American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-10-11


in the South, all is cold as any stone. 'Tis
vain to ask Tor more clothes on the feet, for
their passing bell is already tolling that men
may pray for the parting soul. But, sir,
they are not without consolation. There are
true Bardolphs, who, when told of their
death, will exclaim:
"Would were with them wheresome'er
they be-ei;her in heaven or in hellp
Now, sir. why is all this? We need no
election statistics for the response. They
were the triumphant and dominant party at
the North ere this great food. Now they
do not number more than fourteen members
from the populous North in this hall. They
were the party said to be specially devoted
to the interests Of the South at the North
before this great flood. None so sound,
none so unshaken, none so true 10 defend
the South, through thick and thin, at all
hazards, and to the last extremity, as the
Democrats of the North. Where are they
gone? care they asleep or on journey,
or at the FEAST" or have they forgotten their
duty, or have they become mad or have
they played like children-ca casting one vote
Tor my honorable friends and another for
their norable opponents?
Sir, the American people have been bred
IN American habits. They are not in the
habit OF capricious and causeless change
And yet there is change. mean to speak
OF The cause Of that change out loud. 1t is,
the repeat of the Missouri Compromise, the
enactment of the Kansas .Nebraska act, and tie
outrdges in the Territory of Kansas, denied
or defended by my honorable Democratic
friends, They We're warned by the honor
| able Senator from Illinois, who reported tha,
measure, IN has first report against ii, of tho
dangerous consequences ,and they would not
heed the warning. In an evil day for his
reputation he allowed himself to be over
come by party and personal ambition, and
| to be deiuded by the hopes Of party domi-
nation. He allowed himself 10 be duuded
by the supposition that he could bring to the
support OF that measure the gicat body of
Southern men, Wings and Democrats, and
that the temporary excitement would only
raise the iroth upon the surface, while the
depths of the ocean would roll on in their
sluggish sleep, Sir. he cast the javeln a
gainst the cave of Kolus, and all the winds
OF strife have rushed forth across the ocea n
and cast up a tempest which leaves of the
Democracy party nothing but scattered al d
broken fragments, cast on The shore for the
wTeckers 10 collect, and, rs they measure
the dimensions Of mast and spar, to wonder
what great admiral i, was that has gone
down in that terrific sea.
Sir. is not that the reason? do not ask
gentlemen to tell me whether it is an ade-
quate reason. do not ask gentlemen TO
say if the North is reasonable in her anger.
l simply ask gentlemen upon their candor 81
honor it that is not the reason of the present
condition Of ihings2 There is no gentleman
here whose breast does not echo that it is
Aud venture little when say there is
scarcely one of my Democratic friends who
can appreciate the position in which ii has
placed them, who does not, from the bottom
Of his heart, curse the day on which he was
so misled. Ii they adhere still to the Kansas
! Nebraska act, it is from necessity and not
from choice, that my honorable friends, find.
ing themselves at the bottom of the water,
have, like Cooper's sailor in the western
lake, seized a root 10 keep themselves there.
ii Is from necessity, and not from cho
that with milestone round their necks,
! they march down to the water for swim
ming match with light men having floats on.
Why, sir, what are their apologies--their
apologies TO the North, their apologies to
their Democratic friends whom they hare slain,
murdered, and sent to the land OF ghosts, for
whose absence my friend from Georgia
weeps! The Missouri Compromise
they unconstitutional But since when?
say the North to them. That does not rest
|
| a Democratic majority that passed it. 1t was
the great men Of the Democratic party, AMI
more than all others, the great Marylander,
VIM Pinckney, who proposed and advoca-
TED and carried that great measure of healing
IN mat day. The great argument which he
addressed TO yindicate The Sovercignty of a
State from the binding control Of conditions
| imposed by Congress, is the argument mis-.
understood, broken into small fragments
! suitable to the strength and stature of those
who use them, and misapplied now by gen
tlemen TO disprove the power Of Congress to
pass the very Missouri restriction on Ter
r'tory, which he all along advocated, al the
vefy time of that great argument, and in
corporated into the very act which is his
tiumphal monument to the peace which he
conquered and psrpetuated by it. And Mr..
Monroe, their President, signed it--signed il
not hastily--but after consulting his cabinet,
in which was Mr.. Calhoun, on the pre- else
| question Of constituionality.
| Is that long ago Has wisdom arisen in
a later generation ! Have new lights been
discovered in the constitution Have Judi.
cial decisions cleared away the difficulty ?
Ii was in 1Si5 when that great Democratic
measure vas passed by which Texas was an.
nexed TO this Union, & my honorable friends
or their predecessors, then i'm majority i'm
both branches of Congress, passed the Texas
resolution which enacted that vsry hing a.
gainst which Mr.. Pinckney directed the ar
| gument which they now make the arsenal
for weapons TO assail what he advocated. =
They cast their votes for it, and President
Tyler, on the third Of March, signed it. Oh
but Tyler was not q Democrat, Yes, but he
was, by conversion or perversion, or treach
cry and dcsctton; he was by acceptance &
adoption; he was by his cabinet aud his adj
minisiration; he was doubly 80 by the pres.
ence and counsel of Calhoun, the incarna
ton o! the very idea of Southern sttict con
struction and IL is understood that ,l,s I'd
olu,ions came down from the Sccte,arv n
State, who was Mr. Calhoun tilat /, wa,
his Influence which despatched he resolu
tons TO Texas for acceptance on ,he lac, 1a,
Of President Tylor's term and Mr., polk
] lhonph ON the snot. did NOT recall iha.,