Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-05-10

Senate, how his particular desire TOR freedom
over Gods heritage" was to be grati6ed, or its
qualification impeded by the removal of q slave
from one State to another.
The fmsy nature of these pretexts sufices
to show that there is another motive behind
and that motive has been avowed in the other
House much more candidly than in this. The
motive is q struggle for power--for political
power-for the chance of subverting that equal
ity of the States to which have adverted; not
for power in the other branch, because whether
a slave is in Louisiana or in Kansas, he is
equally entitled to be counted in the basis of
Federal representation, and the number Of
Federal Representatives would be the same.
The struggle is for power here, on this floor.
1t was trinmphantly avowed, the other day, by
the Senator from Massachusetts. He told us,
with smile of conscious superiority which is
so becoming him, that the North would.taka
this matter into its own hands; it would thin
out around here, and send men who would
follow his lead and show the country what
true Democratic administration would be. Ay,
sir, it is struggle for power in this body; and
for what purpose? My honorable friend from
Alabama, Mr.. Clay,] in the mastery speech
which he delivered the other day in the Senate,
drew back the curtain behind which these con-
spirators are endeavoring to sap the very foun-
dations of the Constitution of their country.
The object is to attain such power as shall put
these parties in possession of sufficient repre-
sentation, in both branches Of Congress, to
change the Federal Constitution, and to deprive
the South of that representation which is already
inadequate to protect her rights. When that
shall have been done-when she is reduced to
a feeble minority, utterly incompetent to move
hand or foot, and bound subserviently to the
will of the North-then will the last act of the
drama be played; and then will the Abolition
sentiments which they hide now, but which
they eHteJtain in their heart of hearts, be de-
veloped to the country, and ruin and des6lstion
spread over fifteen of the States of this Union.
That is the object-disguised, concealed, but
through the fimsy veil by which
they attempt to conceal their nefarious pur-
poses.
Now Mr.. President this being the sole motive
for which the North is struggling-the acquisi-
ton of power-will the Senate permit me to be
so far wanting in respect for its intelligence as
to say few words in comparison of the in
terests which the South holds in this stake?
Property, safety, honor-existence itself
depend on the decision of the questions which
are now pending in this Congress: property,
for $2,0OO,000,000 cannot purchase, at low
average price, the slaves which now belong to
the people of the South, whilst no human
calculation can reach the estimate of the de-
struction of other property which would neces-
sarily be involved in any measure which should
deprive US of our slaves; safety, because our
now kept in proper subjection,
peaceful and laborious would be converted in
to an idle, reckless, criminal population, eager
for rapine and murder, led on to their foul
purposes by infsmed passions-pas in.
famed by fanatical emissaries from another
portion of common country, who formed a
government to cherish brotherly feel
ings; honor, because we should be degraded
from our positions of free, sovereign, self
Northern will; existence-ay, existence itself
because the history Of Hayti is written in
characters SO black, so dark, SO prominent, that
we cannot be ignorant of the fate that awaits
us if measures similar to those which have pro.
duced that result there are also to be inaugu-
rated in our Southern States.
Now, Mr.. President when we see these two
interests contrasted-the North struggling for
he possession Of power to which she has no
legitimate claim under the Constitution, for the
sole purpose of abusing that power-tbe South
struggling for property, honor, safety-all that
IS dear TO man-tell me If the history Of the
world exhibits an example Of a people occupying
more ennobling attitude than the people Of the
south? To vitupefation they oppose calm
reason. To menaces and threats Of violence,
md insulting assumptions of superiority, they
lisdain reply. To direct attacks on their rights
Or their honor, they appeal to the guarantees Of
.he Constitution; and when those guarantees
shall fail, and not till then, will the injured,
outraged South throw her sword into the scale
,f her rights, and appeal to the God Of battles
% do her justice. ] say her sword, because l
I'm not one Of those who believe in the posi-
Dility OF a peaceful disruption Of the Union. 1t
cannot come until every possible means of con-
ciliation have been exhausted; it cannot come
intil every angry passion shall have been
-oused; it cannot come until brotherly feeling
hall have been converted into deadly hate;
md then, sir, with feelings embittered by the
consciousness Of injustice, or passions high
wrought and inhamed, dreadful will be the in
ernecine war that must ensue.
Mr.. President amongst what consider TO
De the most prominent dangers that now exist
s the fact that the leaders Of the Republican
Party at the North have succeeded in persuad-
ng the masses OF the North that there is no
langer. They have finally SO wrought upon
he opinion Of their own people at home by the
md the same false principles, that the people
of the North cannot be made to believe that
he South is in earnest, Notwithstanding its
calm and resoute determination which pro-
luces the quiet so omnious Of evil IL ever the
clouds shall burst. The people Of the North
are taught to laugh at the danger Of dissolution.
One honorable senator is reported TO have said,
with exquisite amenity, that the South could
not be kicked out of the Union. The honora.
bic senator from New York says:
"The Shareholders, in spite Of all their threats,
are bound to it by the same bonds, and they
are bound to il also by bond peculiarly their
'pn-that Of dependence on u for their orn
'afety. Three miiiions Of slarcs are hostile
force constantly in their presence in their gerry
midst. The servile war is always the most
fearful form of war. The porld pithom sym
pdfhizcs Difh the serriie enemy. Against that
war the American Union is the only defence OF
the slaveholders---thei only protection. III ever
they shall, in a season of madness, recede from
that Union, and provoke that war, they will
soon come back again"
The honorable senator from Massachusetts,
Mr. Wilson, INDUCES in the repetition Of
4 ~uro ,f rbctox,c that secma rcculiavlv IN