Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-06-14

liberty which goes over the restraints Of flaw or
lofsthe CONSTITUTIONS. j hold the Constitution.
)sof the United States to be the bulWarks of our
liberties, and our 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 CIV
en- US a right to be known and respected all
over the world now.
Gentlemen, let me say to you, that, as much
as | admire the character of the people of Wes-
tern New York,-as much rs | wish to retain
your good opinion--if you would ever place
me hereafter In any connection with public life,
let me tell you now, that you must not expect
from me the slightest variation, even Of hairs
breadth, from the Constitution OF the United
States. (Cries of "good, coed, coed y Lam
a Northern man. I was born at the North
educated at the Nortll-llaSe lived all my days
! at the North. know five hundred Northern
men TO one Southern man. Nv synpatAies--
all my spmpat..ics--my love of liberty for all
man.asiiud, of every color, are the same rs yours.
My affection and hopes in that respect are en-
actly like yours. | wish to see all men free
all men happy. / have no associations out OF
the Northern States. Ny people are your peo-
pie. And vet | am told sometimes that am not
| 4 liberty man, because | am not a free soil man.
! (Sensation) What am 1? What was ever !!
What shall | be hereafter, if | would sacrltlce,
for any consideration, that love OF American
liberty which has glowed in my breast since my
infancy, and which | hope will never leave me
till expire? (Applause.)
Gentlemen, | regret extremely that slavery
exists in the Southern States, and that Con-
gress has not power to act upon 1t. But ~
may be in the dispensation of Providence some
remedy may be found for il. But in the mean
time, | hold on to the Constitution OF the
United States, and you need never expect
from me, under any circumstances, that shall
falter from it: that I shall be otherwise than
frank and decisive. | would not part with
my character, as a man of firmness and decis-
ion, 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 affections, my children, my hopes:
my everything are with the North. But, when
| stand w before my country, as one appoint
ed to administer the Constitution of the
country, by the blessing of God | will be just:
Great Applause)
Gentlemen expect to be libeled and abused.
Yes! libeled and abused. But it don't disturb
me. have not lost a nights sleep for a great
many years. / have some talent for sleeping.
Ianghter.) And why should we not expect
10 beIibeled |! Is notthe Constitution of the
United States lbeled and abused Don't some
people call it the production of hell? Is not
Washington libeled and abused? Is he not
called a bloodhound on the track of the Afri-
can negro? Are not our forefathers libeled
and abused by their own children? And uu-
grateful children they are-and | am afraid,
in some cases. their mothers played false.
Hasghter.) How then shall | escapear |
don't expect to escape, but, knowing these
things, impute no bad motives to any one.
The great settlement measures of the last
Congress are laws, many respectable men,
representatives from yonr own State and from
other States, did in. don't lmpute
any bad motive to them, / am ready to believe
they are Americans all. They may not have
thougtttllem necessary, they may have thought
these laws would be passed without their con-
currenee. Let all that pass away. If they
are now men who will stand by what is done,
and stand up for their country, and say that
these laws were passed by a majority OF the
whole country, and we must stand by them
and live by them, Il will respect them all as
friends. Now, gentlemen, allow me to ask OF
i you tod y, what do you think would have
4 been the condition of the country at this time,
in your judgment,If these laws had not been
passed by tie last Congress22 if the question
II Of tie Texas boundary had not been settled.
/ New Mexico and Utah had been left as de-
sert places, aud no government had been pro-
yided forsthem, and the other great ques-
tion>t to which State laws had opposed SO ma
by obstacles inthe restoration of fugitives had
not been settled? ] ask what would have
been the state of this country nov You men
of Erie county, you men of New York; con
jiutreyou to 90 home tonight and mediate on
this subject! What would have been the
xstaSa~ 81 this country, now, at this moment, il
these laws had not been passed! l hayeFggiVen
nv opinion that we should have had acivll war.
| refer it to you, therefore, for your consldera-
ton. Mediate on lido not be carried away
by any notions or ideas of etaphysics--tlink
practically on the great question of what would
have been the condition of the United States
at this moment, if we had not settled these agl-
itating questions. | have stated that in my
opinion there would have been civil war. Gen.
tlemen, will you allow me for a moment to adj
vert to myself. Ihavebeen a long time in pub
lie life; of course not many years remain to
me. At the beginning Of 1850, saw some
thing of the condition of the country, and
thought the inevitable consequence wouldbe eli
vii war. I saw danger in leaving Utah and New
Mexico without any government, a prey to the
power ofTexas. saw this condition OF fittings
arising from the interference of some of the
States in defeating some of the operations of
the Constitution in respect to the restoration
of fugitive slaves,--and, gentlemen, | made up
my mind to encounter whatever might betide
me, and allow me to say something which was
not entirely unexpected. A member of the
House of Representatives told me that he had
made a list of l4O speeches which had been
made in Congress on the slavery question.
"That is a very large number, my friend" | said,