North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-01-25
REMARKS OF Mr.. THORNTON,
or wAuprN


OF WARREN,
Delivered in the House of Commons, in Committee
of the Whole, on the Slavery Resolutions.
MIR. Thornton said Unwilling as am, MI Cnar,
man, to prolong this discussion, and anxious as l
know many gentlemen are to bring this debate to
close, still must ask the indulgence OF the Com
mitlee for short time. The only apology Will OF
fer and the only claim to your afternoon VIII make,
is the Lomise that nv remarks shall be very brief.
Mr.. Chairman, with the distinguished gentleman
from Hartford, consider the question now before the
House, the interesting one 10 the people OF our
State that has been contemplated ana tnis Leg
isIatnre will doubtless reflect upon it with degree
of consideration commensurate with its gravity, and
political hearing upon the welfare of the State In
the few remarks design making l shall say nothing
concerning the admission of California into the Union;
neither shall speak of the organization of Terrific
rial Governments for Utah and New Mexico, nor of
the bill concerning the Texas boundary line, nor of
the act for the suppression of the savetade in the
District of Columbia, much condemn that act !;
but shall conne my remarks to that single act in the
compromise which more Immediately concerns nv
constituents. ! regard the fugitive-slave law the
bond of peace between the North and South. Let
that bond be broken, and every person that
a dissolution of this Union will inevitably ensue. No
man believes, if the fugiIive-slave law is repealed,
or if its execution be resisted nullied, that this
Union can be longer held together. We demand
the execution of that law Internationally. Shall
hermit band of fanatics-of designing factionists
TO outrage Southern citizens in the pursuit of their
lawful purposes! TO call these agitators fanatics,
is to honor them. They the worst foes liberty
and 20 the hopes of man. Even Arnold, villain as
he was, was a better than the Northern Adolf
tionists. While he sought to betray his country, he
professed be his frisnds but the Northern
Abolitionst would not only betray his country, but
he would put the knife to the threats of all.
Have we not already been told. Mr.. Chairman,
during the present short session of Congress, that
the freemen of the North will resist the execution of
the fugitiveslave law to the death-that it requires
them to do than murder? Is the onward move
do 1rrhf
er to be stayed Ii it is, it is high time that
ures of resistance put in progress. say MOTH
ing of the action of the Vermont Legislature, we'll
calculated arouse the apprehensions and the feel
ngs of the South. say nothing of the action OF the
Ohio Legislature, to which ausion was made by the
distinguished gentleman from Wake, whose Speech
l listened to not only with attention, but with much
satisfaction. But l will say that fearful crisis in
the history of this country has arrived-that thick
and dark clouds gathering around US, and that
nothing, fear, will save US from the calamltles OF
dissolution but the interposition of an overruling
Providence. For the sake of continued peace and
the Union, forth Carolina is willing to acquesce in
the action of the last Congress this question. There
small portion of the State, MIR. Speaker, about
which speak with confidence. feel safe in say
ing-I feel fully authorized in saying to you, that
ninety mine out of one hundred of those whose Rep
resentative am in part this floor willing, for
the sake of peace and the Union, to abide by the
of adjustment passed at the last session OF
Congress but should the North, for the future,
fuse keep the taith-refuse to do US justice, then
that small but gallant portion of your State Will be
prepared only for stringent but extreme measures.
In my humble opinion this Legislature, representing
it does the sovereignty OF the State, should say to
the North in the most emphatic tarms-ln the clear
est and most unequivocal language, that North Car
DINA will regard the repeal of the fugve-save law
as a dissolution of the Union. If that law be
pealed-and one doubts but that desperate efforts
will be made either at the present some subsequent
session of Congress to repeal 1.-THE South will re-
cor tn ms las deem
security and her own defence, call those means
by what name you please. We have already made
great concessions for the preservation of the Union.
In the hope of preserving the Union we are willing
10 abide by these concessions but let no one Imagine
that the South will support the Union when the Con-
sttution is disregarded and tramped under foot Let
the North respect rights, and We will support and
defend the Union let the North disregard our rights,
and we will defend them out of the Union. This
whole controversy between the North and the South
has down to this single, this narrow issue; and
the solemn responsibility of the decision OF that issue
upon the Northern States. If dissolution of
the Union takes place, it will be the act OF the nom
slaveholding States, and not act. y the hands
of the Northern States is the destiny of mis- country
placed-upon them let the responsibility of Destroy
ing this happy Union rest, around which cluster our
brightest hopes and warmest affections. Sir, upon
this grave and momentous question desire to speak
and clearly define my position. l am in favor
of the fugitiveslave law in all its parts and go so
far as to say that its direct repeal by Congress, or its
it out, in preventing it from being carried out,
would Justify North Carolina in seeding from the
Union. | 90 further and say, that II necessity re-
quires it, for enforcing the provisions of that law
at the point of the bayonet.
Sir, hold the Federal Government to be the result
of compact entered into between sovereign and In
dependent States; and all powers not delegated In the
Constitution of the United States, reserved to the
States the people thereof. Among these reserved
rights is the nestmabe of watching over the OPP
eatons of the Federal Government and of protecting
the people of the States from oppressive and uncon-
stutional legslation-a right which North Carolina
has never surrendered. am not in favor of exerci-
sing this time the right of secession-l only assert
that it is right which the States would exercise If
found essential to TIE preservation of their liberties or
the property of their citizens.
1t will be remembered, Mr.. Chairman, that in the
of the eloquent remarks of the gentleman from
Cumberland, he read extracts from letter written
by Mr.. Macon to Mr.. S. P. Carson, and for which,
in the name and in behalf of my constituents, now
offer that gentleman my hearty thanks. Sir, this is
the language of Nathaniel Macon on the doctrine OF
secession-of Macon, whose name is dear to the
people of Warren, and who was regarded by Them as
one of the purest and wsest of men:
IL have believed that State could nulllty
and remain in the Union, but have always believed
that State might secede when she pleased, provl-
ded that she would pay her proportion OF the public
debt, and this right have considered the best guard
to public liberty and 10 public justice that could be
desired and it ought to have prevented what Is now
felt in the South-oppression
The Proclamation contains principles as contrary TO
,Uha the Constitutions Nullihcatlon 1t Is The
great OF the administration, which, except that
las been satisfactory in high degree to the people
who elected the President. When confederacles be-
gin fight, liberty is lost, and the Government
as SOON changed. Government of opinion, estab-
shed by sovereign States, for special purposes can