Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-20
CONNECTICUT ON THE NEBRASKA BILL.
SPEECH OF HON. Mr.. GILLETTE. OF CONN
Ia he Senate, Juls 8, 1854.


! ask that they may be read, laid upon the
table, and printed.
The Secretary read the resolutions, and the
Senate was addressed by MIR. ToucEY.
Mr.. GILLETTE. Mr. President | feel deep
ly embarrassed in appearing before the Senate
in position of unavoidable antagonism to my
honorable colleague but under sense OF duty
to the State which have the honor in part
to represent, | must ask the indulgence of the
Senate few moments, while | notice some Of
the remarks which have fallen from his lips
on this occasion. As antipodal as are our re-
spective positions on the great question of the
age and country, trust that, for the honor OF
our common State and the dignity of the SEN
ate, we may always be on terms of kindly In
tercourse do not intend, on account of any
contrariety OF opinions, to become unmindful
of the courtesies and proprietios which appro-
priately belong to Senatorial no lees than to
civilized life.
do not rise, sir, with any wish or intention
Of invalidating anything that my honorable
colleague has offered, any further than he has
implicated others in his defence So far from
il, am willing, nay, desirous, that he should
have the full benefit Of all he can say, legiti-
mately in extcnuation Of bis course. have
no heart to aggrayate, by any word or deed of
mine, the endorsements Of his position; and
had he conducted his defence without assail-
ing the honor Of our common State, which, it
seems TO me, we are alike interested to preserve
and defend, should have been silent.
But, sir, feel that the character Of the State
of Connections is deeply involved, and should
be false to my convictions of duty and derelict
to that good old Commonwealth, If should sit
mute and passive when her honor il assaulted
that State which stood second only to Massa-
chusetts in the revolutionary s.ruggle-that
State whose history is radiant with go many
ilustrious names, and which has been human
hive, sending forth swarms Of her adventurous
and cultivated children, to lay the social found
ations of new regions, and mould their insti-
buttons by education, virtue, and freedom-that
State, of which the great historian, Bancroft,
a citizen Of Massachusetts has said:
"There is no State in the Union, and know
not any in the world, in whose early history,
if were citizen, could find more of which
to be proud and less that | should wish to
blotO
That State, sir, to which the late Mr.. Cal.
houn, in a speech delivered on this floor, IN
February 1847, said, with magnanimity
worthy of his great name:
at is owing mainly to the States of Connec-
ticut and New Jersey, that we have o Federal
instead of National Govcrnment-the best
Government instead Of the worst and most In
tolerable on earth. Who are the men OF these
States to whom we are indebted for this excel
lent form of Government? will name them
their names ought to be written on brass, and
live forever. They were Chief Justice Ellsworth
and Roger Sherman, of Connecticut, and Judge
Patterson, of New Jersey. The other States
forther south were blind they did not see the
d. ha nd TN nj
these three men, aided by few others not 80
prominent, do we owe the present Constitu-
ticn'
You will excuse me then sir, for indulging
little State pride, and feeling somewhat SEN
sitiye when the honor of that State is assailed.
shall detain the Senate but q few moments.
| shall not enter into abstract questions, or
indulge in pettifogging subtctics; but shall
only attempt to disabuse the character OF the
State of the aspersions which have been cast
upon il, that it may shine forth in its native
efsgence.
Il may not be Improbable, in the first place,
to inquire what is the cause OF the disagree
ment between my honorable colleague and the
State which we represent? Why has this IN
happy difference, to use no stronger term,
arisen between sovereign State and one of
its representatives on this foorl 1t is one of
the bitter fruits of the latest great peace meas
ure which was to settle all agitation for all
time in this country. 1t had its origin in the
overthrow of the Missouri Compromise. This
is the pestilent box out of which it sprang i
will state the facts as briefly as possible in ro-
lation to this matter.
The proposition to violate the public faith
by the abrogation Of that Compromise, thus
breaking down the last barrier against slavery
to all the Territories OF the United States, and
leaving them wide open to its dark inunda-
tions Territories which had been declared
forever free by what was considered, at the
time. to he solemn and irrepealable compact
startled the good people Of Connecticut from
their slumbers, and rallied them to the polls at
their late State election in April, and the bal
lot boxes rang out their indignant "NoD This
was the great issue in that election, and never
was there q political revolution in any State
more complete and signal. IL was attended
with no storm Of popular excitement II was
conducted with remarkable moderation and
calmness Hardly leaf trembled in the
breeze. 1t was the natural, spontaneous up
rising Of the people, to avert great impending
calamity, and save themselves and their coun-
try from its disastrous consequences. Outside
of the pale Of the Governmental officials, there
was narcIy voice OF ulesenb, Inc result ST,
was what we should naturally expect Both
branches of the Legislature were overwhelm-
ingly opposed to the odious measure Soon
after converting, early in the month Of May,
the subject was brought up, and resolutions
presented, declaring it to be violative Of the
public faith, destructive Of mutual confidence,
subyersive Of the fundamental principles Of
natural Justice and threatening the stability
Of this Government; and they instructed their
Senator'S and earnestly requested their Repre-
sentatiycs to oppose it by all honorable means,
and to the last extremity. These resolutions
passed the House by vote Of nearly three to
one, and in the Senate with only single mega
tive.
Now, submit to the consideration Of honor
able Senators, whether there was ever fairer,
fuller more explicit and authoritative expires.
sion Of the popular sentiment Of any State, any
where, at any time, on any question The
r g.. H. &c IL