The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-06-19

thls day, Shall be wlthholden from you or
your children, or your neighbors, or the
whole world. Because | speak so before
you and my country, and, if it is not too
solemn to say 50, before God himself, the
great author Of justice.
Gentlemen, there is but ono question in
this country now, or if there be others, the
others are but secondary, or SO subordinate,
that they arc all absorbed in that great and
leading question; and that is neithor more
nor less than this: that we can preserve
the Union Of the States, not by coercion
not by military power--not by angry con-
troversies. But can we Of this generation,
you and ], your friends and my friends,
can we SO preserve the Union Of the Uni
ted States by the administration Of the
powers Of the Constitution, as shall give
content and satisfaction TO all who live un
der it, and draw Us together, not by militia.
ry power, but by the sIken cords Of mutual,
fraternal. patriotic affection? That is the
question, and 90 other. Gentlemen, be-
lieve in party distinctions. ] am party
man. There are questions belonging to
party in which am concerned and there
arc opinions entertained by other parties
which | repudiatc; but what Of that? III
house bo divided against itself, it will fall
and crush everybody in it. We must see
that we maintain the government over US.
We must see that we uphold the Consttu
tion, and VIC must do SO without regard to
party. Now, how did this question arise?
The question is forever misstated. ! dare
say if you know much Of me, or Of my
course Of public conduct for the last four
teen months, you have heard Of my attend
ing Union meetings, and Of my forvent
ct Union meetings. Well,
what was the object Of that? What was
the purpose Of that? The object and pur-
pose were dcsignedy or though.lossly mis-
represented. | had an invitation TO go to
a Union meeting in the county Of West
chester; could not 60, but wrote let
ter. Well, some wise man Of the East said
no did not think it was very necessary to
hold Union meetings. He did not think
there were many disunionists about Tar
rytown. And so here, and in overy part
of New York there is total misapprehen-
sion Of the purpose and object Of these I'm
ion meetings. Every one knows there is
not county, Or city, or hamlet in the
State Of New York, that is ready to go out
of the Union. There is no man so insan
in the whole State, outside lunatic nsy
lam, as to wish it. But that is not il. We
all know that every man aud every neigh
borhood, and all corporations, in the State
Of New York, are attached to the Union,
and have no idea of withdrawing from il.
But that ia not The point-that is not the
point.
The question, fellow-citizens land put
it to you now as the real question-the
question is, whether you and the rest Of
the people Of the great State Of New York,
and Of all Of the States, will SO administer
the Constitution-will SO enact and main
tain laws to preserve that instrument, that
you will not only remain in the Union
yourselves, bu, permit your brethren to re-
main ia it aud carry it on? That is the
question. Will you concur in measures
necessary TO maintain the Union? or will
you oppose such measures? That is the
whole point Of the case. You have thirty
or forty members of Congress from New
York-you have your proportion in the
United States Senate. We have many
members Of Congress from New England.
Well, they maintain the laws that are pass
ed for the administration Of the Constitu-
,ion, and respect the rights Of the South,
so that the Union may be held together;
and not only that we may not 60 out OF ii
ourselves, which We are not inclined TO do,
but that by ascertaining and maintaining
the rights of others, they may also remain
in tho Union. Now, gentlemen, permit
mo to say that speak Of no concessions.
If the South wish any concession from me,
they won't get it not hairs breadth oft.
II they come to my house for it, they will
not find il if they do. conccdo nothing
But | say that will maintain for them, as
| will maintain for you, to the utmost ofmy
power, and in the face Of all danger. thoir
rights under tho Constitution, and your
rights under the Constitution. (Cries Of
"Good, Good,n &c.) And God forsakc me
and my children, i'll ever be found to falter
in ono or the other. tremendous np-
plause.)
II is obvious to overy one, and we all
know it, that tho origin ofthe great disturb
ance which agitates the country, Is the ex
istence of slavery in some OF the States;
but we mus, meet III we must consider T.;
we must deal with il, earnestly, honestly,
and Justly. From tho mouth Of the ST..
Johns to tho confines Of Florida, there ex-
listed in the year Of grace seventeen hun
dred and seventy five, thirteen colonies, OF
English origin, planted at different times.
and coming from different parts Of England,
bringing with them various habits, and es-
tablishing, each for itself, institutions en-
tircly variant from the institutions which
they left. Bat they were Of English ori-
gin. The English language was theirs;
Shakespeare and Milton were theirs; and
the Christian religion was theirs, and those
things constituted them together. The ag-
gressions Of the parent State compelled
them to set up for independence. They
declared independence, and that immortal
act, pronounced on the fourth Of July sew
enteen hundred and seyenty-six, made
them independent. That was an act Of
Union by the United States in Congress