The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-28
NO. ATS.

-:,ory reserved by eacn OF tnem as Iree lfOm
slavery in the territorial condition, was opened
ND 20 its admission.
This bill of intrigue, passed in conclave, by
tho aspiring politicians, to subserve personal
:n,erests, was well understood by themselves
I'D their partisans to be bonus for the South
IN vote in the election of President, but it was
,bored into Congress as the voluntary Offering
II the North to the South, to the principle of
o,uaIity. 1t was thus Invested, in the eyes of
he South. of being breach of faith on their
,;de It came as free gift to them from the
chief Magistrate and other leading men, rep
resnntatives of their Northern brethren.
They we're not aware of the treachery of these
representatives. TO their constituents, nor did
,bev anticipate the excitement which had en-
sred from the wrong, aggravated by the betray-
Il by which it was attended, nor the dangerous
consequences likely to follow. Multitudes OF
honest patriots in the slaveholding States, who
1--we the Union, would willingly restore the COM
nromises. the work Of the great men OF their
own region. They are sensible OF the fatal
effects of It's dissolution upon the peace and
prosperity Of the Confederacy, and OF the lnev-
i,able destruction of the security in which they
L1,J the slave institution-of the frightful
cones of civil war and slave insurrection which
ri,ht arise out Of the collisions between the
tr, sections-on the one side, wearing the as
,.-ct nf a war of conquest for the extension of
Slarerv. on the other, war of defence, to pre-
.ary, the rights of the emIgrants who have
,.re from their BOSOM But these men OF good
9Th. who respect engagements, and, above all,
the engagements which have produced concord
and happy ties between the States OF the
Union. find their section already embarked In
,,-ile by the combination Of politicians, who
seek personal advantages by the power 1t gives
tber over the masses. Warfare always COM
mits the power and interests of the many to
the lew chiefs who manage 1t; and so the whole
South is at this moment IN the hands oil poht-
clans who have eontrived the movement, to
strip the North Of its interests, as provided Tor
IN the several compromises; and the best men
Of the sayehodng States, who are sensible of
the iniuuity, cannot venture to declare their
sentiments. lest they incur the imputation of
Deserving their own section, in contest in which
defeat would be humiliation, and for which the
lr,!ers who have produced it would subject
them to the charge of failing to stand by the
cause Of their peculiar institutions.
The persons who have sent me to this Con-
rau,ion are the first Of the slaveholding region
sho have come forward to vindicate the cause
Of orr common country against this sectional
millence They are a body of business men
81 Baltimore, who feel that their city especially,
AMI the State of Maryland, have great stake
depending on the preservation of the Union and
he peace of the country. If the bonds which
mite the two portions of the Union, distinguish
ei by free and slave institutions, should be
severed, the nature of the different interests,
growing cut of the species of property in which
Il consists on one side, must involve continual
conflicts for its recovery, when flying to the
cher for freedom; aud the luminosity thus en-
-ldcrei cannot fail to bring on those protract-
e!aSi bloody wars of ambition and conquest
Eiich have characterized nations of contiguous
j.rritory. IN every age, and which have produced
Tue most relentless hostilities between those Of
kindred blood. The wars between England,
Scotland, and Ireland-the wars between France
and England--of France and the northern ma
;i0ns Of The continent-wars which make up
me history Of Europe, would have-their parallel
here MARYLAND would become the Belgium of
this side Ct the Atlantic-the Potomac, the
Rhine. The shores of all our great rivers divi-
ling the hostile States would frown with for
ressas, and centuries of bloodshed ensue, unless
The peculiar cause originating the strife, should
make an early end of it, by the intestine war
colorS Fastening its own extinction.
Those | represent, abhorring the thought of
.yil war pressed on the mind Of every man by
10 sectional feud, which, although now show
~ rs violence only upon remote frontier, is
aryertheles5 AT work in every spirited heart on
60 continent, have desired me to submit to
This Convention. conVoked to take the initiative
the nomination of n Chief Magistrate to up
! loll the cause Of the free States in the con-
'royersy, a proposition marked by Justice and
moderation, 10 restore good feeling and con-
cord; and certainly there never was contest
where the plain honest idea that directed Jack
sons Administration was of such easy applica-
lion IN settling difficulty. Let the North ask
,,ftHy Int 'rtR IS clearly right, and submit
70 a0'tiay TINT IS wroRg, and it cannot fail to
1rHs tue quarrel to an honorable termination.
lla lspg;e about the Territories was adjusted
80 satisfactorily to the whole country, that all
parties, however. widely differing on other sub
U.s. made i point to give in adhesion to the
1lirmel! m every subsequent election-all the
'iiates for the Presidency, before and in
Ice last canvass, in obedience to the several
4mlaating Conventions, stood upon it as a
ltiprm.
The present Chief Magistrate did more. Bv
b" very terms OF his Inaugural Address, closed
solemn oath. he may be said to have sworn
' allegiance to the compromises of the slave
i-,iIDn. declaring they should not be disturbed
soc. lie renewed the vow in the message TO
'ie FIRST congress he met, and, before its close,
"Tsm" the active instrument in aboiishing
-rg compromise made on the subject, since
Ie 'cgnd.fIon of the Government. 1t was done
@-a t4r spddenness Of the explosion of mine
81 i."der. The system planned by Jefferson
las compatgiOtS, TO prevent the extension OF
,-'rry. and IFS dangerous tendency to disrup-
".l 81 iae jnlOn-the safeguard superadded
..er HonroeS Administration :. Lowndes,
F'A'Aaey, Calhoun, Crawford-all the great
men q. the South--siding; and Clay especially
3f'atuish.ng himself after two years of strug-
--.nHSetecruation- late disposition Of the
.'lirlyeFsy about the Mexican acquisitions, ac-
'hglshed by. the same great man, supported
. y eUSiar, CasS, and BY Benton also on the
A-.l Poiut-the exclusion of Slavery by the
Prohibition Of the Mexican laws-in a word, all
.-r real statesmen of the country, by whom
.l' e'mpromlses On the subject were made and
FoaoLnced as binding in honor as the com.
n .f''nses ii the Constitution, we're blown up by
Fl -1 accession Of President Pierce and Mr.. Doug.
4 70 The scheme Of Mr.. Atchison and few
,,aaers who prepared the mine.
NoT' the simple remedy Tor this ruin is to
"l The work overthrown; and nothing is
ser Il resolved on By the North, and persist
d. Without regard to party names or party
OF individual designs or predictions.
-.Ie not an honest patriot in the North, of
party, who does not condemn this act OF
%'th. Many, it is true, warped by schemes
ASh ambition, and looking 10 their advance
-ta through Southern influence, say The mis-
-l done cannot be repaired. The compro
,9 eanAot lie restored, because the Senate
80 TIE President bold veto to forbid it
''r @iIa Immeasurably q stronger veto against
rAtunging resolution--the bsll which Ben
(, solitary and alone, put in motion. But
.'Ig opinion triumphed then over Ire strong
u US and I