Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-02-16

,ron,ofIv returned aa adequate verdict on HI!
We'll SIR. there is then some remedy whilst
,nn are a part OF the Union for the recovery o.
your slaves. and some indcmnticatlon tor then
Ilss. What would you have II the Union was
severed Whv. theu the several parts would
b.. indegenient of each other-torelgn coun-
'rias--apd slaves escap ping from one to the other
would be like slaves escaping from the United
Stules to Canada. There would be no right
of ex,radition, no right TO demand your slaves
no right to appeal to the courts OF justice 10
indemnify you for the loss OF your slaves.
Where one slave escapes now by running
away from his master, hundreds and thousands
would escape If the Union were discovered
/ care not how nor where you run the line, or
whether independent sovereignties be estab-
iished. Well, sir, finally, will you, in case of
q dissolution OF the Union. be safer with your
slaves within the separated portions OF the
States than you are now Mr.. President, that
they will escape much more frequently from
The border States 10 one will deny.
And, sir. | must take occasion here TO say
that, in my opinion, there Is no right on the
part of snv one or more of the States to secede
from the Union. War and dissolution OF the
Union are ideatical and inevitable, IN my
opinion There can be a dissolution OF the
Union only by consent or by war. Consent
no on can anticipate, from any existing state
Of things, is likely to be given, and war is the
only alternative by which dissolution could
be accomplished. If consent were glVen-lt
It were possible that we were TO be separated
by one great liue--in less than sixty days after
such consent was given, war would break out
between The slavehodIng and non-slavenodlng
portions of this Union-between the two lnde-
pendent parts into which it would be erected
IN virtue ofthe act of separation. In less than
sixty days, | believe, our sla?es from Ken
tucky, focking over IN numbers to the other
side Of the river would be pursued by their
owners Our hot and ardent spirits would be
restrained by no sense Of the right which ap-
pertains to the independence OF the other side
OF the river, should that be the line of sepaTa-
zion. They would pursue their slaves into the
adjacent tree States; they would be repejled,
and the consequence would be that, in less
than sixty days, war would be blazing in every
part Of this now happy and peaceful land.
And, sir, how are you going to separate the
States OF this cOnfederacy? In my humble
opinion, Mr.. President we should begin with
81 least three separate confederacies. There
would be a coniederacy Of the North, conted-
eracy of the Southern Atlantic slaveholding
States, and confederacy OF the valley of the
Ny life upon II, that the vast
population which has already concentrated and
will concentrate on the head waters and the
Of the Mississippi, will never give
their consent that the mouth Of that river shall
be held subject 10 the power OF any foreign
State or community whatever. Such, believe,
would be the consequences Of a dissolution Of
he Union Immediately ensuing; but other
= Fr,y, 70
time, as dissatisfaction and discomfort we're
disseminated throughout the country-the con-
ederacy of the Lakes, perhaps, the confederacy
Of New England, or Of the middle States, All,
cir, the veil which covers these sad and disas-
!rous events, that lie beyond il, is too thick TO
be penetrated or lifted by any mortal eye or
hand
Mr.. President, am directly opposed to any
purpose Of secession or separation. | am for
staying within the Union and defying any por-
ton Of this confederacy to expel me or drive
me out Of the Union. ! am for staying within
he Union and fighting for my rights, if neces-
sary, with the sword, within the bounds and
under the safeguard OF the Union. am for
those rights, not by being driven out
OF the Union harshy and uncerlmoniouslv by
any portion oi this confederacy. Here | am
within H. and here ! mean TO stand and die, as
lar as my individual wishes or purposes can 60
within it to protect my property and defend
myself, detYlng all the power on earth TO expel
ne or drive me from the situation in which am
placed. And would there not be more safety
IN fighting within the Union than out Of it
Suppose our rights to be violated, suppose wrong
to be done to you, aggressions TO be perpetrated
upon you can you not better vindicate them
if you have occasion to resort to the last neces-
gity, the sword for a restoration OF those rights
within, and with the sympathIes Of large
portion Of the population OF the Union, than BY
being without the Union, when large portion
Of the population have sympathies adverse to
your own? You can vndicate your rights
within the Union better than if expelled from
the Union, and driven from il without ceremony
and without authority.
Sir, have said that thought there was no
right on the part Of one or more States to cecede
from the Union. | think so. The constitution
Of the United States was not merely for the
generation that then existed, but for posterty
~-unimiied, underlined, endless, perpetual pos
terity. And every State that then came into
the Union, and every State that has since come
INTO the Union, came into it binding itself by
tndlesOuble bands TO remain within the Union
itself, and to remain within it by its posteaty
forever. Like another Of the sacred connec-
tlons in private life, it is marriage which no
human authority can dissolve or divorce the
parties from. And if may be allowed 10 refer
to some examples in private life, let me say to
The North and 10 the South, what husband and
wife say to each other We have mutual faults,
neither Of US is perfect; nothing in the form OF
humanity is perfect; let Us, then, be kind to
each other-forbearng, forglvirg, each oIher'z
-f4uits-and, above qli. let US live in happiness
and peace together.
Mr.. President, have said, what solemnly
believe, that dissolution Of the Union and war
are identical and inevitable; that they are con-
vertIbie terms; and such war as il would be
following dissolution Of the Union! Sir, We
may search the pages of history, and none 81
fer0ci0us, SO bloody, 80 lmplacabIe, so eXlerm-
natlng-not even The wars Of Greece, including
those Of the commoner5 Of England and the
rqv1tuflOpS 0f France unup of them n III