The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-01-26


anything beyond the most seryile sheets
that his creatures send to him, that the
public sentiment of this country con-
dennis most decidedly his action in that
Territory. No man knows it better than
ne, or at least no man ought 70 know il
better and when he goes on TO charac-
terize as enemies of the Constitution those
who differ from him, he knows he so
characterizes certainly one half Of the
popular branch of Congress, and quite a
number of the members of the 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 my
self, and say the President can do me
no sort of harm by any such denuncia-
ton as this. | am perfectly willing to
take it; but, Sir, standing here as rep
resentatiye of our native State-his and
mine together will not have him hurl
such an lmputation as that unchallenged
or unrebuked.
He has no right to designate any men
who are here under the same oath to sup
port the Constitution which he has taken,
as enemies of the Constitution and when
he does it he comes down from the high
place which God, in his wrath for the
punishment of our national sins, and for
the humiliation of our national pride, has
permitted him TO occupy. | say he
comes down from that high place into
the arena of vulgar demagogue, and
strips himself of everything which should
clothe with dignity the office of Presi-
dent of the United States. | deny the
issue; ! hurl it back in his face | tell
him, when he undertakes to designate
these men as enemies of the Constitution,
he abuses and defames men whose shoe
latchets he is unworthy to unite.
Sir, these are plain words, but the
time demands them. When tie Presi-
dent of the United States sends such a
message as this to me, or to body of
which | am a member, shall be re-
strained by no consideration from speak
ing what believe to be the truth. The
President says, that it the enemies OF
the Constitution-we all know whom he
includes in this phrase-are to have
another contest with its friends, there
cannot be better one. Grant it, Sir
let US have it. tell you this is the very
place where the fight is to be made. This
par; of the message, stripped of its verb
iage, means this: If, by the illegal vi
olence of the men who have gone over
into Kansas, and undertaken to establish
slavery there, they shall come here and
ask for admission into the Union with a
slave constitution, and Kansas will be re-
iected, the President tells US that is the
most favorable aspect in which that ques-
ton can be presented. That will be the
issue, and, ii it be decided against sla-
very, we are threatened with civil war.
Sir, | am not man OF war; but when
have heard it threatened SO often, /
have sometimes wished that God in his
providence would let it come. If it had
no other effect, | think it would have
one. Think it would learn those men
who are constantly talking about the
of the Union a lesson which
neither they, nor their children's child
rem, would ever forget. i am not GER
tain that | should not want the war to
come on while we have just such Pres
ident as We have now, and | will tell YOU
why. If the attempt at diSunion were
made with such man as General Jack
son, or General Taylor in the Presiden-
tial chair, and it were repressed prompt
ly, as it would be, people would say,
"Oh, it was his great military power, his
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, as it would be, it
would be by its own inherent energy,
and from no fictitious power which it
would acquire from the overshadowing
of the President.
Sir, when the President undertakes to
stigmatise, as he has done, those who
differ from him, he steps beyond what
he has right to do; he Steps over the
mark he violates the laws, which, /
think, should govern The intercourse be-
tween the different members of this gov
When he denounces as enc
mics to the Constitution those who differ
from him, | think it proper to meet him
in this way, and to take issue with him.
Does the President think that upon this
issue he can go before the country p
Does he think that he stands in a place
where it is safe or prudent for him to de-
nounce as inimical TO the Constitution
views which are entertained by vast
majority of the people of this country?
Ii he is safe, it is in his obscurity,
and nothing else, that shields hint is
the utter hopelessness of his position
Sir, heard very instructive comment
made uson his message by a southern
gentleman within very brief time
Oh" said he, sit is one of the best
that ever was written, and
Pierce is the best President we have ever
lad since Washington" 'WeH," said
he person to whom he was speaking.
you will re-nominate him, will you
not go "No," said he, s'that is another |