Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-10-09
0Neeklp Sentinel.
snsseh Of Hon. Howell Cobb.


Speech Of Hon Howell Cobb.
don. HOWELL Co.'s, of Georgia, arrived in
our city, on Saturday morning, on his way to
Fort Wayne, to attend the great Democratic
Mass Meeting to be held there tomorrow.
The Democrats of Indianapolis made ar
Tangements to have Mr.. CoBB address 1hem
ia the-svening, at Mas mic Hall. His arm
val having been unannsunced, but few hours
-noliee of the meeting could be given. The
large and spacious Hall, however, was filled
to Overlooking with an assemblage of intelli-
GENT and anxious listeners. Mr. C.'s speech
was one of those powerful and eloquent ell
forts which have given him reputation as
extensive as the Union ITSELF He com
1nenced By referring to the embarrassment
under which he labOred in consequences OF
being Southern man and the strong feeling
of prejudice and sectional animosity which
had been excited in the minds Of Northern
people against himself aud his brethren at
home, by fanatical, bigoted and narrow
mined politicians, 70 serve the bascst OF po-
litical purposes. Hereminded those present
that if the people Of the North and the South
understood each other better, they would
think more favorably Of each Other--a re-
marx the force of which all felt, as be pro-
eeeded 10 unfold the views and feelings oil
the South touching the great and exciting
question Of SlayeEy-the question which has
bssa so prolific of strife and liseord, and
which now so seriously theatens the peace
and HARMONY of the Union. With much
warmth and earnestness Of feeling, Mr. CoBB
repealed the charge that the South sought to
force the institution Of slavery upon the Ter
ritories against the will Of the people, or that
thew made demands upon the North which
we're repugnant to the conscience Of any man
who loved the Constitution and intended 70
live up to its requirements. He said that he
could solemnly declare for himself and his
brethren Of the South, that they did not wish
TO force their peculiar notions or their pecu-
liar institution upon any people to whom they
were Objectionable. All they asked. was to
be left in the quiet enjoyment of the nights
guaranteed to them by the Constitution lie
contended that the equality Of the States
should be recognized in practice Is well as
theory-and that, therefore, Congress shodld
be restrained from imposing any restrictions
upon the Territories in favor of one section oil
the Union and against the other; but that all
questions of domestic policy, slavery inclu-
led, should be left to the people of the Ter
ritories, to be settled as their wishes and ~
ssrests might dictate. He also noticed the
low aimed at the equality Of the States, in
that portion of the Abolition platform which
Eliminates its edict against the admission Of
any more slave States. He showed that, under
the Constitution, Congress had no right to
inquire whether slavery was tolerated or pro-
hibited by the orgsntic law, when it admitted
new States into the Union. Such was the
doctrine laid down by the trainers of that in
strument, and such has been the universal
practice under il, from the organization of
the government to the present time.
Mr.. CoBB's treatment of the Kansas ques
ton as bearing upon the present contest, was
we'll directed and convincing. He showed
in the first place, that the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, or in other words the pas
sage of the Kansas Nebraska act, was not the
cause OF the trouble, because if it had been
It would have involved Nebraska in the same
disgraceful and outrages scenes that have
preyed like curse upon Kansas. He show
ed that the cause of the difficulty was out
side of the law, that 1t was attributable to the
formation Of Abolition Emigrant Aid Socie-
ties in the North, which provoked counter
movements in the South. That rivalry, strife
ard ill-blood followed, and continued 10 in
crease in asperity till collision and boodshed
became Of daily occurrence.
The action Of Congress upon the affairs OF
Kansas, including the bills passed by the
Senate and House, was discussed at length,
and contrast drawn between the measures
proposed by each Of those bodies. No one,
we think, who heard this portion of Mr..
Cobb's speech, could have withheld the ac-
acknowledgement that the Senate did its duty,
It's whole duty, in the premises, whilst the
House was most wofully derelict in the
honest and faithful discharge of theirs The
points made in this connection have been so
often and so fully presented to our readers on
former occasions, that we do not deem il nee
essary now to refer 10 them in detail.
On the whole, we are confident that Mr.
CoBB's speech will do great good 1t will
at least give the people of indianapolis ocu-
lar demonstration that our brethren Of the
South, even of Georgia, are not the clustering
re-eating, border rufian' scapegraces thai
they are so constantly and furiously represen-
ted to he by the bigoted ,fanaticsl aud narrow
minded politicians of the Abolition school.
We ask any one TO compare the kind, the
gentlsmanly, and the srgumentative speech
of HOWELL COBB, on Saturday evening, with
the mad, ranting bHIlying and abusive har-
rangues Of BURLTNGAME and other stumI
speakers in the ranks Of the opposition. Will
what overwhelming force does the compari
son tell in favor Of the former, and agsins
the latter. Il Is humiliating to think that tn,
class OF stump oratory most popular with Sc
large portion Of the Northern people, il
doing so much to degrade us in the eyes o
all honest, honorable, high minded men anc
to expose us to the scorn of every true patrio
and lover of justice.
We hope the kind and patriotic admoni
tons so earnestly and eloquently enforced b,
Mr.. COBB, may not be lost upon those who's
good fortune it was to hear him.
The Great Fizzla