The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-06-22
SPEECH OF HON. ]. p. COOK.
.coNCLupEp.l

and while they may think II poiu one,
trust they will do me the justice to believe
that ! honestly entertain the sentiment
which am about to express. So tar as have
heard an opinion expressed, II is conceded
that the climate of Nebraska and Kansas
will not admit OF the Introduction OF slave
labor that selt.interest will prevent slave
owners from transferring their property to
an Improbable region hence il is not pro-
posed that a slave State shall be carved out
OF this vast territory.
Southern gentlemen frankly and honestly
avow that this proposition to repeal or ab-
rogate comes not from them: that u is a
northern measure, presented by northern
man, and, as SUCH they can but accept the
boon. because it embodes the principle OF
non-interyention. Admit that the PROPOSE
ton comes from northern man, will You
not as frankly admit that the north does not
endorse the act Nay, do they not indig-
nantly deny the authority OF any northern
man to thus summarily dispose OF their
rights With great Difference to the opin-
ions Of others, submit, under the circum-
stances, whether it would not have been
the true policy of the South to have promptly
rejected any oyertures calculated 10 disturb
the good understanding and kindly feeling
existing between the two extremes Of this
Union Could you not have pointed to the
record of the past, and there shown that the
act OF 1920 was passed by southern votes,
and acquesced in BY the South as salts
factory settlement Could you not have
exclaimed, we thank you 70; the offer OF
the principle, but not for the shadow to
which you propose 70 apply t. In the elo-
quent language Of the gentleman from Lou
isiana, Mr.. Hunt you might well have
exclaimed:
What is here that ha. arisen to disturb this hafr,
confi,ions The questions in relation 70 slavery had
all been seit ed No acquisitions have since been
made openi,g new fields foi iaNer.s and strife
How comes it. ,hcn that the faith 81 the nation,
pledged the great conventions Of the people against
the agitation of the slavery question, sso iliie needed
fur- 2ten. or rspadtatedt An appeal Is m.in
10 in bsha southern honor from what Is emitted
a northern auarier. Whca did the South need such
prompting. Wa. not her honor safe in her Own hands,
in her Of honorable justice, and IN her own
ralan,r, True honor i. quick and sensitive; I, is
true 10 its holy Impulses; II obeys It's own IN
stincs: it allows NO ieta'ion; Il purns the meeksrs
OF MI unauthorized boon. How Is II that the ehivalrc
of arnlna did not step forward To propose
the setting aside Of the Missouri Compromise How
hath Saan, spirits q ne other sonihe, States
famous IN council and in arms, have slep. over
their rights be aroused from their siainbers hy the
scntsrian yaiee OF y leader from eh"ld,n=
Stat. These sign fcant questions. aud the an
swet 10 them Is clear. Southern honor rc>sd upon
southern faith-urnn southern faith Pledgvf 10 The
Missouri Compromise: and now. rcIy upon the sober
second thought Of the south To maintain that faith, AMI
uphold that honor"
In this connection ! must not forget an
other very important advocate of the point
wish to present, for he is one who can
truly testify to things past; one who has
proven To the world his love of country. not
only on the field OF battle, but in the council
of State. alude to the distinguished SEN
ator from Texas, [Gen, Houston.l who thus
spoke to his brother Senators, and to the
country
The dan fear. must come in the progress Of on
euutr, though God fnrbii that iteSer -honid--1at
great trials and emergencies sii grow up between the
North and the ronh. The South Il in this minority.
She cannot be otherwise The laas If natnre and Of
progress have made her VI the Solh aeeede 10
the violation Of eluetaSt s,~Ssf-oh eetaseiis hen
they do not i .srs Il. II .oa take away the s.nctty
Of the frs, eomronist AFTER The formation Of the Con.
stituton why mol take ava. the last; and II others
should up Why not sweep all compromises from,
your sttutes, and iron the policy of the country
II YOU disregard one. aud treat with ieNity impair
lis Importance md it, weight in the public minJ sou
prepare The way for disregard OF ALL II You regard
IT as sacred instrument, one 10 he scAtned ana ad
hered TO- YOU viii lind at H., benefits ia inurc
YOU. Il If YOU tear il Up and scatter il 10 the ins.
rou will reap the whriw YOU will los. III. benefit
of compasts. SIR most f,rscnts and dtyoBty trust
that the Missouri Compounds may remain. If the
South is 10 get nothing 10y rep.a; but
has araandeaR. Its ane,i,e yrstuity which
will be " no benefit 4, her .
Mr.. Chairman, had one-half Of the
southern delegation in this Congress came
forward in the same spirit Of national pa
triotism, in the same eloquent strains Of
warning, aud side by side with the southern
gentleman from whose speeches read,
bodily responded TO this northern agitation
in the same manner, undertake 10 say that
ii would have done more TO cement the in
terest aud good feeling between the North
and South than any offer that southern gen-
ticmen could lay upon the altar of their
country, with view Of making Us one and
inseparabe, nov ard forever. Then would
YOU have witnessed a continuance Of that
confidence inspired by the Compromise acts
Of 1850, and 50 ably sustained by the wise
and truly national administration of Presi-
dent Fillmore. Then, indeed, could we
point to all the compromises of the past as
sacred things and should some . agitator''
( propose the repeal of the Fugitive Slave
law. or any other act that had.~etted con-
troversies, you would not have found ..cor-
poral's guard" upon this floor to aid in fan
ming the flame. Then, sir, you would have
found all good men side by side with my
friend from Missouri, Mr., CARuTHERs,l in
their abiding confidence and love for the
North and the South, and like him, when
we saw the surface of our deep affections
for these States rufflgd upon the surface, we
would yet contide in the depth Of that love.
and rejoice that the Llliputian waves would
spend their force
s. On stern and rock bound coast.
Then, sir, dist, nguished son of the West
would not have had cause to inquire of his
brother Democrat
~, part! 10 b. again divided aud rent asundcr
upon th $ yesed question OF slavery -
This interrogatory ! extract from letter
written by an Illinois Senator, upon the
Nebraska question. II were to answer it
with the lights now before me, should be
compelled to respond in the affirmative.
Why, sir, one of the prominent actors at
the late session Of the Illinois Legislature,
who, under the influence OF q whip and spur
was induced to 20 for the Nebraska Kansas
resolutions" in that body--an ex-governor
at that-went home 10 his constituents,
aeknow lodged lis error, bowed 10 public l.
dignation, and like school-boy after se-
we're thrashing, promised "never to do it
again" Even the Democracy Of New
Hampshire have had touch of the Tyler
GRIPPE" and were aren't asunder upon this
vexed question - while old Connecticut
Judging from the result Of her late election
has not :" Nebraska Democrats" enough left