The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-06-04

men and patriotic men-that you ought, 10 the
extent Of your ability and influence, to see to it |
that such laws are established and maintained az
shall keep you and the South, and the West, and
all the country together, as far as it is just and
right, and as far as the Constitution demands.
say that what is demanded Of is, to be up to our
Constitutional dpties-to do for the South what
the South have right to demand. /
Gentlemen, have been some time before the |
public. My character is known-my life is before |
the country profess to love liberty as much as
any man living. But profess to love American /
liberty, that liberty which is secured to the coun.
try by the Constitution under which we live; and /
l have no great opinion Of that liberty which goes
over the restraints of law Of the Constitution.
hold the Constitution Of the United States to BE- |
the bulwark, the only buwark, of our liberties, and
national charter. don't mean that you should
become slaves under the Constitution. That is not
American liberty. That is not the liberty Of the
Union for which our fathers fought-that liberty
which has given right to be known and respect
ed all over the world now.
G@nllemen, let me say TO you, that, as much as
admire The character of the people of Western
| New York-as much as ] wish TO retain your good
opinion-if yon would ever place me hereafter in
| any connection with public life, let me tell you
now, that you must not expect from me the slight
| est variation even Of hairs breadth, from the
Constitution of the United States. [Cres of
"good, good. good "l am Northern man. was
| born at The Nortb-educaied al the North-have
lived all my days at the North. know FIVE hundred
Northern men TO one Southern man. NY sympa-
| thies-all my sympathies-my love OF liberty iof
all mankind, of every color, are the same as yours.
NY affection and hopes, in that respect. are ex.
actIy like yours. wish to see all men free-ail
men Apply. l have no associations out OF the
| Northern States. Nv people are your people, And
vet am told sometimes that am not liberty man,
because am not free-soil man. lSensatlon
What am 1! What was ] ever! What shall
be hsreafe if would sacrifice, for any consider
alton, that love of American liberty which has
-Iz II sn hraae oVno m
which, ihope, will never leave me till expire
[Appiause.l
Gentlemen, regret extremely that slavery exists
in the Southern States, and that Congress has not
power to act upon it. But ii may be in the dispen
saon of Providence some remedy may be found
. for it. But, in the meantime, hold on to the
Constitution Of the United States, and you need
never expect from me, under any clrcams ances,
that shall fater from IL; tha, shall be other
. | wise than frank and decisive. / would not part
| with nv character, as man Of ffirmness and decl.
sion and honor. and principle, ,for all that the world
holds You will find me true to the North because
all my sympathies are with the North. MY af1ec-
tions, my children, my hopes, my every thing, are
!, , with the North But, when stand up before my
country, as one appointed to administer the Con,
| stuion of the country, by the blessing OF God,
will be just. [Great applause
Gentlemen, expect to be Fbelled and abused
Yes. libeed and abused. But it don't disturb me
n have not lost nights sleep for great many
= | years. have some talent for sleeping. Laugh
! erl And why should we not expect to he Ii
belIed Is not the Constitution of the United
i States libeled and abused! Don't some people
= call it the production of hell Is not Washington
/ libelled and abused !. Is he not called blood
,r hound on the track of the African negro! Ar
n not our fathers lbelled and abused by their owl
. childrens And ungrateful children they are-an
II am afraid, in some cases, their mothers paye
E false. [Laughter.] How then shall escape!
i don't expect 10 escape but, knowing these thDg'
II impute no bad motives to any one. The gres
settlement measures Of the last Congress are law
~ many respectable men, Representatives from yoi
=. own State and from other States. did not Gomez
"a in. Idon't impute any bad motive to them q
~. ready to believe they Americans all. Th
hv may not have thought them necessary; they m
ny have thought these laws would be passed wtho
n, \ their concurrence. Let all that Prss away.
ir they are now men who will stand by what
f. done, and stand up for their country, and say lh
,e these laws were passed by majority Of the who
of country, and We must stand by them and 1--we
a them, will respect them all friends. Now, ger
n tlemen, allow me to ask OF you to-day, what
a, you think would have been The condition of tn
country, at this time, in your judgment, if thes
4. laws had not been passed by the last Congress
A. Ii the question of the Texas boundary had n,
"a been settled, New MEXICO and U,ah had been lie
a as desert places, and government had been pr
n vided for them, and il The other great question
n which State laws had opposed so many obstacle
,e in the restoration of fugitives, had not been Sc
- tied l ask what would have heen the state
bt this country now! You men of Ere county, yo
f men Of New York, conjure you to 60 home t
~ night and mediate on this subj ct! What wou
ID have been the stale of this country, now, at tn
~ | moment, if these laws had not been passed
e. have given my opinion that we should Lave had
n civil war; refer it to you, therefore, for your co..
ha sideration.. Mediate on it; do not be carri.
al away by any notions ideas of metaphysics Ihir
n. practically on the great question OF what wou
m have been the condition Of the United States
,n this moment if we had not settled these agi'atii
he questions have stated that, in my opinion, the
n. would have been civil war.
so Gentlemen, will you allow me for moment
he advert TO myself. have been long time in pu
n. lie life OF course not many years remain to IN
At the commencement Of 1850, saw somethir
d. of the condition Of the country, and thought 4
a inevitable consequence would be civil war | "a
nv danger in leaving Utah and New Mexico witho
,fy any government prey to the power Of Texas.
e this condition of things arising from The int
as ference Of some of the States in defeating some
IN the operations OF the Constitution in respect to d
ss restoration of fugitive slaves,-and, gentlemen,
VI, made up my mind to encounter whatever nigh b
to tide me, and allow me 10 say something which W
of not entirely unexpected A member Of the Hou
he Of Representatives told me that he ad made
Ter of lao speeches which had been made in Congr.
nd on the slavery question. THAT is very lar
is number. my FRIEND" | said "but how is that
lw "Why," said he, "a Northern man gets up a
n speaks with considerable power and frenzy, un
re the Speakers hammer knocks him down /; then x
&c, up Southern man, and he speaks with mt
"h warmth. he Is nearer the line, and he comes o
against the North. He speaks his hour and stop
and so it has gone until have got 140 speech
nd on my list" Well" !" said |, "where are they
le' III the speaker" said he, was Northern ma
~ he held forth against slavery; and he was fro
us l"e the Sonth, he abused the North and all the
ou speeches were sent by the members to their o.
ha localities, where they the cause Of the lo
has irritation which existed at the time. In this W
the other side of the question was not heard-tl
,s,s is the way of it." thought that in this state
'.ss things quiet was necessary You can't suppo
,;," that was Indifferent 10 the danger. | ar
;,. Massachusetts man, and know what Massachnse
I'D used to be- am Massachusetts man. Mas
are chusetts has kept me great while in Congre
nd | will honor her. respect her, and mean to
ore as long as live. [Appause.]
Of WE'LL gentlemen, suppose that that occas
rb- had taken different course from what did
Vas | may allude to any thing SO Insignificant II
Ith self, suppose that on the 7h OF March, instead
les. making speech that would reconcile the count
ook | had joined in the general camor Of the par
ons suppose had said, l will have nothing to do "
ing any accommodation we will admit no satisfact
I'VE we will let Texas invade New Mexico;
ght leave New Mexico and Utah to take care OF the
lia- selves, and we will plant ourselves on the Will
ise. Proviso, and let the devil take the hindermt
on, Now gentlemen, don't mean to say that q
Vi consequence would follow from that; but supp
had taken such a course? How could
- blamed for it? Was | not Massachusetts, ma
aa- Did | not know Massachusetts sentiments
uo | prejudces? But what of that? l am an Am
% o' can! Great applausel l was made wi
ecs' man by God, and l don't mean to make my
W W1ed- half one Tremendous outbursts of applau
hio, | felt had dIty to perform to my country