The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-07-23
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. w. wINsLow.

u. -a 4s
SPEECH OF HON. w. wINsLOw.
or soETH oARoLsA,
On the resolutions reported by the select committee to In
yestigate the alleged assault upon Senator SUMNER b,
Mr. BRooKs delivered in the House Of Representative
July ii, 1856. - ~
Mr. WINSLow said: 4. -s,.
Mr. SrEAKKR: have not heretofore intruded upon th
attention OF the House sought Its indulgence hav
been content 70 listen and TO learn rather than TO asp
to speak and TO impart information.
IL break now the silence which have hitherto main
taned il ID not with the vain hope that can add any
thing to what has been said upon subject now nearly
exhausted yet with the expectation that shall nha
ence the opinions Of any honorable member upon th.
floor But the question under discussion 10 of
men not so much from It's applicability to the state
facts which have provoked the discussion from the alb
stract principles involved In the resouonno 30 much
from its present bearings from its future relations II
has been invested with an Importance, however in my
Judgment quite unmeried and undeserved arising
the intensely excited condition Of the public mind already
unduy naamed by the discussion of that groa subject
the ceaseless agitation Of which will in the end fear
bring in It's train lad OF TO happy and
united people. owe il therefore, to myselfI feel that
the respectable constituency who have honored
mo wi the high nst Of representing their interests upon
this exalted theatre to express my views upon this inter
esug question, and to disclose the which shall
control my suffrage. Z II I. t4g #. . Es1s.
1t isvery gratifying to feel that in the remarks which
propose to submit neither duty the occasion demand
OF that should advert TO- or animad upon the de-
tails Of the difficulty between the member from South
Carolina and the senator from Massachusetts since in the
view take Of the subject it will be wholly unnecessary
to do 30 for the exposition Of the propositions shall ad
vance. i 'f" sE .E.I r. ttt' r.E
1. may not however, be wholly foreign to the subject
that one Of the saddes exhibitions Of the sectional
element which undoubtedly exists h that the passion
the moment tnts with its hues and colos with ito dyes
every other subject however remote in its relations
trivial in it's consequenees Thus the press and the pulpit
and the forum of the North pernacousy seek to expand
private fracas into political conspiracy. personal
controversy and naught else but personal controversy
Is ascribed in its origin to settled design of all ol
one section against the rights and privileges of sim
gle State and yet, when the facts developed,
IL is nothing more than personal controversy, how
ever much 1t may be condemned in one section, la
no less remarkable that this sentiment is persisted in
while committee of this House. = majority Of which
Is com. .,osed Of gentlemen belonging to the dominant
party here and who think politically with the senator from
Massachusetts upon careful investigation, having the
power TO send for persons and papers, have ignored all
grounds of political conspiracy and have been wholly
unable to fix participation in the act upon any other
member person principal abettor And the mad
whr Of passion n which the country il involved s illus
raed by the absence Of all that charity Judgment which
in beahful condition of the public mind would explore
find in the ray and weakness Of nature for
which sober reason, in the abstract might condemn No
allowance made for ardent enthusastic and mpul
sve stung to the quick and justly stnng by
unprovoked assaults upon his knsman, his constituents
and his country wounded sorely upon what deemed
whether truly otherwise is immaeria defamation Of
the honored commonwealth whose fame and character
}.
excitement? You and and the House. know full we'll the
sensveness Of the people Of the old thirteen States
the services Of their ancestors the days Of trial. the days
Of the revolution when the times required men to act and
carpet knights profess These but the ndicar
OF of feeling that m the heart Of the patriot
with anxiety and solictude for the future.
For my part seek to detract from the char
acter OF any Of tho sovereign conederaed States
this Union Especially would never indulge in any feel
ing OF dstFac,o Siih regard 70 the far fame Of any
through the revelation and shared In the sorrows aud su
rings Of that gloomy but glorious 10 this respect
tndeavor to initiate the example Of my honored State
aud prase the heroic acsns Of her sisters she lets no
OCCASION by unimproved in which she could celebrate
their services and perpetuae their ame while silent
her great actions sbe reposes upon the records OF
history, and submits to the judgment Of time tribunal
whose DEGREES are rreversb because they just She
envies not any Of her sisters their merted glory She
would not touch laurel upon the brow OF that State
from whose soil shoots heaven the granite shaft which
tells the kindred stars Of the fame Of Bunker HILL and
marks the spot where Putnam fought and Warren f,l
She would wber leaf Of the aurels which twine 40
gracefully around the fair brow OF long NAV
they flourish there green az the foliage oil Carons own
eternal pnesI .. W
not 10 be denied SIR that the Union is in danger
omnous hundes are threatening the arrival Of an anu
preaching storm IL may not explode to-day sir nor to-
morrowthis year the next--but the elements are
warng and the explosion mus, come sooner or later
less the prayers Of good and the wise and the pstr
ic ascending on hiuh tn nsen ase 90 many moral cleo
trcs may dusArm the storm Of It's fury and prppiias the
Divine wrath We have 50 justly provoked We stand upon
the brink Of awful precpic and at height giddy
that II requires all our presence OF mind to maintain our
footing Nor have been warned Of danger Years
ago. the sunny fields Of that South which he loved
well and whore Nil his richest affections clustered there lived
a statesmanuow, slasi gathered to his fshers-whose
eagle detecled in the political horizon that cloud
bigger than mans hand yet destined increase In
volume and perhaps ere long TO explode It's fury In
vain did Calhoun raise his warning voice II fell upon
cold and heedless those TO whom Cassandra
prophesed within the ted walls Of Troy Sir, gov
is Of opinion not Of force The pillars which
support fabric find their bases in the az
fec,ons OF people, Alternate those affections and the
edihce must totler and fall Sir that alienation has be
gun and be checked else the historian lives who's,
pen will record the downfall OF the republic For part
II do nothing soo,be shal do nothing TO ritas
shall forbesr until forbearance shall
10 be virtue and II the crisis come shall endeayo
10 do duty the whole country and especially TO thai
section where my fortunes have fallen and where my des
tiny Is fixed. ... - NJ 80 A. !.
know, sir there Is skeptcsm In the minds Of north
gentlemen upon this subject I am aware that tb,
opinion ia uaintanedI have heard 1t avowed upon tb
~ could the South be forced out Of tn,
Union In the classic language OF the braggar that sh
cannot be 1kicked out and all intmaons that the dis
cussons OF particular subjects the Of paro
uar measures may have tendency TO weaken the bond
OF the Union and political ties deemed threat
and menaces. Sir deal in such threats menaces
dsciam any such purpose. speak in sorrow, not il
anger have too much respect for the Northtoo much
real regard for that great peopefor they indeed
great peopeo suppose that they could be driven from
their propiety BY any such base sentiment fear and
they could would to from their fears what
had right to expect from their sense Of justice.
Sir ought to this Union. The loftiest motives
press upon the noblest incentives influence us; ou
reversnce for sestors demands Il; fuur
fame nvokes IL Throughout the civilized world srone
trembe and stout hearts quake for the final result
OF the last experiment OF mans capacity for sefgovern