The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-03-18

ing thew were several times introduced al
Springfield for the purpose OF drawing you
OUT
That is the explanation of the whole matter
Here was gentleman who imagined that the
, suspicion ofopposition to the compromise mlght
do me an injury. and being DESTROYS OF dong
me a favor, published an article, which never
, saw until many DAYS after it was published
; Just as was about leaving Springfield, 1t was
pointed out to me and Immediately SAID II
was wrong-that had not authorized 1t to be
E published, and that | regretted that 1t was
Now. sir will allude to another circumstance.
= The only article published by me while was
| in the State of Illinois is letter, to which my
1 name is signed published nothing anony-
r mously | deny not only that production, but
everything else that may be attributed to me
there | wrote, signed, and published letter
under my own signature That letter. which
, was addressed to Hon. T. F. Linden, member
of the House of Delegates. or Assembly, OF the
State of Illinois, went into calculation OF the
cost Of certain railroads, concluding by sum-
ming up what supposed to be the advantages
to the State of Illinois, from the construction
of the railroads then in contemplation: | then
added "that the advantages of works like these
are not confined to the State IN which they are
located. They are common to the country A
railroad connecting the basin OF the great lakes
with the Gulf of Mexico running from Chlca-
go TO Mobile, will do more to connect the Union
in enduring bands than all the windy decla-
nations of all the demagOgues that have spout
ed in legislative halls for the last eighteen
months"
} Now, would ask any man of any sense, who
will take that letter and read 1t, If he thinks
that the man who wrote it and signed his name
to it. and published it, was trying to pass him
self off there as a very heightened compromise
man! If there is a man who can believe that,
| will not argue with him. for he is beyond the
reach of argument. That is the position | stood
upon. did not argue the compromise mat
ters and even the latter sentence, probably, if
! had reflected upon it, should have thought
in bad taste and crossed it out | did not go
to Illinois to talk about the compromises. 1t
so happened that wrote the last sentences in
a hurry, and signed my name to it; very for
tunately for me, as it turns out for it shows
where stood then, when it did not occur to me
that was writing letter for such purpose
as it now answers
/ MIR DAVIS (interrupting) If the gentleman
, y% allow s % ",, S, ~, h" , Yves,
f%tAtNs's AoSA'-tso -tsNsall, SNtsS
ever stated anything inconsistent with the doc
trine of the letter of '3s. | ask him whether,
IN the election of l84S he did not make speeches
upon the stump, in which he supported the doc
trlne OF non-lnteryention
Mr.. RANToUL. | answer the gentleman dis
tnctly, that did not Now, if the gentleman
can prove to the contrary, he can have ample
! time, and will aid him in searching for ma
| tarIala | cuprnrtal . i.
/ IN good faith, and in various parts of the coun.
try, and did all could to bring about his cleo
ton. On most occasions made no illusions to
his Nicholson letter; but when | did allude to
it, upon very few occasions, | briefly expressed
my dissent from his conclusions that is all
did not make it prominent; and when thought
it was absolutely necessary to touch upon it, I
took care that my hearers should know whore
| | stood
Now, sir, am not going through this long
catalogue OF small matters because it is not
worth the time. The game is not worth the
powder. IT my reputation will not take care
of itself, it is not worth the trouble of being
taken care of | will risk it; and will leave
unanswered all the other matters which the
gentleman has alluded to, simply saying that
| if any statement would warrant the fair and
upon any of the questions to which the gentle
man has alluded, then that statement is false ;
that is all ! am not going into particulars
because there is beyond all these great ques-
tion question vastly more important to the
country, and to the world than the consistency
Of my colleague from the Sixth district Or my
self We are but insects which move about
upon the surface of this globe. But there are
great interests concerning ull humanity for all
future ages, that are agitating this nineteenth
| century, and which We as members of this Con-
gress, are bound to meet. IL is not for the North
it is not for the South, it is not for anv section of
this country. to rise up and talk loud and an
grily by way of quoting agitation. Agtating
speeches do not mend the matter No section
no great interest by thrusting it's head into the
sand like an ostrich dminishes the danger
; which it declines to look in the face. Here are
certain great interesting questions which must
have an issue somehow. How as yet, God only
knows but it is for us, as men, to look them
! IN the face and to determine what are the
, principles upon which they are to be settled
not to try to make each other angry. | do not
respect that man who tries to make me angry
when he should argue, because it puts an end
to all fair argument, all prospect of our coming
TO an understanding to the end of time But
let US, with common desire to see how these
questions may be met, mutually tolerate differ
! ences OF opinion, and allow every man to speak
out frankly what he believes, and then respect
him the more, the more frankly he expresses
his opinions. That is my feeling and / hope
will be met with the same feeling on the
part of others
} But, sir, before touch upon this, let me say
a word or two about this coalition in Massa-
chusetts, because the gentleman originally
flung his gauntlet down upon that matter. He
says 1T was corrupt coalition, Now. sir, in
Massachusetts there were, and have been for
many years three parties The law and Con.
stitution of the State of Massachusetts, REQUIRE
majority to elect to any Office No one OF
> the three parties was strong enough to estab
llsh Government One of two things was tc
D be done, then And ask this House, and every
man in it, which We should choose! Eithe,
there could be no Government for Massachu
sets, or else there must be a combination O
r two parties Which ought we. as patriots t,
( have done! Have no Government No. /
l we were to have Government combination
was to have been made somewhere Three co
b. alltions were possible: Wings and Free-Soiers
Q Wings and Democrats, Democrats and Free
. Sellers. There can he no other Which doe
the gentleman prefer That Is quite plain
: The House may see where the shoe pinches
: The gentleman and his patriotic friends who's
! souls sicken at thought of the new coalition
$ had made combination between Wings an,
= Abolitonsts and had controlled the State b.
: that means. ] understand Wing ethics, an,
| the ruling princip. u, what puts us IN is right
8 what puts us out Is wrong. Now, these yer
: same gentlemen, who formed a coalition, an
g carried it out for eighteen years, all. eat one
, saw themselves elected from power Oh, it
: horrible, it is corrupt, it is infamous, The
8 blush for their own State when they find othe
1 men doing, for good and patriotic reasons, tina
4 which they have done for no reason at ALL e1
|, cant m share the snoils of office and 10 carr