Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-06-12


to the country by the Constitution under which
we live, and have no great opinion Of that iber-
ty which goes over the restraints of law or Of the
| Constitution. hold the Constitution of the Uni
ted States to be the bulwark, the only bulwark of
our liberties, and our national character. don't
mean you should become slaves under the Consti-
! tuition. That is not American liberty. That is
not the liberty of the Union for which our fathers
fought-that liberty which has given 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 Western
! New York-as much as 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, Won must not expect from me the
slightest variation, even Of hairs breadth, from
the Constitution of the United States (Cries of
''good good, goodv') l am Northern man.
was born at the North-educated at the North
have lived all my days at the North. l know
! five hundred Northern men to one Southern man.
My sympathies-my love Of liberty for all man.
kind, of every color, are the same as yours NV
affection and hopes in that respect are exactly
like yours | wish to see all men free--all men
happy. have no associations out of the North
ern States, my people are your people, and vet
am told sometimes that am not liberty man,
because am not Free Soil man. (Sensltioa)
What an, L? What was l ever? What shall
be hereafter. if would sacrifice, for any con-
has glcwed in my breast since my infancy, and
which hope will never leave me till expire?-
(Applause.) -...m
Gentlemen, regret extremely that slavery exists
in the Southern States, and that Congress has not
power to act upon it. But it may be in the dis
pensation of Providence some remedy may be
found for it. But in the meantime, hold on to
the Constitution of the United States, and you
need never to expect from me- under any circilm-
stances, that shall faer from it: that shall be
otherwise than frank and decisive. would not
part with my character. as man of firmness 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 affec-
! ions, nv children, my hopes and everything are
with the North. Bat, when | stand up before
my country, as one appointed to administer the
Constitution Of the country, by the blessing of
God, win be just. (Great appause.)
Gentlemen expect to be hbeled and abused.
Ies Hbeled and abused. But it don't disturb me.
! have not lost nj gifts sleep for great many
years. | have some talent for sleeping. (Laugh-
ter.) And WHY should we not expect to be L.
beled? Is not the Constitution of the United
States hbelcd and abused? Don't some people
call it the production Of hell? Is not Washing
ton libcllei and abused? Is he not called blood
hound on the track Of the African negro? Are
not olr fathers lbeiled abused BY their own chill
| dren2 Aud ungrateful children they are-and
false. (Laaghter.) How then, shall escape,
but knowing these things, impute no bad mo-
tives to any one. The great settlement measures
OF the last Congress are laws, many respectable
: men. representatives from your State ami frora
r.her States DID not concur in. | don't imp Ite
any bad motive to them am ready 10 believe
! they are American all. Tnev may not have
thought them necessary; they may have thought
these laws would be passed without their con-
+ currence. LIT all that pass away. IL they are
| now men who VIII stand b. what is done. and
stand mp for their country, and that these
| laws were passed by majority Of the whole
! country, and we must stand by them then | VIII
respect them all as friends. Now gentlemen, al
low r. 10 ask OF Won to-day. what do you think
woaid have been the condition OF the country
a this time, in yoir judgement-.f these laws
had not been passed BY the last Congress il the
question of the Texas boundary had not been
settled, New Mexico and Utah had been left as
! desert places, and no government hid been pro-
vded for them, and if the other great question to
in the restoration of fugitives had not been set
lied? I ask what would have been the state Of
this county now? -.-..--.. r.
Yon men Of Erie county, You men of New
York, I coniare You tc 90 home tonight and med
itate on this subject. What would have been the
state Of this country, now, at TINS moment, II
these laws had not been passed? have gwen
nv op!nica that we should have had u civil war.
| refer it to yeu, therefore. for yoar considera-
ton. Mediate Oh lido not be carried away BY
notions or ideas of metaphyslcs-think practical
Nv on the great question of what would have
been tn. condition of the United States at this
moment, if we had not settled these aritating
questions. have stated that, in nv op mon,
there would have been civil war. Gentlemen,
will you allow me for moment to advert to
| myself? have been long time in public life !;
of course not many years remain to me- At the
commencement of 1850, saw something Of the
condition of the country, and thought the inc
vitable consequence would be civil war. | saw
danger in leaving Utah and New Mexico with
out any government. prey to the power of Tex
as. saw this condition OF things arising from
the interference Of some Of the States in defeat
ing some of the operations of the Constitution in
respect to the restoration of fugitive slaves and.
gentlemen, l 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 list of 1i0 speeches which
had been made in Congress on the slavery question
..That is very large number, MY friend,H
said. ssbut how is thai? 20 s'Why, said he, ga
Northern man gets up and speaks with consider
able power and frenzy, until the Speakers ham
mer knocks him down then gets up Southern
man, and he speaks with more warmth. He is
nearer the liue, and he comes out against the
North. He speaks his hour and stops and so it
has gone on until have got lao speeches on nv
| lists '.Well,o said |, ''where are they?" s:lf
thu. speaker said he, twas Northern man, he
held sorth against slavery; ard if he was from
the Son.h, he abused the North and all those
speeches were sent by the members to their own
localities " here they the cause of the local
irritation which existed at the time. In this
way the other SIDE of the question was not heard
that is the way o. it. / thought that in this
state Of things, quiet was necessary. You can't
suppose that was indifferent TO the danger.
am Massachusetts, man, aid know what Massa-
chusetts used to be. | am Massachusetts, man.
Massachusetts has kept me great while in Con-
gress l will honor her. | respect her, and
mean to do so, so long as live. (Applause.)
Well, gentlemen, suppose that on that occasion
had taken different course from what did
If may allude to anything so insignificant as
mysef-suppose that On the 18th of March, in
stead of making speech that would reconcile
the country, had joined in the general clamor of
the party-suppose had said | viii have moth
inc to do with any accommodation--we will ad-
nit no satisfac ton--we will let Texas invade
New Mexico-we will leave New Mexico and
Utah to take care Of themselves, and we will
plant ourselves on the Wilmot Proviso, and let
the d. take the hindermost. Now, gentlemen
don't mean to saw that great consequence would
follow from that--5ut suppose had taken such
course? How could be blamed for it? Was
| not Massachusetts man? Did not know
Massachusetts, sentiments and preIudices? But
what Of that! | am an American! (Great ap-
plause.) was made q whole man BY God, and