The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-14

event they attempted to arouse, and ala arouse,
very strong feeling; in other words, they created
great agitation in the North against oouthe,n
slavery Well, what was the resultf Inc bonus
of the slaves were bound more firmly than before;
their rivets were more strongly fastened Public
opinion which in Virginia had begun to be ex-
bibited against slavery and was opening out for
the discussion of the question, drew back and shut
itself up in IT'S castle | wish to know whether
any body in Virginia can now talk as MIR. Ran
dolph, Governor Mcdowell, and others talked
there openly and sent their remarks to the press,
in 1892 We all know the fact, and we all know
the cause and everything that this agitating peo-
pie have done has been, not to enlarge but TO re-
strain not TO set free but to bind faster the slaye
population of the South That is my judgment.
Sir, as have said, know many Of them in my own
neighborhood, very honest good people, misled as
think, by strange enthusiasm, but they wish to
do something, and they called on to contribute
and they do contribute; and it is my firm opinion
this day, that within the last twenty years as
much money has been collected and paid to the
abolition societies, abolition presses and abolition
lecturers as would purchase the freedom of every
slave man, woman, and child, in the State Of
Maryland, and send them all to Liberia. | have
no doubt Of it. But have yet to learn that the
benevolence of these abolition societies has at any
time taken that particular turn. Laughter
Again, sir, the violence Of the press is COM
planned Of The press violent Why, sir, the
press is violent everywhere. There are outra-
geous reprosehes in the North against the South,
and there are reproaches in not much better taste
in the South against the North Sir the extsem-
lists of both parts of this country violent; they
mistake loud and violent talk for eloquence and
for reason. They think that he who talks loudest
reasons the best. And this we must expect when
the press is Free it is here, and trust always
will be, for, with all its RIGHTEOUSNESS and all its
evil, the entire and absolute freedom of the press
is essential to the preservation Of Government on
the basis of free Constitution. Wherever it ex-
lists, there will be foolish paragraphs and violent
paragraphs in the press, as there are, am sorry
to say foolish speeches and violent speeches in both
Houses Of Congress- In short, sir, must say that,
in my opinion, the vernacular tongue of the coun-
try has become greatly vitisted depraved and cor
rupted, by the style Of our Congressional debates
Laughter And if it were possible for our debates
in Congress to vitiate the principles of the people
much as they have depraved their taste, should
cry out, +" God save the Republic!"
Well, in all this | see nc solid grieva nee, no
grievance produced by the South, within the re-
dress Of the Government, but the single one to
| which have referred and that is, the want of a
proper regard to the injunction of the Constitu-
| ton for the delivery of fugitive slaves
There are aisu complaints of the North agtiusc
the South. need not 60 over them particularly.
| The first and gravest is that the North adopted
the Constitution, recognising the exstsnce of sa-
very in the States, and recognising the right to
certain extent of representation of the slaves in
| Congress, under a state Of sentiment and expec
tation which do not now exist and that by events,
| by circumstances, by the eagerness of the South
TO acquire territory and extend their slage popu-
lation the North finds itself in regard to the in
| fuence of the South end the North, of the free
| States and the slave States, where it never did
! expect to find itself when they entered the com
pact of the Constitution. They complain, there
| fore, that, instead of slavery being regarded as
| an evil, as it was then an evil which all hoped
would lie extinguished gradually, it is now regard
| ed by the South as an institution to be cherished
and preserved and extended an institution which
the South has extended to the utmost Of her
| power by the acquisition Of new territory Well
then, passing from that, everybody in the North
reads and everybody reads whatsoever the news
papers contain, and the newspapers, some of
them, especially those presses to which | have
alluded, are careful to spread about among the
people every reproachful sentiment uttered by
any Southern man bearing at all against the
North everything that Is calculated to exasper-
ate TO alienate and there many such things, as
every body will admit from the South or some pOr-
ton of it, which are spread abroad among the read.
ing people and they do exasperate, and ALLEVIATE,
and produce most mischievous effect upon the pub
lie mind at the North Sir would not notice things
Of this sort appearing in obscure quarters; but
one thing has occurred in this debate which
struck me very forcibly An honorable member
from Louisiana addressed us the other day on this
subject suppose there is not more amiable
and worthy gentleman in this Chamber-a gen.
tleman who would be more slow TO give offence TO
any body and he did not mean in his remarks to
give offence But what did he sayl Why, sir,
he took pains to run contrast between the slaves
of the South and the laboring people of the ORTIZ
giving the preference in all points of condition,
and comfort, and happiness, to the slaves of the
South. The Senator doubtless did not suppose
that he gave any offence or did any injustice
He was merely expressing his opinion But does
he know how remarks Of that sort will be reeeiv-
ed by the laboring people of the NORTH Why,
who are the laboring people Of the North They
are the North. They are the people who cult
vate their own farms with their own hands free
holders, educated men, independent men Let
me say, sir that fvesixths Of the whole property
of the North is in the hands of the laborers OF
the North they cultivate their farms, they edu-
cate their children, they provide the means of in
dependence If they are not freeholders, they
earn wages, these wages accumulate, are turned
into capital into new fleeholds and small oapi-
talists are created That is the case. And what
can these people think when so respectable and
worthy gentleman as the member from Louis
rance and the abject slavery Of the South is more
; in conformity with the high purposes of immor-
tai, rational, human beings, than the educated, the
Independent free laborers ofthe North
Now, sir, so far as any Of these grievances have
their foundation in matters of law, they can be
redressed so far as they have their foundation in
matters Of opinion, in sentiment in mutual Grim
inatiou and recrimination, all that we can do is
to endeavor to allay and cultivate better feeling
and more fraternal sentiments between the South
and the North.
Mr.. President should much prefer to have
heard from every member on this floor declarations
of opinion that this Union should never be dissolv-
ed than the declaration Of opinion that in any case
under the pressure of any circumstances, such a
dissolution was possible. | hear with pain, and
anguish, and distress, the word secesson-espe-
cialy when it falls from the lips of those who are
emnenty patriotic, and known to the country
and known all over the world, for their politica,
services. Secession Peaceabe secession. Sir
your eyes and mine are never destined to sec that
miracle. The ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of this vast coun-
|, try without CONFUSION The bursting up of the
fountains of the great deep without ruliling the
surface Who is 80 fooish-I beg everybody's
pardon-as to expect to see any such thing Sir
he who sees these States now revolving in har
mony around a common centre, can expect to sec
them quit their places and fly off without convul
sion, may look at the next hour to see the heaven
ly bodies rush from their spheres and jostle
against each other in the realms of space without
producing a crash in the universe. There car
7 he no such thing as a peaceable secession
Peaceabe secession is an utter impossibility. Il
the great Constitution under which we live here
covering this whole country-is il to be thswed
and melted away by secession, as the SHOWS on the
mountain melt under the inhlence of a vernal
sun disappear almost unooserved, and die of
No, sir! No, sirl | will not state what might