Washington sentinel., 1855-03-14

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section of the country towards another, will
yield the point But, sir, l do deprecate
tins ott-hand manner of speaking which is cal.
culated to bring into the discussion the names
OF individuals who do not desire to enter into
1t. say 1t is wrong. have endeavored to
restrain my feelings about it; but, / say, if it
IS the determination of this class Of politicians
to bring this country into confusion, to create
excitement, to produce the dissolution of the
Union, let them come out and state so man
fully; let them not avoid the point at issue.
am lover Of this Union but l, for one, seek
10 have no alliance with class of men, or of
politicians, who do not desire to associate with
me in preserving this Union.
Sir, my whole life is weH understood; my
whole course. has been that of Union man, and
trust that of patriot. have stood by this
Union almost as long as any man ought to
stand. have sacred regard for the memo
sizes OF the Revolution, and the feelings which
have united, and still unite, me to my northern
brethren. / shall not suffer this exhibition Of
bad faith, of unkindness, AMI of want of gene.
rosity, to influence me, if can possibly avoid
1t, for | know it is not the feeling of the great
North or the great West.
Mr.. WADE. Mr.. President it was not nv
desire or wish to stir up any i'll feeling, although
the Senator from Georgia accuses me of it. /
have none but the kndest feelings for all con-
cerned in this controversy but as under
stand it, so must / state it. l think we have
| gone far enough on this subject to be plain
with each other. There is no use in attempt
ing any longer to plaster over this wound.
! tell you, sir, there must be good feeling and
forbearance on both sides, If you intend to
escape rupture. We stand here accused of
being the aggressors, and have asked in what
we have aggressed. have undertaken to
state little of the history of the past con-
nected with former excitements on this sub.
ject 1t is said, however, that my memory is
at fault. Ii so, my excuse is to be found in the
fact that we have been unwillingly driven into
this discussion without being allowed a single
moment to prepare for it.
have already told you that did not know
such bill was pending until it was called up
this morning. have only alluded to those
things in regard to which it is said my memory
is at fault in reply to the assertion that the
North are aggressors. say we are not ag-
gressors. / say there has been an undertaking
unfaiing purpose constantly to extend the in
stitution of slavery. tell you, sir, that last
winters legislation is, above all other things,
| an aggression which cannot and will not be
tolerated | should be false to you of the
South, and false to the North, if / stood here
to cry "peace, peace" when | know there is
NO peace. | tell you you must retrace your
steps, you must put us statu quo ante bellun,
before you talk of peace. That is one of the
points which must be settled before there will
be cordiality, before there can be peace Do
you suppose that we whose political equality
on the floors of Congress is hewed down and
destroyed by your institution of slavery, will
look complaeently on your endeavor to spread
your institution over region as large as the
old thirteen States from which it was solemnly
excluded by sacred guarantee? Who talks
to US of aggression in the face of an act like
that? Sir, tell you you have gone as far as
the people will bear. l do not say so by way
of threat, because l am not in the habit OF
making threats. am only replying to the
threats OF others as well as can. am speak
ing only of state of things which all of you
must know. No man can fail to understand
the feelings of the North on this subject
Now, while they are struggling to recover
the ground lost by the dereliction of northern
men ct the last session of Congress- while they
are struggling to place themselves back in the
| condition IN which they stood before that en-.
actment, when they are very sensitive upon
the subject, is it wise, prudent, or proper for
you to come in here with bill which threat
ems TO deprive the States of their power to vim
dicate their own citizens from your aggressions
and which carries with it, as / said before, an
implication that the States are not to be trusted
/ in the administration Of the Constitution Of the
United States? Let me inform you again that
| your time is ill-chosen. We Of the free States,
in order to escape annihilation, are compelled
to stand up for our rights. For myself | need
no prompting on this subject / claim to feel
as ninety.nine hundredths Of my constituents
feel upon it; and therefore, in opposing this
bill do no more than they would require at
my hands if they we're here. My own sense of
propriety compels me TO tell you the truth
Have you not witnessed the uprising of the
North, where the people, swapping the bonds
| OF party like pipe stem, have come up and
united together on the slavery question, to roll
back, if it may be, the tide Of battle which
went so disastrously against them at the last
session; and now upon the heels of that, is
brought forward proposition more invidious,
more calculated TO wake them UP to sense OF
their position than even your Nebraska bill IL
SELF When such state Of things is presented
do you suppose that the men Of the North, the
representatives Of those who are struggling in
this great cause, are to stand forth here like
sucking doves to beg of you to stay your
hands2 No, sir; am not made Of that kind
Of stuff. This is an aggression on our rights,
and am not afraid to tell you 50. blame no
man Of the South for it, for / have not seen as
yet the finger Of the South in it. say it is
distasteful to the North; il is in contravention
Of the rights Of the States and it will be met
in the same spirit in which the North met the
Nebraska bill. 1t would have been better for
those who wish for peace and harmony be.
tween sections, If they had not brought in this
most unnecessary and most exciting bill
What necessity is there for it7 The Senator
from Maine Mr.. FEssESDESl commented upon
that subject. He has asked you to tell us why,
now, after waiting for more than half century
without discovering any occasion for such q law
as is here proposed, you should at this particu.
lar time, at the heel Of the session, crowded
with legitimate business, introduce this excit-
ing topic2 When stand up to vindicate, as
well as ! may, the rights Of my State which ]
think are assailed when on sudden, having
been given no time for preparation make the
best defense | can, am accused Of being an
agtator. Sir, il so, glory in the name.