Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-03-14
MIR. CALHOUN's SPEECH,
Read in lie Senate March 5, lc50.

| Resolutions.
Mr.. Calhoun briefly stated his inability to adj
dress the Senate in person, and returned thanks
fur the courtesy winch the Senate had extended
10 him. in permitting him to have his views read
upon the great question Of present agitation
| lie then asked Mr Mason to read his speech for
him.
Mr.. Nj son proceeded to read.
MIR. Calhoun commenced by asking what
could De done TO save the Union? It Was ne
cessary, first, to find the cause OF danger, be-
tore a remedy could be applied. The danger
arose first from the discomfort IN al! the Souih-
ern States. which commenced with the agitation
of the Slavery question, and had continued ever
since. The next question was, what had caus-
ed the dsoulet: il resulted from The convlc-
ZION on the part OF the Southern States, that
they could not 1--we IN TIE Union, under the eX-
istrnr state OF things, with safety TO their hou0r
and interests He proceeded next to show, by
statistics, that the equilibrium oil The different
sections of the Uniun had been lost, IN conse-
euence OF the increase OF population IN the
Moth. This state OF Ia nss places the control
of The government exclusively IN the hands OF
the North making item majority OF the States
and large majority OF the p"Pu.aiion, "hieh
would b. increased at the next census In dG-
dhon to this, the newly acquired territory would
3. So add speedily at east live new Sates TO the
J
,resslng IN the Sou.h. He next proceeded to
/ show ,hlt the acton of the General Government
had been such as t. give coAtrol to a sectional
majority, by uh!ch the South had been deprived
/ of us share ~ The teTntunes. The hrst act,
! n1vinr such effect was the ordinance OF CT, the
u.xt lie Miss iurI Compro Mise, aud the last
! the &C, by wl,ch the South were excluded iron
! oregon, the result OF which has been 10 cXciuGe
the ) lulh :ro % three fOuftls Of the Territory Of
the Unied States, giving her one fourth only
! The NUrih had also unsettled Inc necessary
cqaiiIariun bet &C.. The Two sections, by adopt
ia.r = system ct rrvenur aud disbursements
winch had ia pos unequal burdens upon tie
Souih to The advantage Oi the Nor,h. The ac-
,iyn of CONGRESS- N tle next place, had resulted
m a concentration ct pewer IN the Federal Tow
eminent 10 the manifest dIstul Odace and Viola
iiuu of STATE Rights. TAe resuh oil al tAese
series of measures aud ihIS course OF poicy was
10 give the North an ascendency IA every de-
nar1ment of the Government lie then proceed
I'd To ooasIcer tue views and feelings OF the
people Of The North relative To the institution of
Slavery winch The South ielt To be necessary t.
her social oFglu.Zlion, ana whlC.i, ne SAID, vas
loohc. upon with greater or less hostility, by the
whole North. all t4e people OF which ielt bound
al least, 90 dlscouuteuance 1t, while they Of the
South felt themselves inpeiicd 10 defend It,
He reviewed the cOurse VI the slavery agitation
BY the North commcn chg with the nrst battle
upon the figAl oil petition. aud Coming down 10
tie present day, Tor the purpose OF showing that
cncr0achmcnis GpOn tbs po'nt haa neen ContIh-
uai gradual, ana always successful, until nniui-
nent danger TO the Union l;seii had now arisen.
lie coaiended that the first organ zed movement
by Aboi,ionists, had continually Increased IN
numbers, iHyortun'tes, ana demands, until THIS
work had reached point winch has demanded
W nat then could be dons 10 arrest It's prosress,
aud what could save The Union? Dlsunion
would rot be effected Al single olow-It was
the work OF ;ime-iur The cores which blni the
Union were too LuHerous 10 uc snapped all at
once. Oae oi the many cords which mad bound
the Bon TO. ether, Was tie religious cord, the
sympathy between the assertions oil various
religious denominations OF toth sections. The
first OF the cords which snapped was that Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. hi. hex, the
division 81 the B lptisls into Two opposing Sec
uonl parties. The Presbyterian cord had EOt
altogether given away, although some OF Its
sifIngs were BIO ,en-Ihc EpIscopalIans only, OF
the four great denominations remained tfln
and unbroken. AS II result oil this agnatIon Mir.
Calhoun makes 10 reie ence whatever 10 the
Catholics The nexi great cord which had
snapped, that vi poliucal parry orsanzatlOn,
ton, which had hell together until re-
Gently, wnen 1t had been severed by The Increds-
cd agltatlDL. Again, how could the Union be
saved? Il couiI oniy be By adopting such
measures as will satisfy the Southern States that
thew can remain IN the Union with safety and
honor to themselves. 1t could not be saved by
euloglzlng the Union, nor by appealing 10 The
me nory OF Washington neI,her were there
apy thing III the lie ANA example OF that disIIn-
gusht nan, which could deler The South iron
seeding. On the contrary, the:e was much 10
encourage them to secession, as a remedy Tor
oppression and deprivation OF their rights. MIR.
Gays plan, or the plar proposed by the admin
sIration, could not save the Union. Inc latter
was nothing but modification OF the Wlmot
PrOvlso, aaJ sui more Objectionable than that
measure. lis very object was 10 deprive the
South of Its rlshItul plrtlc patton Ii the Terri
tories. Looking At the constitutional question,
he contended tnat the power OF legislation Tor
the territories Is vested exclusively 10 Congress.
la this view, tae action OF the people of CdlliOr-
MA, III forming government Tor themselves,
had usurped me power Ut Congress. Iheir
cOnduct Ia this respect was Revolutionary dnG
rebelouS in lis character. lie expressed h's
iuii CONVICTION that the people oil Cdiiiornia had
been influenced III the.r UctIOn by persons act
ing under the Suggestions and autnoriIy ot the
Executive. lie also proceeded Win an enOrt
to snow that the action ot Caho:nli, aud the
Executive propositions Tor her admission into the
alUn, dIitct Viola ION oi all the past az
ton Of Congress. " hat, now, would the Sen
ate do: Much dcpenied upon their action.-
Ii they admitted Ciutofnia INTO the UniUn they
would sanction all that mad DONE Were
Senators prepared, III admitting her, ~ surreu-
der Inc Consultation, IL view vi their oaths
10 support II? lie denied that there was
any sucn State as CaiIiUrula, II had no legal ex-
Istence, and could not, without the SANCTION of
Congress. they could only form Constitution
wnen Congress had gwen them leave 50 To do.
How could gentlemen On the Wing side Of the
Chamber, alter defeating the candidate OF tie
party General Cassl at the late election, who
took the ground that Congress had no power of
legislation, now turn around and admit state
upon the ground that she had exercised this sery
power, which had been denied in the Presidential
contest? How could those gentlemen VINO vot-
ed on the Oregon question, against the position
that Congress had the sole and absolute power
OF Legislating for the Territories, now propose
to sanction course directly the reverse p
VIVA. did all this mean? Were they to con-
cude that the exclusion OF the South from the