The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-06-04

developments of purpose forcibly TO resistits
ecution, that the President has deemed II his duty
| 10 issue official proclamation, announcing his
determination to employ all the power conferred
upon him by the Constitution and Laws to sup
press by force any organized opposition to Its exc
cution that may be made In some OF the southern
States the signs of dissatisfaction with these laws
are equally unmistakab and, II mistake not IN
my memory, three southern States, Georgia, South
Carolina, and mississippi, have by formal legisla
tive enactments provided Tor holding State conven-
| tions to decide upon "the mode and measure Of
redress" demanded by the occasion. A dissolution
of the Union, and the formation Of confederacy,
consisting exclusively of the saveholding States,
seems to be the remedy in contemplation In
Georgia and South Carolina elections have been
held, in conformity with the Legislative acts re-
ferred to, for members of the convention-in Mis-
sssippi no election has been yet held. Georgia
was the first State to speak at the ballot box upon
the issues presented. South Carolina, for the pur-
pose of attering Georgia into her schemes and
purposes, offered her the lead in the work OF dis
union, treason, and rebellion. The election day
came, and the loyal and patriotic people OF Geor-
gia, by overwhelming majorities, declined the in
| famous distinction, and proclaimed themselves In
favor OF acquiescing in the 'Compromisc mea
sures," and of adhering to the Union. This patri-
otto action OF the people Of Georgia was crushing
blow TO the hopes of the conspirators. II checked
in degree the disunion movements in Mississippi,
Alabama, and Florida, and gave hope and conf
dence to the true friends of the Union in all tho
States. Had Georgia acted otherwise, think il
! probable that by this day we would have been in
Tue ullu5t Vi CIVIL war ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
| lively engaged in the great work OF cutting one
another's throats, that humane and phiosophic en-
poyment, which, from the earliest records OF his
tory, has occupied 80 large portion OF the time
and energies OF mankind. South Carolina has,
also, since the Georgia election, held an election
| for members of the convention, authorized by
| law of that State and il appears that nearly all
| the members elect Of that convention pledged
to secession from the Union by the separate action
of the State of South Carolina. 1t seems to be the
calculation of many of the leading and controlling
men Of that State to coerce the other southern
States into that cooperation with South Carolina
in the work of dissoving the Union, into which
they not willing to embark voluntarily.
1t seems to be their calculation that if South Ca
rolina precpates herself into violent warlike col
lision with the Federal Government the other south
States will, by the force of sympathies result
| ing from an institution common to them all, be
| compelled to make common cause with South Ca
rolina; and thus that union of the southern States,
30 earnestly urged in address published some
| two years ago by certain members OF Congress
I from the South, and re-urged in an address pub
| lished by convention which assembled in this
| city not long ago, will be accomplishments union
| which has for its object dissolution OF the
Union, the destruction of the Government es
tablished by our fathers, and the establish
ment of Southern Confederacy, Of which
South Carolina, it is supposed, will be the leading
and controlling State, and Charleston the great
commercial entrepot. Gentlemen, If any man
supposes that the questions which have arisen rela-
tive to the Territories which we have acquired from
Mexico constitute the of the agitations which
menace the durability Of the Union and the exist
ence Of the Republic, in my opinion, they are mis-
taken. They are bat pretexts for u foregone con-
slusion. The abolitionists Of the North desire a
dissolution Of the Union because the Constitution
of the United States is barrier to their schemes Of
emancipation since the days of notification,
ambitious men of the South have desired a dissou-
ton of the Union because, by their course in ref
to the questions of that period, they forfeited
all prospects of attaining the highest offices of
the Union, have no desire to do injustice to the
livip NJ nr Tho Iaad buf / NINA INV
Let them pass for what they are worth 1t is my
opinion that the late distinguished Senator Of
South Carolina (Mr. Calhoun) was, from the first
day that he entered public life to the day of his
death, morbidly ambitious to reach the Pres-
dency of the United States and this fact is
the key which opens to full comprehension
of his public life. Though gifted with genius
| in extraordinary degree, in my opinion
he monomanac in all that related to his
aspiration to the Presidency; and his whole
public life had reference to that predominant and
controlling aspiration. believe he honest
and sincere, for the time being, in theopinions which
he pressed and the policy he advocated. Like most
other aspirants 10 the Presidency, he believed that
to be best for his country which tended most to
General jackson he brought down upon himselfthe
crushing popularity of that great favorite OF the
people, with such force as to completely blight his
prospects for the Presidency, too intensely ambi-
tous to despair of his darling object, he deter
mined, last forlorn hope, to make one mighty
effort to unite, and rally and concentrate the slave
holding States upon some issue purely sectional In
its character. Modification, resistance to the
enue laws of the Government, was the first phase
! which this purpose assumed. The result of this
| first experiment was extremely disastrous to bis
hopes 1t brought deeper gloom over his pros.
poets, and plunged him deeper into despair. But
! he was that never dcspnired. He deter
mined to seize the question of negro slavery in
the southern Statcs-that question which almost
| prevented the formation of the Union--and make it
the means of exciting influencing and uniting the
southern States in sectional Juror of which he in
tended to be the ''head and front'-and thus he OK
pected TO command the support, allies, of suf-
! fcient number of northern States to become the
| President of tho United States. III he could have
accomplished this object, his ambition would have
been satisfied, and believe he would have been an
excellent Union man, and one of the best Presidents
that ever held that high office l think he would
have chosen be the President of the United States
if he could-but think his alternate to be the
| President Of Southern Confederacy. And no was,
| in my opinion, u Union or Dsunion man as in his
estimation, his hopes and his prospects rose
sunk in reference to those Objects
Gentemeh, though yet young man, by the IA
/ vor Of the people have been for considerabcpe
| rod Of timo member of the Congress of the Uni
| ted States-and though quiet member, l think I
| have not been an uuobservant one. think have
| observed, and studied with the pub
| lie of the country; and know that tho dis
tinguished Senator to whom am referring has
labored for more than ten years past with all the
address and talent which belonged to him, to inn
press the conviction upon the minds of southern
members OF SonBres5, Wat the southern STATES
possessed within themselves all the elements of a
great and powerful republic; and that, separated
from the northern States, they would become one
of the most prosperous and powerful nations of the
earth.
! A short time after the election of General Taylor
to the Presidency, meeting of the southern men,
bers of Congress was called, to take into consdera-
ton the dangers that menaced Us connected with
the questions arising out of the acquisition of terri
tory from Mexico. Opposed to all movements and
organizations of purely sectional character, re-
fused to attend the meeting. But though absent,
Governor Metcalfe, Of Kentucky. who presided on
the occasion, appointed me of committee Of
which Mr.. Calhoun chairman, which
charged with the duty of preparing an address to
the country. attended the meetings of that com
mitec. The character of the address, prepared by
MIR. Calhoun and submitted to the committee, as
we'll az other developments, strengthened and con-
frmcd my previous conviction that the Union
would presently be assaulted by formidable and
Widespread organization The address, after being
cnnsidnrahl.. nnndiEed. Xaa finally AHMED hx