Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-01-22
A MERITED REBUKE.

press from New Hampshire, President Pierce s
native State, while discussing motion to re-
consider the vote ordering extra copies of the
Presidents Message made the following truth
full remarks upon that portion OF the Message
which denounces as enemies TO the Constitution,
all who do not agree with Mr.. PIERCE upon the
Slavery question. The rebuke Is justly merlted,
and no man was better qualified to administer
it than John p. HALE:
"The President undertakes to read long
lecture upon Slavery. 1t is not the first time
the President has delivered lectures Slavery,
and l have word two to say the view
which he takes of it. The President of the
United States, in the paper which he sent here
a few days ago, takes the ground that the gen.
tlemen who do not agree with him in his pecu-
liar notions the enemies of the Constitution.
He so puts it, for he says:
80 If the friends of the Constitution to have
another struggle, its enemies could not present
more acceptable issue, than that of State,
whose Constitution clearly embraces "a repub-
lean form of government, being excluded from
the Union because its domestic institution may
rot IN all respects comport with the ideas of
what is wise and expedient entertained in some
other State -
Thus the President undertakes to designate
as enemies of the Constitution, those who differ
from him Gu this subject. l do not know how
others feel but | say it is an insult to the ma
jority of this nation. The President knows if
he reads anything beyond the most servile sheets
that his creatures send TO him, that the public
sentiment of this country condemns most de-
Oh his in hot NJ
knows it better than he or at least no man ought
to know 1t better; and when he goes on to char
acterize as enemies of the Constitution those
who differ from him, he knows he so character
ICES certainly one-half of the popular branch of
Congress, and quite a number of the members
of Senate-no matter for them, however as they
do not belong to healthy organizations let
them take care of themselves. Will not speak
for them, but | speak for myself and l say the
President do me no sort of harm by any
such denunciation as this. | am perfectly will
ling to take it but, sir, standing here as a rep
resentative of our native State-his and mine
together-I will not have him hurl such an i'm
putation that unchallenged or mrebuked.-
He has no right to designate any men who are
here under the same oath to support the Consti-
tuition which he has taken, as enemies of the
Constitution and when he does it he comes
down from the high place which Sod, in his
wrath for the punishment of our national sins
and for the humiliation of our national pride
has permitted him to occupy. I say he comes
down from that high place into the arena of
vulgar demagogue and strips himself of every
thing which should clothe with dignity the
or.
ny the issue l hurl it back in his face tell
him, when he undertakes to designate those
men as enemies of the Constitution he abuses
and defames men whose shoc-latchets he is not
worthy to unite
Sir, these are plain words, but the time de-
mands them. When the President of the United
States sends such a message as this to me, or to
a body of which l am a member l shall be re-
strained by no consideration from speaking what
/ believe to be the truth The President saws
that if the enemies of the Constitution-we all
know whom he includes in this phrase-are 20
have another contest With its friends, there can
not be better one. Grant it. SIR let US have
IT. L tell him that this is the very place where
the fight IS to be made. This part OF his mes
sage, stripped of its verbiage, means this; If.
by the illegal violence of the men who have
gone over INTO Kansas, and undertaken 70 es-
tablish Slavery there, they shall come here and
ask for admission into the Union with a Slave
Constitution, and Kansas Will be rejected the
President tells US that it is the most favorable
aspect in which that question can be presented
This viii be the ISSUE and, if it be decided
against Slavery, we are threatened with civil
war.
Sir | am not man of war; but when |
have heard it threatened so often have some
times wished that God IN his providence would
let 1t come. If it had no other effect, think
1t would have one. think it would learn those
men who are constantly talking about the dis
solution Of the Union lesson which neither
they, nor their children's children would ever
forget. l am not certain that | should not
want the war to come on while we have about
just such a President as we have now, and Twill
tell you why. If the attempt at disunion were
made with such man as General JACKSON or
General TAYLOR, III the Presidential chair, and
1t Were repressed promptly, as it would be, peo-
pie would say, Oh, it was his great military
power, his reputation, his popularity, which did
IT. God knows they could not say it of this
President. Laughter in the galleries. If
the President succeeded, and if the Union were
sustained, Is it would be, il would be by its
own inherent energy, and from no Fictitious
power which it would acquire from the over
shadowing popularity of the President
1" Sir. when the President undertakes to stig-
Matte, as he does, those " no differ from him. he
steps beyond what he has right to do he steps
over the mark he violates the law which /
think, should govern the intercourse between
the different members Of the Governments
When he denounces, as enemies to the Consti-
tuition, those who differ from him, l think it
proper TO meet him in this way, and to take is
sue with him. Does the President think that
upon this issue he can go before the country >
Does he think that he stands in place where
1t Is safe or prudent for him to denounce as in
lmical TO the Constitution views which are en-