The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-12

strangers 10 each other, will lay the foundation
stones Of governmental policy wisely or well But,
above all, must we take these to be our Daniels, to
sit in judgment on the Constitution think not.
But, Mr.. Chairman, have heard Of the division
Of California-the project Of bringing the southern
half INTO the Union as a slave State. Now, put
1t to my Whig-my Democratic friends--all sup
porters Of the Compromise here--should either of
our Baltimore Conventions, yielding to Southern
pressure, declare in favor of such a movement,
would you feel yourselves bound to give in your
adhesion 10 the measurei The North certainly
would not; no sHcers friend of the Compromise
in the South could do it. The repeal of the Fug-
! tive Slave lazy would not be more palpabe and
flagrant violation of the Compromise than that
The admission of California as a free State, with
her prescribed boundaries. was an essential part of
4 the Compromise, Should she now make herself Il
slave state, it would be clear violation Of the
spirit Of the Compromise Should one half or any
part of the present Stale at any time hereafter, be
converted into a slave State and be so admitted
into the Union, it would be gross violation of the
letter Of the Compromise. We do not suppose that
| any trick or circumventon in this behalf was in
tended or thought ofby Southern gentlemen. And
we say to thcn that we expect them also TO abide
| by the Compromise in good faith, and we of the
| North expect to do the same
Let the whole matter rest as originally adjusted
after such a protracted, agonizlng, and frghtf'u
struggle, until all our people become cool and har-
/ y,
with chafed feelings, but as brothers counseling
for the common good The sooner this happy day
shah come, the better 1t will be for all. For | am
quite sure there defects in this adjustment, the
remedy for which neither party could now main
tam liz self respect in asking at the hands of the
other. My opinion is, that our Southern brethren
Will ask some modification or amendment of the
Fugitive Slave law, full as soon as the North will
insist upon il. Good neg ghborhood is often found
very convenient, when, peradventure, the day be-
| fore, we deemed ourselves independent. g Ii is
pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity''
Mr.. Chairman, for what purpose do the Wings
/ need National Convention; Where is the gem
tcman Of that party ywho will confess that he needs
Il TO inform him what his politics ares To make
! HIM PLATFORM, masmuch as he has not got
| any, never had any, and does not belong TO a
| party that ever had any, Sir, when hear pro-
tessor of the Christian religion confess that, he
| needs conference or a synod to make him
BIBLE, inasmuch as he has not got any, never had
any, and does not belong TO sect that ever had
| any, and can be brought 10 understand what that
| pious man means-then ! may be able TO appreci-
ate the fororn and destitute condition Of my good
brother Until some such time Il shall despair Of
mlnisterng TO him any consolation.
| Will any Wing say that he needs 4 convention
| 10 inform him what manner Of man either Scott,
| Fillmore, or Webster Isl Sir, | never heard the
question asked after the nomination for the Pres-
dency, who the candidate was, but once, And
then, after the first few days of his candidacy, il
was never asked by his friends, but always by his
| opponents And they had significant way of put
ting the question: that seemed 10 be wlthcrlng every
hope of the nominee and his friends, until in an
evil hour, his iustrous competitor, whose history
was as familiar TO his countrymen as their house
| hold gods, and whose fame filled the world, was
induced 10 write another letter, and then he fell as
did the charoeer of the sum- when Jupiter struck
hIm down with his bolt
4 En- nd 1
say the world knows their history 10y heart: As
| Wings, nobody assumes TO question either OF
| thenl--thay without guile. And as Union
mcn-nien who will, IN good faith, abide by the
Compromise and promptly execute every law Of
| the land, may they not be trusted, whatever the
| crisis or the peril; Webster's name has almost
become another for the Constitution and the Union
That Fillmore is true, and may be trusted, all agree
And, where IS the press, the pen, or politician, IN
| all this broad land that has assumed to question
tho soundness Of Scott Sir, did We not all know
how he brought tho great energies of his character
his clear head signal discretion, and powerful in
| iueucc, all into eager action 10 secure this ADJUST
| ment, without which the wiscst apprehended n
bloody civil war, the dissolution of the Union
| Did we not all know this, ! say, the positive de-
| claratIons Of the honorable gentlemen from Florida
and North Carolina, (AlcsSrs. CABELL and STANLY, J
on this floor, and before the country, would settle
that question and leave for cavil. Sir, with
Il
record IN this behalf IN former years-ihe consum-
mate paehcator, TO whom the Administration and
| all the people looked-and not IN yan-to soothe
| and settle the notification difficulty Of 1892 and
subsequently the Patriot diiiicutcs, when our whole
Canada frontier was On amcs because of the burn
ing Of the - Caroline, !" and tie murder Of our cili-
zens by British soldiers within our own waters
may not he, too, bc trusted' Will not he execute
| the laws who, with brave heart, strong hand, and
un1inchng purpose, Al the call and bidding Of bis
country, has perlled ie a thousand times received
tic bullets of his couniry's enemies IN his person,
and charged OF 10 tho muzzcs of their artillery
Docs he not lOyc--W not he defend that Union
whose eagle he has cherished, aud whose banner
be- has proudly borne al0ft ~ sunshine and IN storm
for nearly half a century, lie who has executed
every trust copfdcd 10 him, the most hazardous in
war, the most delicate and difficult ~ peace so
promptly, discrecty, siully, 10 have finally clio
tied the universal praise Of his own countrymen and
the admiration of the wor!d-may still be trusted
But is he now TO bc asked for pledges that he
will not belle the consistent yet brilliant history Of
his whole life Should hc now, with a view to the
Presidency, sioop 60 allow himself TO be cat
echiscd by, or make pledges TO. any individual or
onycniion--unbounded as is my trust IN him, IL
would then be most ameniably shaken But he
who scorned the prciicrcd gold ard sccpirc Of on
empire PROSTATE Al his feet, by his own prowcss
will neither betrny his own,cOuniry, nor crook his
knee to attain her highest honors.
But why are written pledges desired from uni
form, consistent, aud honorable Wing candidate
for the Presidency Is that he may he induced,
caiolcd, or draeopncd INTO The prostitution Of Tx
ccutnc power and patronage. to influence the free
action of Congress either for " against measure
further than o. give information of tc state Of the
Union, and recommend to their consideration such
measures he shall Judge ncecss ny and expcdi-
cnti" II that kud Of service bo required Of him.
and hc should bc base enough 20 perform il, thea
he would no longer bc a wmc. Is II thai be- may
be called upon and required 20 override and de-
nolsh the cunsidcrate legislation Il Congress by
the force of the Executive ,rro ~ measures Of
mere eNpcdicncy' II u bc, ard should b. DO that
which kings now scarcely dare, then again would
be bc no Wmc.
Mr.. Chairman, am Just W receipt of a letter
from one of the mos, prominent and intelligent
Wings ia my State and though private conmu-
nication, shall avail myself u paragraph in this
connexion. lie says
What do these men want Du not they know
that tho slavery question dead N the North, un-
less they agiiaie It' DO not they know that Old
Lsndy's Lane cannot bc forced into gyiue a
pledge 70 veto ony act of Congress on grounds u
cXpcdicucy, even should that al hc M amendment
OF the Fug,,iye Slave Law They ought - know
that suci a pledge would destroy him IN the North
ard nu,onts fFuc Whtsq very h.rr Me- r-4r,,f