The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-29

General Government He asserted that the true
boundary of Texas was the middle Of the desert be-
tween the Nueces and the Rio Grande. We gave
to Texas nine hundred miles the Rio Grande,
which, in his opinion, did not belong 10 her Yet
his especial disciples s-mcn who have nssumeo a
guardianship over his fame-cndeayor to stuitliy
him by declaring that the title Of Texas was indls-
| putable, and that have sold slave territory TO
| free soil Sir, believe / loved him better while
| living, and respect him more now, than any one
of those who make use of his name TO give respec-
liability to treason. lie never seccssonIst;
aud am authorized TO say that the proof VIII be-
fore long be given to the world. He regarded the
attempt of single State to go out Of the Union as
| madness, and died in that opinion.
pass now to the confederation OF the Fugitive
Slave bill. II sasserted with degree ofcontidence
calculated to impose upon the country that II has
| not been executed, and cannot be. My under
| standing Of the facts ID widely different, in the
| northwest recoect no instance in which IT has
not been enforced recollect many IN which u
| has including some from my own state. Ihat IL
| has been occasionally evaded in other places, 10
| true; and that in some instances 1t has been re-
sisted by violence ] do not deny. But that was
| to have been expected. IL ID SO, and always Will
be so, of all laws in country like ours. No man
| ever believed, when this law was passed, that 1t
| would be executed in every instance. NO man
ever believed so of any law framed by the wisdom
| of man IL is sufficient that this law has been
executed as faithfully other laws. Occasional
| failures by means warrant any ono in asserting
| that il is in effect dead letter. Thero is not
| law upon our statute books which Is not some
| times eyaded. There is not year in which criIn-
inas do not escape the penalties prescribed by the
| law aganst murder; but that 10 no reason ior the
repeal of the law II is better that the life of the
citizen should be imperiectly protected than not
| protected at all. So, in the prcsent case, II the
law does not secure the certain return OF every
| fugitive, it does much as any human law can
| do and | can construe in but one way the con-
duct of that southern man who desires to continue
| agitation about 1t
| that tns resolution proposes no approval OF the
Compromise: Any man who honestly means to
| cease agitation, can consclentiousiy Vote Ut H.
| Itis nothing but pubic declaration OF WliiihS-
ness to submit to tho law and the voice OF the peo
| plc We ask no man to retract any former oph-
| ion he may have expressed. we ask no man 10
ioIn in praises of measures he has condemned we
| aak only that hereafter this disturbing question
| shall be laid at We, who are the vlctors IN
the struggle, tender the olye-branch 10 our lalc
opponents, and, forgetting the bitterness oil tne
mast offer them a future of harmony upon terms
| SO easy that but determined agitator can
reject them. southern man makes no sacrlncc
by agreeing to ncQucsce in the Compromise; ior
granting that il be Objectionable as alleged, stt
the Objectionable parts are irrepealaole, and mat
which is good only remains under the oonTol OF
Con gress. California is sovereign state, ana
| cannot be remanded. The boundary OF lexas was
settled by compact and cannot be disturbed Inc
Territorial bills for Utah and New Mexico includc
an express guarantee that tho people OF those ier-
ritories shall regulate their own concerns IN theiT
own manner. There is nothing open Tor agliation
bat the Fugitive Slave law, and the law to aoolsh
the slave trade in this District Them let me ASK
what possblc objection southern man can nave 10
bis resoluton 1nlces ho desires the repeal of the
Fugitive Slave bill and the destruction OF Tue UoV-
| crnmentr
did not vote for the abolition of the slave trade
in the District of Columbia. thought u wrong
| for Congress 10 meddle with II. ] think IT wrong
now But would not To-day vote 10 repeal IT. IL
ia one Of the series of meesures upon whlcn We rey
for a settlement OF the difficulties which existed
| between lhe North and the South; and however
wrong | might believe il TO be, still, as settle
ment intend to abide by Moreover, il pre-
ciscy one Of those cases which may with pecullar
propriety be lett 10 the decision OF the Supreme
| Court 1t can be determined there without hgita-
| tion--wihout stirring up the embers ol stcuohal
strife; and 20 that tribunal propose 70 Ifafe ~
While upon this subject, let me remark that inns
bill seems 20 have been strangely Inlsunoerstood.
Il is nothing new in tho Legislation Of Congress IL
has been the law of the District Tor hity years ex-
| cept as TO the States of Virginia and Maryland.
After Virginia received back her portion oi inc
District il applied also to her. Ali the last Con-
gross did was TO make 1t apply also to hary yiahd'
do not mean, OF course, TO say that these arc the
words Of the bill but that such Is It's only en,ct
The citizens Of North Carolina, South Carolnh,
and other States, have been denied the rght oil
brin ging slaves into this District for sale ever SINCE
the year 1901; and throughout that long Perleu VIC
! have heard no murmer OF compliant. IL is 100
| late now to seize upon IT as an excuse LOT nSl'a-
| ton
! The Senator from South Carolina did not content
himself with complaints upon the subject Oh slhVery
| alone He reviewed the financial policy OF thc
country aud found oppression ana robbery even
in the tariff Of 1876. Now, cir, have Always un- r
|
| IL has been standing charge against the Democ-
racy in certain quarters that by that act we reduced
| the rate of duties too much The Senator hihscli
wns then "A member of the 3ousco RepTesentatYcs,
and voted for it, By reference 20 the journal, hnd
that the whole South Carolina delegation voted
with him. If, therefore, il be unjust aud unequal
in its opera tions, that Senator hns much to answer
for He ia the last man who should attempt 10 c1-
! cite prejudice against it, Above all he should nave
reiraned from referring to bis own act as case OF
| northern robbery.
| come now, sir, 70 that part of the Senator's
discourse which referred 20 the doctrine OF scces'
sion The chief part of his labor seems 10 have
been directed to the end Of establishing that every
State has the separac right of pehceablc secession
certainly never expected to inquire IN my pace
here how far pOssess the miserable rlght 10
tear asundcr all the ties Of affection and kindred,
20 trample under foot all the glorious memories OF
the past and blot out forever the hopes OF the iu-
ture. What is there in the POSSESSION OF such
right that the mind should dwell upon with exuita-
ton y Why should we hoard IT rs treasure;
Why cling to il as the aIk OF our snivatlon Sir,
if it be political ark, it lie an ark oi sorrow ana
mourning as well os oi safety ii whch the rams
come, and the tempest is abroad IN It's might, 1t
shall indeed bear up on the bo5)In ol the angry
waves, il will surely deposlt US, when the waters
have subsidized upon desolate worin' IN "hlon no
dove will be able to lind single green piancn 10
cheer the hearts OF the wanderers. nave listened,
not for the first time. to k'bored efforts to es
tablish this right OF self destruction. have heard
it derived sometimes from one source ana some
times from another; ond propose TO examine at
some length the arguments by which II Is SuS-
tanned II is said to be reseyrtd right; and GER
tain resolutions passed by Virginia and New York
are instauced evidence Of the fact In the first
place, the reservations made by Virginia and New
York amounted 10 nothing more than was after
wards obtained by the adoption of the tenth amend
ment TO the Constitution; and secondly, the argu-
Inent prov, too much il it proves any thing. IL
any reservation wac made, II was because without
that reservation the right could not exit. Vir-
C,nia and New York could make reservation
Tor other States. South Carolina made none for
herself and is not entitled to the benefit OF that
made By others. Il foilowP, then, that by the act
ut reservation, New York aud Virginia have
cured 20 Themselves rights which other States
possess; and as that s impossible under our Con
stitution-al the States being equal-tho absurdity
Of any reservation Of the right OF secession, any
other right, becomes mt once apparent. The truth
is ihat no reservation made; and II ii had been,
il would, in the language of Mr. Madison, have
been nullity merely. The Constitution not
submitted 20 the States for adoption 10y parts-they