The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-10-04


SPEECH OF NON, R. M. T. HUNTER, OF VIRGINIA,
At hs Great Democratic Mass Asetiag al PougAksepss,
NeW York, October |, 1856. raas
FELLowcIrizEss: In response your invitation appear
before you TO address for the first time iu my life popular
assembly without the limits OF my own State i have
been restrained heretofore proper in
eres in whatever concerned sister State but because IL
seemed otcious In TO offer counsel to those who had
better advisers ut home. The present however ord
nary occasion We have reached in my opinion, solemn
crisis in public affairs An issue Ia rapidly being made
which may involve the fate OF the Union itself The public
mind be hurried to conclusions mschevous and dis
asrous TO all that American statesmen have hitherto held
dear For one should be afraid the Judgment
of the people upon any question which may be fairly pre-
sented TO them ii they correctly informed to the
facts OF the But fear that people
of the real condition of public sentiment in other sections
than their own Under these circumstances there ought
to be full frank and friendly interchange Of sentiments
between the several States of the conederacy This is
OF the considerations which bring here upon this
Son wish to place you in standpoint where you may
the southern view OF these questions upon the other
side OF which you have already heard much desire
to make plea in favor of this great Union before anything
further Is done to threaten endanger it. propose to
speak in behalf OF this mighty scheme Of government to
which the American people much Of their great
and happiness yet it be too late In discussing
this vast question il will be duty to you and to myself
to speak fully and frankly If in touching upon delicate
topics, should sometimes say what may be unpaatable,
that it may be pardoned for the sake of the great
which brings us here and trust that all will do
the justice to suppose that whatever may say will be said
in the spirit of perfect respect and friendship for you That
this great issue upon which propose to speak arising
out of the disturbing question of African slavery we all
know but how, and by whom it has been made is mat
ter of curious inquiry. The commencement of this
issue is to be traced far back ls2O when the first
sectional division the question of slavery occurred upon
the proposition TO admit Missouri State into the Union
The results of this known to all but how they
brought about has been the subject of much contra
dictory statement "
The question was formally settled in the House by votes
upon two amendments sent down by the Senate. One
to strike out the antislayery restriction imposed as
condition upon the admission of Missouri State into
the Unon and the other proposed to apply such retric
ton to the territory ceded by France north OF SO deg 30
min Upon the first proposition the northern vote stood
as 81 in the negative to IA in the affirmative; and
the southern vote 76 in the affirmative Upon the
second amendment which applied the anavery restric
ton the Territories the northern vote was 95 in the
affirmative to in the negatives and the southern was 80
in the affirmative to 81 in the negative
Such the facts presented by the Journal Of Congress-
and yet it has been charged by this party which has
arisen in the North that there solemn compact by
which the North agreed to admit Missouri State with
out the antslavey restriction upon the condition that this
restriction should be applied the Territories north OF
36 deg 80 min.; and that the South had subsequently,
broken its faith and departed from the compact in the
Nebraska Kansas act So far from this being the fact the
official records show that the North W the majority of her
members represent her did vote for the admission
of Missouri State neither in 1s20 subsequent in
1921 when she received On the contrary in 1921
it proposed by Mr.. Mallory, of Vermont make the
anti-slavery proviso condition of her admission and
the northern vote stood 81 ayes to 80 noe nearly
in its favor and upon the final vote by which
Missouri admitted State majority OF the north
votes cast against her admission Now, If the
ton upon this question in 1870 regarded ordinary
legislation then the northern vote in 1921 consistent
with itself in 1890 But solemn compact made by
the North in 1920 for the admission Of Missouri without
the restriction in 1884, she violated her faith in 1921 But
in truth she agreed to such compact She did
vote for the admission of Missouri any such terms
neither in 1920 in s2 And yet 10 what extent the
contrary been stated and what effect this msstate-
ment has had upon the public mind you know better
than do.
That such Misrepresentation could find evidence in the
face Of recorded facts will be regarded hereafter with
by the future student Of American history He
will place IL Ia the category of the Popish plot and other
instances of popular deuson In the sequence of events
the next occasion upon which this territorial question
made minister TO anti-slavcry excitement the
nexaon of Texas Whatever may have been said about
il since the vote at the time shows that ii considered
rather as national than sectional question But upon
this occasion, also the Missouri line extended by law.
1t not long after that the question in re-
gard TO the territory ceded by Mexico The South then
proposed to settle the dispute by further extension Of the
line the Pacific upon condition OF the removal of any
supposed restriction upon slavery south Of that line II
this work OF partition fair in regard to the Louisiana
ceison and by the Texas annexation they maintained that
Il would be fair here also But their proposition
ected and princpethat of non-intervention II
caledwas adopted for the settlement Of the dispute
The matter ad used that the South practically
excluded from the whole Of that vast territory and If IL
gained anything in return II only the abstract deca-
ration of right that Congress ought not TO intervene
the subject Of slavery in the Territories in other words
that II improper to extend to them antsavery re,
stricions
In this settlement the country acquiesced very reluct-
anty the part Of the South because she believed she
had been wroDged by that adjustment; still there
very general acquiescenee When then question
TO providing governments for Kansas and Nebraska
could anything have been natural than for the South
to say Whatever rule Of settlement You adopt In regard TO
this question ought to be uniforms If non.ineryenton
right in regard 20 the territory ceded by Mexico II s
right here fit be improper for Congress to apply anti
slavery restrictions Territories then here
in which il has been done Let the prohibition be re-
moved So manifesty just and consistent this claim
that large portion Of the northern statesmen scceded to
It, And yet sooner the bill passed in this shape
than the leaders Of this party proclaimed that the
North swndled. II was alleged that compact had
been made by the North although II has been shown that
Il voted for IT, and that the South in bad faith had
broken IT, Those conservative democrats Of the North
who had noby discharged their duty to the constitution
and the Union denounced "doughaces7 and trait
Patriots and statesmen they were and history will
yet do them justice but necessary TO reve them and
the South 10 subservc the purposes Of the party which
has been growing rapidly of late. II was essential 10
create such excitement In order to turn away the aen
ton Of the people from the mschevous consequences and
dangerous tendencies Of the principles upon which they
sgatng get into power II is TO these principles
and their consequences that wish this day TO call your
attention. II Is upon this very subject that wish TO COM
pare sentiment and opinion with you.
pass Of the subjects of sectional difference
raised by the platform Of this party, and upon which the
constitutional argument Is familiar to ALL and come
rather TO the principles upon which they agae the public
mind Of the North against the South and upon which II is
fair presume they would administer the government II
they should get the wish 70 show that their ten
dency 10 disunon first and anarchy and revolution @
terwards II In 1850 that Of he leaders Of this
party FIRST promulgated the doctrine that there law
against African slavery Of higher obligation than that OF
b.