The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-06-26

shall be otherwise than frank and decisive.
| would not part with my character, as q
man Of iirmness and decision, and honor,
and principle, for all that the world holds.
You will find me true to the North, because
all my sympathies are with tie North
My affections, my children, my hopes, my
everything nre with the North But.
when stand up before my country. MS one
appointed to administer the Constitution of
the country. by the blessing Of God will
he Just. (Grea, applause.)
Gentlemen, expect to be libe'e1 and
abused. Yes! libeled and abused. But il
don't disturb me. Ihave not lost nights
sleep for great many years. lhave some
talent for sleeping. (Laughtcr.) And
why should we not expect to he lbeied?-I
Is not the Constitution Of the United States
iibeled.and abused? Dent some people
call it the production Of helI2 Is not Wash
ington liheled and abused? Il he not cali
ed bloodhound on the track of the African
negroo Are not our fathers liheled and
abused by their own children? And un-
grateful children they are--and am afraid,
in some cases. their mothers PLAYED false.
Laughter.) How, then, shall escape p
don't expect TO escape, but, knowing
these things. | impute no bad motives to
any one. The great settlement measures
Of the last Congress arc laws, many res
pectable men, representatives from your
own State and from other States, did not
concur in. don't imputc any bad mo-
tive to them; am ready 10 believe they
are Americans all. They may no, have
thought them necessary: they may have
thought these laws would be passed with
out their concurrence. Let all that pass
away. If they are now men who will
stand by what is done, ard stand up for
their country. and say that these laws
were passed by majority of the whole
country. and we must stand BY them and
live BY them then will respect them all
as friends. Now, gentlemen, allow me TO
ask Of YOU today, what do YOU think would
have been the condition Of the country at
this time, in your judgment,-ift these laws
had not been passed by the las, Congress?
if the question Of the Texas boundary
had not been settled, New Mexico and
Utah had been left as desert places, and no
government had been provided Tor them.
md if the other great question to which
State laws had opposed SO many obstacles
in the restoration Of fugitives had not been
settled? Task what would have been the
state Of this country now.
You men of Erie county, Won men Of
New York, conjure you to 90 home to-
night and mediate on this subject! What
would have been the state of this country,
now. al this moment. If these laws had moi
been passed? l have gieen my opinion
that we should have had civil war. re-
fer il 10 YOU, therefore, for your considera-
tion. Mediate on it-do not be carried
away by any notions or ideas of meta.
practically on the great
question Of what would have been the con
dilion Of the United States at this momeni,
if we had not settled these agita,ing ques-
tions. have stated that, ia nv opinion.
there would have been civil war. Gen
tlemen, will You allow for moment to ad
vert TO myself? have been long time
in public life; of course no, msnv years
remain to me. At the commencement of
1850, saw something Of the condition Of
the country, and thought the inevitable
consequence would be civil war. saw
danger in leaving Utah and New Mexico
without any government, prev TO the
power Of Texas. saw this condition of
things arising from the interference of some
nf the States in defeating some Of the op-
erations of the Constitution in respect tol
the restoration of fugitive slaves; and, gen
tlemen. made up my mind to encounter
whatever might beti6e me. and allow me
to say something which was not entirely
unexpected. A member Of the House Of
Represent a,ives told mo that he had msde
list of l40 speeches which had been madeio
Congress on the slavery question. "Thai
is very large number, nv friend" said
"hut how is tha,?" "Why." said he, ga
Northern man gets up aud speaks with
considerable power and FRENZY, until the
Speakers hammer knocks him down; then
gets up Southern man, and he speaks
with more warmth. He is nearer the line.
aud he comes out against the North. Hel
speaks his hour and stops: and 50 it has
gone on until have got l40 speeches on
nv list" SWELL" snid I. 'swhere are
,hey?" .If,he speaker" said he, 'swas a
Northern man, he held forth against sla-
verv; and if he was from the South, ha a.
bused the North; and all those speeches
were sent bv the members 10 their own To-
calties. where they were the cause OF the
local irritation which existed nj the time ="
In this wav the other side of the question
was not heard--,hat is the wav Of it, II
thought that in this state Of things, quie,
was necessary. You can't suppose that ]
was Indifferent to the danger. I'm o
Massachusetts man, and know what Mas
sachusetts used to be. am a Massachu-
setts man. Massachusetts has kept me n
great while in Congress. Twill honor her.
I respect her, and mean to do so, as long
as live. (Aprlause)
Well. gentlemen, suppose that on that
occasion had taken different course from
what did. If may alluae to anything
so insignificant as mvsell--suppose that on
the 7ih Of March, instead Of making q
speech that would reconcile the country.
| had Joined in the general clamor of the
n,rtysupnn9s had said will have moth |