iilzation rests, implicated wlth.t by ties
sodeep and strong that their desoIulions
must place in most emminent peril all
things, which as men and patriots, they
should value and protect, ,rhe recollection
ofthe past, the happiness ofLhe Present,
and the hopes Of the future; because
they will not, at the dlctation Of others
abandon thisinslitution, they have been
denounced with the most unsparing
bitterness. Nor let it be said that this
may be borne as the clamor Of fanatic
ism. Not so sir. Those whom the
people have elevated to posts Of honor
members Of this Congress, apply such
language to the slavehoIding States
which, if deserved, would justly con-
denim them to the abhorrence ofthe civ
ilized world, even here in this grave
Senate, and elsewhere in far greater
degree. If we are willing 70 attribute
this bitterness to political apimosities,
and seek further back the fair expo
nent Of popular sentiment, what is the
language Of many Of the State Legis-
lature2 Fiercer, more vituperative,
more vindictlve,, with actions indicative
of deep seated hostility. And If we
penetrate still deeper, and seek the
symptoms Of the disease of social life,
even deeper malignity is exhibited, the
strong bonds of religious union are bro
ken asunder, and the deep fixed rules
Of morals openly violated and their vio-
lstion Jnstifed This Ills which makes
this conflict mighty one. This it. is
which makes our discussions here so
deeply important. These Territorial
questions are but the indications Of the
disease. There is war steadily pro-
secuted against us; carried on inces-
sanity, insidiously, the most cruel, the
most relentless, BY which we are to be
stlgmatized, debased, degraded, and
destroyed. Il is the perception OF this
deep seated hostility in large and IN
creasing party Of this country, already
sw aging our councils which makes It
the imperative duty Of the South to IN
sist upon strict justicein the dlspositl-
on to be made Of these Territories. ~
is not that they covet the gold ot CAM
fornia; but because they regard their
exclusion from this territory as stigma
TO be stamped on them.
i Did not the Distinguished Senator
from Massachusetts contend that, how>
ever distant might be the sea upon
which our flag floated, the properly OF
| IL. IN ha