The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-05-14
ADMISSION OF KANSAS.
Speech of Hon. James Meacham,

| IN THE HOUSE OF ~,
| 1856.
Tho House being in the Committee of
the Whole on the state of the Union
Mr.. MEAcHAM said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: In rising to address
the committee at this time cannot fail
to be reminded that you and have been
here together before nor can 1 fail to
recall the scenes through which we passed
six years since. Then, as now, there
was an agitation in regard to the Terri
tories of this Union and | believe there
was a great deal more animosity on the
subject than there is even now. Tho
Territories were different, but the same
principles lay at the bottom of the agi
tation then and now. Time has passed
on, and dealt far more kindly with you
than with me and upon your healthy
and joyous countcDance there are far
fewer marks of tho plow-share, and far
fewer burrows upon your brow than up
on mine. cannot but be reminded that
there are now only about fifteen men
here who were together then. I have
said, sir, that the principles which we
were agltatlng at that time-although
in relatinon to different Territories
were the same as those we are agitatng
now. And you will recognize the fact
that probably never, in the history of
the world, has there been agitation as to
territories so rich, so large, so fertile,
and in their anticipated dcstinics so
prosperous, as those then and now under
consideration.
We often, in reading book, find out
on reperusal good many thigs of i'm
portance which we had passed over in it,
The President has discussed in ten col
umns our condition as to war and peace.
the Army, and the Navy, and the rev.
enue. and the tariff, and the public lands,
and then he has gone abroad aud dis.
cussed our foreign relations. And after
no had gone over the whole American
continent, and gone abroad over the rest
of the world, he comes home and devotes
eight columns out of eighteen in reference
to the controversy between the North
and South Eight mortal columns of
tho Congressional Globe are devoted to
the agitation Of slavery; and through.
out the whole he lays the entire blame
upon the North, and excuses in every
respect, and in every possible way, the
South
Now remember by whom that is done.
1t is done by President whose nomi.
nation was made at Baltimore, where
the party was pledged that the man
coming into power should not agitatc
the subject Of slavery, and should not
promote sectional agitation. The Pres.
lden' himself came ont in speech, and
promised the same thing. He came out
afterwards III his inaugural, aud repeated
the pledge over and over again. 1t was
repeated again through the votes which
be got in this House. After all that,
there stand the eight columns Of agita.
ton. Aud | venture to say-and | say
candidly and honestly ly-that, of all the
abolition documents that ever 7 read,
never read eight columns better calcula-
ted to promote sectional agitation than
these eight columns of the Presidents
message. No such thing can be found
in any other official documents in the
United States.
One ofthe points which the President
makes is the aggression Inflicted on the
South by the North. | will read au ex.
tract from the message;
"1tis imross;,,o 70 nroson. ..,,,,o...
truth and the occasion reouire w wi,Iop, no
ticing the reiterated but eroundlcss allega-
ton, that the South has persrstcnily asserted
claims ,i, ana ana obtained advantages in the rae
me"i ', "ulI'haS'laI,on OF 'He uenerai Govern
which the latter has aconcsced M .,J' TSat Sat is m
the States, which either promote or tolerate
attacks on the rights of persons and OF prop
er'y IN olher states, to disguise their own in
eror Tx pttt'"" ,h ". ill"gine' anu constantly
arc thus systematicaIIv os.aiird a"e ,hrm snoo
selves the aggrcssors. At the present time,
this imputed aggression, resting, as it does,
only IN the vague declamatory charges Of
pr'1" ~" Uni, rtSones i.Seli INTO isa
ciples and facts Of tLe poiitcaI ,%1 "
of the new Territories Of the Unitcd States"
rN. u,
h;I;, 49, " bAo,iNN 'nen proceeued 10 ex'
nh.. MY ,: ..;oleu map "t ieAas' 10 snow
,o s rsopI pJ.'Io'. ., 'ne ier'''o'y was gwen
' ""u "hal 10 slavery
Where is now (said hey the territory
which was then declared free ? 1t has