The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-07

wanting IN bravery. MOI ~ aii' .HN
they were as brave then as now. But somehow
or other could never help but think that on that
occasion they were-rather bashiul
The gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. BROWN
who thinks that the resistance OF the free States
to the overthrow Of our Government wouid De
confined to ga little gasconade ana rev tnrea's,
ia nevertheless kind and consideraie enough TO
give us some advice to be acted upon In the event
of our not choosing to eonhne our resis,,no' "
dissolution of the Union within so sliaIi ooui.
pass Hearken, Mr.. Chairman, 10 'his 'oi'o VI
wisdom
Whom vo, leave vour home, in New England or IN the
,, W.; or S,s mission OF loye-ths crusade sgainst
The south when YOU come take slavery TO your psU
and to subdu. eight millions Il southern Lid yonr
Won 10 make all things ready. Kiss your yves p'p y
S;Idpsn lone fsrewelI make peace with 20 Cod Tor
you that you may never return
The profound emotion with which this sage ao-
monition was received by the bachelors Id .nl'
part of the Hall must have satlsheo tne ee"It
man, | think, that due heed Will oe gwen II: -
also admonishes us more than twice, OF 'hiio
the enormous population now comprised ",,nia ;ht
sIayeboldino States lie sets it down at eight
millions of freemen. Now the last census, II | am
not mistaken shows the number to have been four
rillions and six or seven hundred thousand; ana
! by none of the ordinary modes OF chcuiaVioh can
! that number now exceed six millions III the in-
crease has really been so great as the gentleman
| would have us believe it may be set down as
circumstance. the like Of which has never been
known in any age or country anu the gentleman
may Justly claim that his constituents are as emil
nently distinguished for another quaii'y as ior
nrowess But this is a small matter, sir; and |
merely refer 70 il as An illustration of the prone
ness Of our Southern friends to exaggerate all
their capabilities.
yh;; c-aaaacse, hovFver j. not. always harm
lass. and must now refer 10 subject which |
would gladly have avoided. allude to the claim
nut forth for a Southern regiment, by the gentle
man from Virginia, Mr.. Seldom, of having met
and repulsed the enemy on the field Of Buena
Vista. at that most critical moment when the Sec
ond Indiana regiment, through an unfortunate
order of their Colonel gave way. Justice to the
living. as we'll as to those who fell on that occa-
sion, demand of me prompt correction of this
most erroneous statement And affirm distinctly,
sir and such is the fact that at the time the second
Indiana regiment gave way, the Mississippi regi-
ment, for whom this claim is thus gratuitously set
up, was not within mile and a half Of the scene
of action; nor had it az yet fired gun, or drawn
n trigger | affirm further, sir, that the troops
which at that time met and resisted the enemy
and thus, to use the gentlemans own language
"snatched victory from the jaws Of defeat were
the second Kentucky, the second Illinois, and :
portion of the first Illinois regiments. IL gives m'
no pleasure, sir, to be compelled to allude to this
subject, nor can perceive the necessity or pro
prie.y SITS introduction into this debate. 1t hav
ing been introduced, however, I could not sic il
silence and witness the iniictioa of such cruel in
JUST ,,'~on men. living and dead, whose well
earned fame were a monster not to protect Tbt
true and brave hearts Of too many Of them, alas
have already mingled with the soil OF foreign
country but their claims upon the justice oftheil
countrymen can never cease, nor can my obliga
tons to them be ever forgotten or disregarded
No, sir The voice Of Hardin-that voice which
has so often been heard in this hall as mine now is
though far more eloquently-the voice of Hardin
aye and of Mckee and the accomplished Clay
each wrapped now in his bloody shroud-thei'
voices would reproach me from the grave, had
failed in this act of JUSTICE to them and the Others
who fought and fell by my side,
You will suspect me, Mr.. Chairman, of having
warm feelings on this subject. SO have; and
have given them utterance, as a matter Of duty
In all this, however, by no means detract from
the gallant conduct and bearing of the Mississippi
regiment. At other times and places, on tha
bloody field, they did all that their warmest ad
mirers could have desired. But let me ask again
why was this subject introduced into this debate
Why does the gentleman say "the troops OF thu
North gave way, when he means only singh
regiment? Why is all this, but for the purpos
of disparaging the North for the benefit of tn
South? Why, but for the purpose Of furnishing
materials for that ceasecss, never-ending, eterna
theme of Southern chivalry?"
Mr.. Chairman, the people of the free States
have rs strong an attachment for their brethren
of the South at this very moment as they haG
during the days of the Revolution, or at any sub
sequent period and they will not suffer that at
tachment to be destroyed by dsuniOnists or de
signing men III the Norm or in the South. We
have our disunionists in the North, sir, and they
annoy us not a little. Were your Troublesome
men in the North, they would be the Garrisons
the Tappans and the Gerrit Smiths; and wer
our Garrisons, and Tappans, and Gerrit Smiths
in the South, they would be the disunionist
against whom the moderate men Of all partie
would have to guard. tell you, sir, that we, tn
Representatives of the North, will aid you to pre-
serve your constitutional rights as We have eve
done We are not alienated from you, nor hav
your ultra men yet driven us entirely ito tn
wallp We are ready to meet you now on an
fair grounds, and fight with you side by side 70
your rights and for ours, and defend those right
under the Constitution from encr0achment in an
quarter But, sir, we want to hear no more abou
dsunion. We are attached to the UniOn-ay'
devotedly are we attached to it. We regard it q
the ark of safety for the American People w
know that the realiz ttion Of the hopes of huma
freedom throughout the world depends upon i,
perpetuity. And shall we ruthlessly crush thes
hopes forever7 Shall that beacon light whic
our fathers raised to cheer and guide the friend
of freedom, be extinguished by us2 Extinguis
it if you will, but know that when you do it th
world is enshrouded in darkness more frightfr
than Egyptian night.
know the people of my State. know the pee
pic of the great West and Northwest; and kno'
their devotion to the American Union. And
feel warranted in saying in my place here tn:
when you talk to them of destroying this Unto,
there is not a man throughout that vast regio
who will not raise his hand and swear by tn
Eternal God as ! do now, it shall never be dom
if our arms can save it, Illinois profiered to tn
country nine regiments to aid in the vindcatio
of her rights in the war with Mexico And shout
danger threaten the Union from any source or i
any quarter in the North or in the South, sh
will be ready to furnish twice, thrice, yes, fou
times that number, to march where that DANCE
may be, to return when it Is passed, or return n
more.