The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-03-27
HENRY CLAY.

HENRY CLAY.
In the conclusion of his eloquent and pat
riotic speech, on the subject of the Proyiso,
Mr.. Clay spoke like an inspired prophet of
God. No truer words ofburning eloquence,
were ever uttered:
Mr.. President, hope the Senate will on
ly have the goodness-lf dou't tire out
their patience, would prefer conclu-
ding to-day. begin to see land. shall
pretty soon arrive at the end. had much
rather occupy half an hour now than leave
what have TO say for to-morrow-to tres
pass upon the patience Of the Senate an
other day.
Such is the Union, and such are its glori-
ons fruits. We are told now, and il is rung
throughout this entire country, that the
Union ~ threatened with subyersIon and de-
strnction. Wen, sir, the first question
which naturally arises is, supposing the
Union 10 be MISUNDERSTANDING all the caus-
es OF grievance which are complained Of
how far viii dissolution furnish a remedy
for those grievances If the Union is 10 be
dissolved for any existing causes, it will be
dissolved because slavery is interdic,ed or
not allowed 10 be introduced into the ceded
Territories; because slavery is threatened
to be abolished in the District of Columbia,
and because fugitive slaves are not return
ed, as in my opinion they ought TO he restor-
cd to their masters. These | believe will
be the causes, ifthere be any causes, which
can lead to the direful event to which |
have referred.
Well now, sir, let us suppose that the
Union has been dissolved. What remedy
does il furnish for the grievances complain
ed of in its united condition.? viii you be
able 10 push slavery into the ceded Terri
tories? How are you to do it, supposi ng
the NOrth-a.l the States north of the Po-
tomac, and which are opposed to i'm pos
session Of the navy aud army ofthe United
States! Can you expect, if there is a dis
solution of the Union, that you can carry
slavery into California and New Mexico:
You cannot dream of such purpose. If it
were abolished in the District of Columbia, =,
and the Union was dissolved, would the dis.
solution of the Union restore slavery in the
District OF Columbia? Are you safer in the
recovery of your fugitive slaves in state
of dissolution, Of severance of the Union,
than you are in the Union itself? Why,
sir, what is the state of the fact in the I'm
ion' You lose some slaves. You recover
some others. Let me advert to fact which
ought to have introduced before, because
It is highly credi,able TO the courts and iu-
ries Of the free States. In every case, so
far as my information extends, where an
appeal has been made to the courts of lus-
tce for the recovery of fugtives, or for the
recovery of penalties inflicted npon persons
who have assisted in decoying slaves from
their masters-as far AS am Informed. the
courts have asserted the rights of the own
er, and the jnries have promptly returned
adequate verdicts in favor Of the owner.
Well, sir, this is some remedy. What
would you have if tn. Union were dissev-
cred? Why, sir, then the severed parts
would be independent of each other--for-
eign countries. Slaves takan from tho one
into The other would be then like slaves now
escaping from the United StaIes into Canada.
There would be no right of extraditinn-
no right To demand your slaves--no right 10
appeal TO the courts of justice 10 demand
your slaves which escape, or the penalty for
decoyiDg them. Where one escapes no W
by running away from his owner, hundreds
and thousands would escape if tho Union
were severed in parts--I care not where nor
how you run the line, if independent sover-
eighties were established.
Well, sir, finally, will you in State of
dissolution of the Union be safer with your
slaves within the bosom Of the States Than
you are now? Mr.. President, that thew
will escape much more frequently from the
border States, no one will doubt.
But, sir, | must take the occasion TO saw
that, In my opinion, there is no right OF the
part of one or more of the States tn secede
from the Union. War and the dissolution
of the Union are identical and inse perable.
There can be no dissolution of The Union,
except by consent or by war. No one can
expect, ip the existing state Of things, that
that consent would be given, and war is the
only alternative by which dissolution
could he accomplished. And, Mr.. Presi-
dent, if consent were given-if possibly we
were TO separate by mutual agreement and
l,y given time, less than sixty days after
such an agreement had been executed, war
would break out between the free and
saveholding portions of this Cnion-be.
tween the TWO independent portions into
which it would be erecred in virtue of the
act Of separation. Yes, sir, sixty dHys-in
less than sixty days, belinve, our slaves
from Kentucky would he fleeing over in
numbers to the other side of The river
would he pursued by their owners, and the
excitable and ardent spirits who would en-
gage in the pursuit would I've restrained by
no sense Of the rights which appertain to
the independence of the other side Of the
river, supposing it, then, to be the line OF
separation. They would pursue their slaves
they would be repeled, and war woult
break out. In less than sixty days, wal