The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-10-22

ofners. L have more masters than one
Your organised Legislative and judicial
power may control me; but above all
That which is above legislative, judicial
and executive power-the constitutional
power OF the people-may :ontro me-
am glad that have these grea, inst:u
'nents TO defend me against the weight
and pressure of that responsibility which
is now so heavy, and may be so much
greater in the future.
About year ago, or little more. I
warned YOU Of that black, ins:dious. mid
night order, which s,aked this State with
It's dark lantern, and which deceived many
honest minded men, tu, none of its lead
ers-l warned you of the fact that Know
holhing'Sm would terminate in demonism
to distract the South, and TO fuse in the
North. ! am not going TO debate the
question here to night, who is right or
who is wrong. God forbid that should
ever debate the question who is RIGHT or
WHO is wrong, North or South, or whic!,
rs the assalant Of the otherl Sir, il Mr..
a. "r b. should knock me down or spit
III my face, would as soop debate with
him the question, who began the quar-.
reli If you ask me whether the North
is assaiIing the South or yice peysa. | tell
YOU there is one piece OF inherent evidence
that beats The record of evidence out of
sight. | would not give one piece Of in
hereut testimony for all the Intrinsic evi
!ence in the world. Let me illustrate
what ! mean. 4 party of twelve men
are sworn to try the fact whether a. rs.
sauiied H., or b. assaulted A.. There are
no witnesses present, il you please, but
the parties themselves. They are alone
with each other on the highway: and,
rom their own stories, yop lear, that dle
subject matter OF the controversy is a
piece "i rEopeEty--a bank note, or any
thing else-which is owned and possessed
10y the one, and which the other desired
to take away. Now, independent Of all
positive proof, which of the two, in the
nature oi the case, WAS To bc the assailan,
he who had the thing. or he who had il
not The PosseSsor had only to remain
AT peace IN order TO continue in qnet pos
session. The assailant had to hc him
WHO had not the possession, and who de.
sized to take 1t away from him who law.
fully held it.
Well, now, so it is With the Nor;h an 4
South. The South has property in slaves
"a property know to the laws, posses
sion which is fortified by quadruple tier
OF IawS-Federal Constitution and Fede-
raj Statutes, State Constitutions and State
S,atutcs-and i, las rights belonging to
chat propcrty equally recognized and for
tfied aud that property aud those rights
tue North desires to abolish, to take away
and 10 destroy. The South desnSs TO he
let NQpe--lo be left in quiet, lawful pos.
session and the North is bent upon dis.
Iurbing and destroying the quiet posses
SION and enjoyment OF that property
Which, in the nature of the case, Is bound
TO be the assailantl He whose verv in.
terest and poliy is peace, or the olhcr
who has no otlier mode Of success but ag
grcssion What, among wise and jus,
men, "ugh. to be the yerlictl Why,
hat the man with the bank note oupb,
to he allowed s,feIy to walk the highway
with 1t in his pocket, and his lawful prop.
X ought not to tempt any one 10 assail
him for It's possession. (Cheers) And the
S"uth ought TO be let alo9e. and no pow
er ought, without law and against law, TO
attempt to abolish or destroy its property
IN slaves. And the fact proves itself, that
the party which would abolish and des.
troy the property is necessarily the party
which must assaiI the party which osses
es II. Attempt not TO abolish the legal
rights and possessions, and there will he
no war. But there is war, aud the sub
lect OF controversy is propert, which is
Lawful IN the one, and which tie other
would destroy !; aud the war itself, for
such cause, shows who is the as.aiIant.
so stands The case rs TO who is in the
wrong. You need not tell me, then, who
voted for the Missouri Compromise, OF
who voted against il. know this about
u, that the Missouri restriction. was the
hrst proposition wade that slave property
Should not be enjoyed; that the Compro
mise was, that It should not apply to the
State Of Missouri in particular, but tha,
the restriction should apply TO. all tcEritory
NORTH OF The line Of 800 so, without an
equivalent South OF that line: that The
restriction wbicl, asssiled the rights OF
property without compensation was no
compromise; tha, there waa no copsutu
'ional power TO press it, and that its repeal
restores the Constitution as The true com.
pact between the parties. [Cheers)
| know, moreover, Mr.. President, that
demonism is complaining, typocriticaIIy,
that the peaceful rights Of properly, aud
the peaceful settlements Of the people up
on the public lands Of Kansas are assailed
Ia territory not yet sovereignty, but
mere creature Of sovereignty, with no
other guarantee Of Government than an
crgapis act OF Congress. While they
complain that border rufflans are assaii.
ing persons and property in Kansas, Black
Republican ruiIians are assailing persons
and property every day and every hour,
within the sacred limits OF the sovereign
J Sta,e Of Virginia, all along n line Of niue