American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-10-11
APLRA orths COUNTRY against tho SECTIONS
SPEECH OF
HON. H: WINTER DAVIS,
OF MARYLAND,
Delirered in the U. S. House IF Reps.
On tile 7th Of Aagust, 1856.
OF MARYLANI

H.s. VT MANI AhNDp
D,lireyed in the u. S. House Of Reps.
On tie 7tA Of A4gast. 1906.
MIR. Davis of Maryland, rose and said
"ls Philip deadl No. by Jove--bul
he's sick" Such as the chatter Of the
nctious democrats of Athens. chilled
by the shadow of tho coming Chero-
nea. stss tts-,ss aEf HE
"Will Fillmore declinel No, but
he's too weak to get single State
say Democrat and Republican,, shiver-
inc before the blast ofthe coming No
vember.
Mr.. Chairman, they consult prophets
who prophecy pleasant things. Their
hopes are the oracle speaking by the
inspiration of Their interests. And yet
while they trust to the phrophecy to pro-
duce It's accomplishment, they confiden-
tally sigh, "Would it were bed time,
Hali--and all well!" That bed time
will surely come. But whether the
couch of victory or the bed of death
will be spread-aye, that's the question.
Sir, party at brag and bluff is a
suspicious witness to the goodness of
his swn hand; and the bystanders be-
lieve do not usually regard him as a
better witness to the badness of his adj
yersary's.
If Democrat and Republican have
conspired together mutually to play by
bidder at each others mock auction
to put off on tho country plated brass
for gold--the people will have the sa-
gacity to SEQ that though Liberty be on
one side, the image and superscripIion
of the Union is not on the other, and the
lacking weight will reveal the counter
felt.
j desire to make this discrimination.
! wish to enquire into tho weight of this
style Of brag, which has, to my poor un-
derslanding, exhausted the resources of
my opponents.
Say the Democrats, "Do not vote for
MIR. Fillmore, because he cannot get a
single State at the North" Say the
Republicans, "Do not vote for Mr.. Fill
more, because he cannot get single
State at the South" And both are SO
simple as to suppose by thus excluding
him from the regions of their opponents
that they have finally doalt with his
pretensions!
Why is it that two parties as wide a
part as the southern and northern poles
have conspirea together in this signif-
cant and novel way for the purpose of
denying TO their most dangerous op-
ponent strength in the regions where
the adversary of eachis strong? There
ora fnn orpo piual ,,a,f;ao hi, ,nn,,
try which claim to represent adverse
local interests. The Democratic party
rests ITSELF on it's boosted and selfarro-
gated privilege Of supporting and sus-
taining the peculiar institution of the
South. Its strength, and its whole
strength, consists in its assertion that il
alone is the defender of Southern rights
Ii is therefore dangerous to them fer a.
ny thing to arise within the limits Oft
South and claim hearing of the Sou
thern people, which truly advocates the
rights of the people and appeals to the
more elevated and noble sentiments oi
devotion to the Union and the Consti.
tuition. The gentlemen of the Repub.
lican party ofthe North aspire to repro
sent that sentiment which is likewise
local and peculiarly confined to the
boundary of The North, and having no
power beyond it. They likewise are
Jealous of the intrusion on their domain
OF any topic ofsuch stirring interest as
will call the minds Of the North away
from the contemplation ofthe perpetual
Cry; "Freedom is national, and slavery
is sectional" "lhe expressions of the
South" the equality Of the negro race.
All these minister to the excitement
in the North. They are subjects in
themselves neither interesting nor at
trative-not SO interesting or attractive
but that an appeal to the great inter
'ests OF the country, the great funda
mental principles of our Constitution
TO the great danger of the agitation o
these topics, may possibly reach the
ear of the most besotted, and startlt
the reason ofthose who are still ration
al, that they whose talk is Of negroes
and who think that the servants at the
altar should live Of the altar, may fiut
themselves preaching to empty bench
es, One, therefore, and tho other, eacl
within his own region, seeks to driv,
out and destroy everything that ma,
SOW wheat among tho tares. They
may touch anything else but these right
of sovereignty, but put forth your hand
and touch them in the very body of,hei
power and they arise and curse you t.
your face.
The Democrat is jealous Of any thing
which impeaches the high duty of ex.
tending The institution, and is impation
OF men who accept it as an existing in
stitution, to be protected as any olhe,
great national industrial interest is to be
protected.
The Republican tolerates no man
who questions the practical honesty of 9
higher law, and suggests the copscien.
Nous duty Of conformity to the practi