The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-07-29
ngmARKs OF HON. DAVID 8. REID
In the United States Senate, July I'd, 1856,
on the bill for the admission Of Kansas.

on the bill toT the admission q hdnSdS'
/ have forborne, sir, (said Mr.. Reid) to
say anything in regard to this important
| question, because deemed it unnecessary
to do so; but perhaps | should not perform
my duty were not to say what | honestly
believed in regard to this subject. think,
/ if there is anything that is perfectly clear,
| il is that the trainers of the Constitution in
| tended that the several States of this Union
should regulate and control their domestic
| institutions according to their own will.
understand the Senator from New York,
| fMr. Seward and those who act with him,
to take the ground that they are opposed
to slavery. Whether the Territory of Kan
sas become free or a slave State, will not
make one slave mere or less; then the opp0-
sition to Kansas being admitted into the
Union as q slave State, is not because, by
its being slave State. the number of slaves
Is to be increased. The Senator from New
York and those other Senators to whom
have referred. take the ground that, under
the Constitution, neither the Congress of
the United States. nor any of the States of
the Union in which slavery does not exist,
have n right to interfere with it where 1t
does exist; but while they say this, the Sem
ator from New York has tonight proclaim
cd that his object in admitting no more
slave States into the Union is to compel
those States tn empancipate their slaves at
an earlier day than they would otherwise
do. Here, then, the Senator from New York
has proclaimed the doctrine that it is the
avowcd object of himself and those who act
with him. to do, by inGirection, that which
the Constitution Of the United States ex-
pressly furbids them to do.
Now, Mr.. President. permit me to say
and | give it as solemn conviction of my
iudgment-that whenever majority of the
people Of the Northern States becomes pre-
pared to endorse the doctrine which has
been avowed by the Senator from New York,
this Union cannot last an hour longer. Be
licving this solemnly, as | do, | think L do
no more than discharge duty which owe
to our friends at the North, frfnkly to say
to them, that, if they adopt this doctrine,
and pursue this policy, a dissolution Of the
Union must and will ensue.
| yield TO no man in my devotion to
Union, according to the Constitution; but
when the Constitution of the United States
is to be trampled under foot, and become
dead letter, no longer to be preserved, this
Union cannot last; and l desire to say to
the Senators representing the North, if you
wish to preserve this Union, meet us in the
spirit our revolutionary ancestors met i'll
common cause in defence of liberty; meet
US in the spirit in which the trainers of the
Constitution met and framed Constitu-
ton, di<carding all local questions, placing
themselves upon common ground, to per-
petuate the principles of freedom among
white men, and to establish Government
of freedom and prosperity which has had no
parallel on the face of the earth. l invoke
northern Senators, and the people of the
North, to go home and take care of their
own race there. If you have blacks, as
there are in most of the free States, extend
to them your charity and philanthropy, but
let Us alone, and let our colorcd population
alone. for they are we'll fed and we'll cloth
ed. If they are to US an injury, if they re-
tard our prosperity, we shall, in good time,
discover it, and you cannot drive us into
the emancipation of our slaves until we
choose to accomplish it by our own free
will. You make great mistake, for, as
you increase the violence of agitation on
this subject, so in proportion you retard en-
ancipation. You cannot drive freemen in
to your notions. We do not go among you
to interfere with the rights of your proper
ty; we do not go among you to lecture you
in regard to your duty at home; we do not
60 among you to excite portion of your
population TO rebellion and insurrectlon; we
simply ask you to let us alone as we let you
alone. But this doctrine, that you will not
give an equal opportunity to people from
all parts of the Union to occupy Territory
and form a State constitution according to
their own will, because you desire to force
us to do thing which the Constitution of
the United States forbids you to do. will aot
be tolerated.
Mr.. President, rose merely for the pur-
pose of warning our friends at the North,
that, if they desire the perpetuation of this
Union. and the maintenance of free insti-
tutions, they should be careful not to adopt
and carry into execution the views entertain
ed by the Senator from New York, the Sem
ator from Massachusetts, and those who CO.
operate with them; for as certainly as any
thing can possibly be, if that state of things
is to be forced upon the South, this Union
cannot last, and the proudest Government
and the happiest people upon the face of
the earth may find themselves in anarchy
and Confusion, and the fairest hopes of
those who arc the advocates of free govern
ment throughout the earth must be blasted
and destroyed forever. l am no alarmist
| have not risen for the purn0se of throat