The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-02-25

If these States should form themselves into eparate
confederacies. ] earnestly trust that the union of
these States will never be broken up; that the ag-
| gressons which threaten To destroy il may be arr
| rested, and that the mighty waves Of the floods
which dash against it may be stilled by the hand
migher than the waters; but if a course of contin-
| ued wrong on the part of the North should drive
the people of the southern States into resistance; it,
unhapply, this Government should be rent asunder,
you may rest assured, sir, the mouth of the Misss
sppi will belong to the South.
Texas has been annexed 10 the United States
and one of the conditions of its admittance was,
that in such states might be formed out of its
territory north of the Missouri compromise line,
slavery should be prohibited. There a ready
disposition to recognise this compromise line, when
it was to be applied to u savehelding territory.
Such, sir, is the history of the controversy which
grew up between the North and the South in regard
| to slavery, from the establishment of the Govern
| ment up to the present moment. To-day we find
ourselves more confronted, and the relative
attitude of the sections is in perfect harmony
with their past history. The North is still advanc
ing with its aggressions, mperious that il has
ever been before and the South, now thoroughly
| aroused to sense of danger well as OF wrong,
demands only an equitable participation in
cont acquisition In turning to the history of our
| country look upon the course of the southern
States with the highest satisfaction. They have
stood by the Con titution in the nobes spirit; they
| have borne the pressure of the Governments they
have witnessed the steady decline of their
| cial prosperity; they have their emporiums
anguish and their ships decay; yet under all this
| they have asked no Legislation for their benefit;
they have poured their wealth into your treasury;
they have it scattered without stint in other
parts of the Confederacy; yet, with a patriotism
unchled by time, and undiminished by wrong,
they have stood by the country; they have sent
| their to fight your battles, and they have
joiced in your prosperity. may well say this;
for upon entering Congress in the winter of lS45
found the Government engaged in an angry dis
cussion with Great Britain respecting Oregon,
remote northwestern territory, in which the South
could have no possible interest beyond the common
interest which all feel in maintaining the rights
| and the honor of the nation. Yet unhesitatingy
expressed my determination to assert the claim of
the United States and to maintain it at whatever
cost. Other southern gentlemen did the same
thing; and 1t Is fact, perhaps not generally
| known, that the bill raising men and providing
supplies for the war with Mexico was originally
intended to prepare the country for contest with
Great Britain.
What are our relations to-day? Having Just
emerged from war with Mexico, in which the
South bore its part WELL to say no more; and hav-
ing concluded treaty of peace which leaves Us in
possession Of an extensive territory overrun by
arms-a territory stretching from about the thirty
second to the forty y-second parallel of north la.i
tude-it is now demanded by the North that the
people of the slavehoding States shall be excluded
from any share in the acquisition, unless they
sent in migrating thither, to abandon an import
part of their property and to change their whole
habit of life II is insisted by the northern States
that slavery shall be arrested, that II shall be
tended no further in any direction that it is to be
forever hedged within its present limits. This ia
your demand
You are, sir, acting upon Clarkson's advice,
who not content with destroying the prosperity of
the British West Indies, rendered his advice TO the
Abolitionists of the United States He wrote: sYou
must either separate yourselves from all political
connection with the South, and make your own
laws, or if you do not choose such separation,
you must break up the political ascendency which
the southern have for SO long time had over the
northern States" You demand that the equipose
.l.1
southern portions of the Union shall be destroyed;
that from this time forth there shall be- the part
of the slavehodng States, no participation in any
/ Of the acquisitions which this republic may make
The whole action of the Government henceiorth
Ia to be for your benefit; the fruits Of diplo-
macy, the triumphs of our arms, the outlay of our
| wealth, the progress OF our power, all TO be
1 yours, and we to hold an inferior, dependent
| abject relation TO you Either you denounce US as
unworthy to associate with you equal States be-
of the immortality of our institutions, or you
seek to acquire over Us a political advantage. We
can submit neither 10 the one relation nor the
other. IT, with the spirit Of the Pharisec, you lift
up your hands, and thank God that you are better
than we are; II, turning your backs upon region
surscd with slavery, you survey with complaceno5r
your better heritage-we may submit with some
composure to the exhibition; but If, overlooking all
evils at home-the crime, the wrctchcdness, the
paupersin in your midst, you enter upon an itine-
rant search after moral disorders at n distance,
comprising sea and land to bring the shareholders
of the South under the influence Of your fatal phi
hnthropy; if, not content with hurting your anath-
emas against US, you bring the power Of this GJys
ernment 10 the aid of your schemes, shall take
measures to convince you Of our fixed purpose TO
| repel aggrcssons upon political rights.
We, sir, have hitherto borne your assaults, your
criticisms, your homiles the tide of vulgar abuse
which has for half century poured forth against
| us from dccaimers, newspaper writers, and pam.
| phlctecrs; we have submitted to bear the in
suting resolutions OF the legislatures Of coordinate
States; we have borne the agitation of the slavery
nlr hen very afrita ia ..laa
though not gross a violation Of right 10 hold
slaves have them taken out of our possession
for il must be acknowledged that there is a mere
difference OF degree between having right Ques-
| toned and assaulted and having il wrested away;
have borne the constant evasion Of the constitii
tiona provision to surrender fugitves from labor
all, all this VIC have borne; but your demand now
TO appropriate the entire territory acquired from
Mexico at the close Of n national war in which the
whole country participated, tire declaration Of your
fixed purpose TO bind down the slavebolding States
within their present limits, has aroused a spirit
which you will find il no easy task 10 subdue Sur
vcy, sir the whole extent of that wide spread region
beginning at the Potomac, which rolls its waters in
our view, TO the almost tropical plains of southern
Texas, and you will sec signs which may well fix
your attention; one feeling, purpose, one spirit
moves the entire mass Of awakened and indignant
freemen. You may almost hear the tones in which
they announce their solemn purpose, not only to
resist your threatened encroachments, but tO de-
mand guarantees for their future safety.
II Il be your settled policy TO deny tho savehold-
ing States any participation in the territory now
belonging TO US, or hereafter to belong 20 u.s. then
the time is come when the southern States must de-
eide grave qucstion-veither to submit Ia a gradual
but perfectly certain change in their organic struc-
turc, or 70 resist the threatened encroachment on
their rights at every hazard.
ID Is no imaginary wrong Of which we complain
1t u colossal, overshadowing evil against which
we contend. Our honor and our existence are alike
involved in the issue. The cause which threatens
TO disturb our peace and plunge US into convu-
sions may seem TO you slight ono but let me re-
mind you that slight causes have given rise /, the
hercest and most dcsolating wars which history
records The ploughing up a few acres Of sacred
soil plunged the States Of Greece into a saseunary
conflict an attempt 10 collect ship money shook
the empire Of England, drove Hampton to the field
where he lost his life in Of the first battles ever
fought for constitutional liberty, and brought the
anonted head ofa king TO the block while tax of
lew cents pound Of tea drove the british colo
nies into war which broke tho dominion Of the
British Government, md left them independent
States. No, sir, II is no imaginary wrong Of which
we complain. Your Rci which excludes us from
the territory Of tho United States decides a great
principle against US il involves the very existence