The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-13
THE WRONGS OF KANSAS.
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN P. HALE,
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE,
In the Senate Of the United States, Feb, 1856.

| O'''NSeS e1eeeSof
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY &c, 1856.
The Senate resumed the consideration of Mr. wmLERs
motion 10 print thousand copies the Presidents
message of February L. with the accompanying docu-
nsnis, relative 10 affairs in the Territory Of Kansas
DIr HALE. Mr.. President, / intend to reply
! somewhat at length to the remarks which have
been made by the Senator from Tennessee: but
as he made personal alluson to me, prefer to
answer that now because | recollect that a dis
tinguished Senator from South Carolina some
three or four years since, delivered as thought,
well-timed reproof to somebody who postponed
personal explanation for a number of days l
wish, therefore, to dispose of that part of the
| Senator's speech now.
! The honorable Senator from Tennessee began
with lamentation over the degradation to which
the Senate had been reduced He said it was
not what the old Roman Senate ought to be- and
what he thought it when he was studying
| VUi Rome. He said it had become reduced ex-
ceedingly; and he proclaimed to the Senate, and
to everybody who chose to listen to what was
| going on IN the Senate, that he was about 10
make an elevated speech; that he was about to
conhne himself to what was worthy of the sub
ject and OF the Senate. 1t is very true that he did
put in sort of ca0edt that in the excitement of
debate he might be led to utter something which
would not be exactly the thing; but for that he
|
about what he was going TO say, and he put in
the cGUeat" if he should in the excitement of de-
bate" Well, sir, he has had all the debate to
himself. Nobody on earth has said ANYTHING to
excite him but himself. He did, however, sue
coed in getting up the excitement of debate solo
altogether so as think, to work himself up to
such pitch as to say something which, if it be
the elevation to which he seeks to raise the Sen
ate, pray God to leave it in its degradation;
do not want that elevation. One Of the phrases
with which this refined era Of elevated eoquence
is inaugurated in the Senate, is "the filth and
corruption of negro cabins" That is one spsci-
men. Another, to which / wish to call the at
tention of the Senate is that in which the Senator
attributed my return to the Senate to the care
which the devil takes of his own. | think that
is right
Sir, you know who brought me back here II
was the President of the United States, and no
body else who has done it. If it had not been for
the course which the President of the United
States took upon this very subiect-ifit had not
been for the manner in which he outraged public
sentiment in his native State, so that he has not
got single friend from that State in either House
to say "God bless himl should not have boen
here. That is the devil who took care of me-the
President of the United States Laughter
Sir, | am glad that the Senator from Tennes-
see referred to the Rhode Island case In a day
or two can do it tomorrow, if it is thought
/ best propose to show you where the President
of the United States stood or that issue. | will
show you the ground of the President of the Uni
ted States upon the doctrine of popular sove-
reignty, in its application to Rhode Island; and if
the learned Senator from the State of Connecticut
! tMr. ToUCEY] is booked up, and will enlighten
the Senate little, he can tell you where COnnee-
| ticut stood a. that time. When Thomas W. Dorr
was fugitive from the Government of Rho,le
| Island, and found it convenient to emigrate, the
| first place to which he went was Connecticut; and
| think am not mistaken in public history when
say that he found a sympathizing friend for his
doctrines in the Senator from Connecticut He
stayed there as long as it was prudent and agree
able to stay, and the next place to which he went
was New Hampshire. There, sir, the most ultra
sympathiziRg, superlatively sympsthizing friend
whom he found was man who is sometimes
called "Young Hickory" but who was christened
FRANKLIN PIERCE. That was the man who en-
dorsed, to the fullest extent and in the broadest
terms the whole doctrine of popular sovereignty,
as III was proclaimed in Rhode isiEszs =, p1T.
have got some resolutions which were then passed
in New Hampshire, and will bring them in and
! serve them just as the Senator from Tennessee ia
going to do that little book which he held up to
us-embody them in ray speech--but will read
! them first,
The Senator appealed to me personally. He
said that would have the candor to say-but he
made
up OF prudence. He said at first that would
have candor enough to acknowledge. mat If the
Missouri Compromise was repealed, our war would
not stop. | understood him first to say that [
had candor enough to acknowledge il: hut he
took that back, and used the future tense He
said that he thought | would have candor enough
to acknowledge that, if the Missouri Compromise
was repealed, we would not carry on this war
until the last manacle was stricken from the last
I m hat
aggression has the North ever been concerned il?
Slr, am tired to death of this talk What does
the Senator from Tennessee Think Does he
thlnk that, by repeating over and over and over
sgfln "korthern aggression" all history il to be
falsihed; that we are to be thundered out of our
common sense by this denunciation of Northern
aggression What is it2
Why, sir, suppose it was Northern aggression
that repealed the Missouri Compromise! Was it
not? 1t was Northern aggression that made war
upon Mexico and took such a great portion of
her territory, and blotted out the restriction of
Slavery which that semi-barbarous people lad
imposed upon that portion of Gods earth which
fell to their dominion? Was that Northern 40
erosion? 1t is Northern aggression which has
held possession of the high places Of this Govern
ment-ln your chair, sir, in the Presiderfaal chair
on the bench OF the Supreme Courtl 1t is North
ern aggression that so carves out this country
free States are kept in a perpetual and eternal
minority In that everlasting citadel of Slavery
your Supreme Court of the United States Ii is
Northern aggression suppose, that has done all
this. Sir had heard this term so many times
that had begun to suppose people would be tired
OF using it. What have we done? We have
stood on the defensive We have always been in
3 practical minority here, because YOU have
bought up doughfaces enough to control as. We
have always been in minority practically
Now, then, let me explain our position. The
Senator says would fight. No, sir would not
night at all /; but would defend; and that is all
we have DONE We have never made aggression,
and we never mean to do so. The difficulty is.
that our people have not even stood upon the de-
fensive; but thank God that the indications of
the present day seem to promise that the North
have at last got to the wall, and will go no fur
Their. | hope so. The Senator says there ma
be power that snail say, Thus far sL:aaiit tbo1
60, and no further" Good good Sir, hope
IL VIII come and if it to blood, let blood
come. But tell your President of the United
States, who threatens to send his myrmidons to
shoot down the free inhabitants of Kansas, let
him fire. tell you, the first Federal gun that is !
fred to shoot down one Of those inhabitants, will
echo and reverberate over the hills and the val |
legs of this land and he will find that, like Rod
erick Dhus men, the freemen will come up, and |
the tight will not be all on one side. No. SIR if |
that issue must come, let it como and 1t cannot |
come too soon.
am sorry that we confirmed Shannon be- |
cause think, if this issue is TO come the Presi-
dent had better send out as Governor of Kansas /
a real hre-eating SHAREHOLDERS man who be- |
lieves that Slavery is divine institution estab-
lished by God, and sanctifed by Christ, as il has
been proclaimed to be In some official papers of
the Southern States. Let him send such a man
as that and let the issue-if he is determined 70 |
make it-come.