True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-09-17
Hon. Henry W, Davis.


In speech in the House Of Represen-
tatives delivered on the 9th inst. Hon.
Henry w. Davis. thus rebuked those who
are SO silly as to declare the result Of the
Presidential election would in any event
produce dissolution Of the Union
There are men who 90 about the
country deClaiming about the inc yitable
consequences of the Election Of Fremont,
and tue question is asked whether that sim
pie fact is not sufficient. not merely to jus.
lify, but tJrequlre dissolution OF the
Union. The question has been asked me
10 day-that is question | do not regard
as even subject Of discussion. 1t will
never be done while men have their rea-
son. 1t will never be done until some
party, bent upon acquiring party power,
shall again and again exasperate beyond
the reach OF reason Of the Northern and
Southern minds, as many Southern
friends have now exasperated the North
ern mind. IL would be an act of suicide,
and sane men do nOt commit suicide.
The act itself is insanity. 1t will be
done, if ever, in tempest oil fury and
madness which cannot stop to reason.
Dissolution means death, the suicide Of
liberty, without hope of resurrection
death without tie glorIes of immortality;
with no sister To mourn her fall, none to
wrap her decenlly III her winding sheet
and bear her teudelly to sepuIchre--.
dead Liberty, left 10 all the horror Of cor
ruption, a loalhsome thing, with stake
through the body, which men shun, cast
oui naked on the highway Of nations,
where the tyrants of earth who feared her
hvnp, Nil mock her dead, passing OIL
the other side, waggng their heads, and
thrusIing their tongues in IheiI cheek at
her saying, behold her, how she that was
fair among the nations is fallen is fallen!
and only Tie few wise men thaL loved
her out Of every nation will shed tears
over her desolation as they pass, and
cast handiuls Ui earth on her body 10 qui.
et her names, while we, her children,
stumble about her ruined habllatiOns to
find dshonorable graves wherein to hide
our shame; dissolution how shall i, be !
who shall make it Do men dream of
Lot and Abraham parting, one to the
Easl and the olher to the West, peaceful
ly, because their servants strive ! That
States will divide from States, and boun-
dry lines will be marked by compass and
chain. Sir, that will be portentous
commission that shall settle that portion,
for cannon will be planted al the corners,
and grinning skeletons be finger posts 10
point the way. 1t will be no line gently
marked on the bosom OF Republic-some
meandering vein whence generations of
her children have drawn their n0urIsh-
menl-bul sharp and jagged chasm,
rending the hearts of great Common
weaths, laceraled and smeared with ira
ternal blood. On lhe night when The
stars Of her constellation shall fall from
heaven, the blackness of darkness forever
will settle on the Liberties of mankind in :
the Western World. This is dlssolu-
iion.
II such, sir is dissolution as seen in a
glass dArkly, how terrible will it be lace
to face! They who reason about it are
hal crazy now. They who talk of it do
not mean it. They who peak in earnes.
of dissolution of this Union, seem to
me like children of madmen. He who
would do such deed as that would be
the maniac without The tongue to tell the
deed, or reason to arrest his steps-an in.
strument Of mad impulse, impelIed by
one idea 10 smite his victim. Sir, there
have been maniacs who have been cured
by horror at the blood they Rave shed.
Gentlemen ask, if Mr.. Fremont be
elected, how will Maryland go!-what
will Maryland do? | do not allow that
question to be asked. She knows but
one country and but one Union. Her
glory is in it. Her rights are bound up
in it. Her children shed their blood for
it, and they will do it again. Beyond it,
she knows nothing. She does not reck-
on whether there is more advantage in
the Union to the North or the Soulh-
she does not calculate its value--nor does
she cast up an account of profit and loss
on the blood of her children. That is
my answer to that question
Bu, sir, is it not portentous to hear the
members of party contesiing for the
Presidency, menace dissolution and revol-
ulion as the penalty they will inaict on
the victors for defeating them. People
| who do not hold the Union worth four
years deprivation of Office are scarcely
, safe repositories of It's powers