Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-03-04
MR. TOOMB's REPLY TO MIR. HALE,s
sPEECH On ThE PRESIDENTS NJ AM
sAS MEssAGE-A GOOD HIT.


Presidents Kansas message is remarkable for
its compactness brevily and clearness. The able
Senator wasted no words, but went right to the
main points Of The case. The speech was in re-
| ply to speech made on the same subject by
Mr. Hale, Senator from New Hampshire Mr.
Toombs after arguing the points involved, on
principle, addressed himself with great effect
to charge made By Senator Hale. Said Sena-
tor Toombs:
| regretted exceedingly to hear the Senator
from New Hampshire, few days since, say
| that the North had always been practically in
a minority in Congress, because we of the South
! bought up as many northern men as we wanted
| The people ofthe South-one-third only of the
white population of the United States-are thus
deliberately charged by a northern Senator
with ruling the republic and putting the North
In a practical minority for fifty years by pur-
chasing up his countrymen. Sir, stand here
to-day, in behalf of The North to repel the ac-
cusntlon.
| Mr.. HALE. Who made it?
Dir. TooMBS. You said it; have it before
| me III your printed speech heard it delivered,
and you are correctly reported. | deny it; it
| Is Islander Oh my countrynen Northern
.
ties to suit purchasers for fifty years! New
Hampshire sell her honor and her interest 10
southern slave-drivers! If it had been true,
it would rather become her own son to have
thrown the mantle over her shame, and con
cealed it from all eyes, even his own, than to
have become her accuser. think the senator
may search in vain, even in the bitterest
TRADES of abuse and villi6cation ever uttered
| by those whom he terms "border rufians,' for
any language so strong, any accusation so dis
graceful as that made by himself against his
own countrymen.
\ What proof is offered US in support Of this
accusation? lie pointed MS to the annexation
OF Texas. Perhaps" said the Senator, in this
connection, that was northern aggression"
The question OF the annexation of Texas was
first brought before this body in a treaty made
by President Tyler; it was rejected by a large
majority, composed of majority of the South,
as well as the North. 1t was adopted as a
1 party measure by the democratic convention
in 1874, which nominated Mr.. Polk. 1t was
openly and fairly put before the people of the
United States; everyw here discussed and CON-
mented upon; emblazoned on every democratic
banner throughout the Union, and decided by
the people il favor OF annexation. 1t was car
ried by great majority in New Hampshire
! presume against the Senator's eloquence,
\ who, if | mistake not, wgs turned out of his
old party for opposing it. Were the people
who supported this measure bought by the
4 SOUTH? Who bought the hardy intelligent
sons of New Hampshire? What pay did they
receive? Who was rich enough to buy them 2
| Sir, | remember to have seen il related of one
OF the poorest of her sons, Ethan Allen, that
when it was attempted to seduce him from his
fidelity to his country, he Indignantly replied,
r. Poor ! am, the King of England is not
rich enough to buy me- Applause, Sir
whether the story be true of him or not, doubt
not that there are thousands and tens of thou
sands Of the incorruptible patriots OF the land
Of Ethan Allen, who would proudly have made
the same reply to the same temptation. These
men have not been bought, nor can they be
either cajoled or inundated BY the senator
1 from New Hampshire. They supported the
annexation of Texas because they believed it
was to the public interest; that it was a
measure of sound policy. 1t was proposed by
the party with whom they acted; they approved
and adopted it. 1t was everywhere party,
and not sectional issue. Nearly oHe-half Of
the South opposed il, but majority of both
sections approved it. 1t is not true that those
| gallant and patriotic statesmen Of New Hamp-
shire who supported this measure at home and
here were bought and bribed to support this
measure, or in any way to betray their State
or their section. Many of them we're known
and revered by friends and opponents through
out the Union. Some of them now are gathered
| to their fathers, fill honorable graves, and
around whose tombs cluster pleasant memories,
untainted by dishonor. Woodbury., Anterior,
and Norris, long known and honored by New
Hampshire, have thus passed away. Who bought
/ them? In the name of truth, of Justice, Of
my country and for New Hampshire, | repel
the charge.
New York supported that measure. Who
bought her representatives? Who bought
Pennsylvania? Who bought the men Of the
great West They supported it. Who bought
and who paid for Indiana, Illinois, and Michi-
gan? They supported that measure. These
| Wholesale, baseless, and unfounded charges will
not ntimidate, but they ought to arouse the
men Of the North to vindicate their honor, by
Indignantly repeing their libellers from their
counsels.
The northern men who support and maintain
their own opinions on great constitutional
| questions, and have the fearless independence
to follow their convictions of duty, in the ele-
| CANT vocabulary Of the friends Of humanity"
are usually termed "dough-faces"-" dough.
! faces bought mp by the South to betray the
North. Who bought the Nestor Of the Senate,
(Mr Csss, who, with patriotic frmness, maintain.
ed his constitutional opinions, and voted against
restriction, amid the yels and shreks Of his
abolition detraclors? He is commonly repre-
scented by this class as the chief Of slough
faces" Did the fourteen senators from the
nonslaveholdng States who voted for the Kan
sas bill sell out themselves and their country?
II is true that some Of them have fallen vic
\ tins to temporary causes The abolitionists
and the darklantern conspiracy in some States
fraternized, and succeeded in cutting some Of
them down. Such things are to be expected
in all free countries. We cannot be wholly ex-
empt from errors and decisions. Madness will
sometimes, but only for time, rule the hour"
| We must take the good with the evil, with the
| firm trust that popular intelligence and patriot
ism will finally vindcate themselves, and come
| to the support of the right.
| The Senator seeks every occasion to ally
himself and his cause with the North hence he
4 artfully defends the Puritans from imputations
| which my friend from Tennessee Mr.. Jones
| had never cast upon them. He told US the
North would fight. believe that nobody ever
| doubted that any portion Of the people Of the