The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-10-09
EXTRACTS FROM A SPEECH OF THE HON VIM
L. YANCEY

Mr.. 1ancey began his remarks by stating thal nc
should not entertain his fellow citizens, who had done
him the honor to be present that OCCASION with the
slime and filth of politics. but should treat OF those great
and vital principles which the peace, the prosperity,
and perpety of the Onion depended and proceeded by
saying that
One year ago the northern and southern democracy,
aying themselves together upon the great principles OF
the Kansas and Nebraska act achieved the most remark
able and momentous political victory in annals.
Black-repubicanism in alliance with northern know
nottingham had obtained control of the great popular
branch Of the government and then essayed TO seize the
Executive chaito possess themselves of the sword
well the treasure of the Union. Nothing but union
Of the South for the sake of constitutional Union could
have hoped 10 make head against that powerful array of
fanacism and unprinciped ambition But in that hour
of the countrys dangers that union effected III we
may be allowed to ignore unfortunate Maryland and
fourteen southern States dsregang all past party SYM
pathies antipathes alone to the dangers
vroning the country, and to the remedies proposed for
its deiveranceand dsregarding the facous appeals of
southern know nothngs united under the banner the
great national democratic party, drove back the hordes
of back epubcanism and placed at the head OF the
ecutve department q statesman distinguished alike for
experience wisdom, prudence and generally correct
views OF the relations OF the slavery question to the con-
stitution.
Had the victory not been achieved who here doubts
that the Union would have been dissovedhat it would
now have been wTecka thing of history But great
and satisfactory that victory, eow-ctzens, you
have still another work to perform before you have
tirey driven these political Vandas from the Capitol
eminent from their possession and to complete your t
umph and give unity to your design you must arm the
national democracy with the Legislative well as with
the executive power of the country That is the work
which Is to be in part performed as far as Alabama is
concerned, Monday next Then, now, you had
two parties to contend wth--the black-republican
and the know-nothing parties The first is the bold,
ppen and avowed enemy OF the institutions of the South
and designs to pervert the power of this government to
their overthrow. The second national party, may
be considered dissolvedts members now acting in
the northern States in full harmony of purpose with the
freesoers and in the southern States simply in opposi
ton to the democracy leading principles,
opposition to naturalization aws-amdst the
mighty dangers threatening the Unon having about
little of dignity of purpose and of effectiveness in action
has that little bird of the Nile which spends exist
in picking foreign substances from between the teeth
of the sleeping crocodile.
In this particular district however, have the oppo
sition party under name Defeated twice under
their true name-that of know-nothng-they have Ia
ken counsel of their fears and discarded their former
rogance and all that they resolved upon at their recent
convention at Auburn was to adopt the name of
Z" American and wing parties - When remember
the knownothing abuse Of old whggeryt arrogant
assumption that they not responsible for the OBJ
noxious acts and violated pledges of the wing party
their boast that they had risen upon the ruins of the
wing and democratic parties is at loss which most
to admrehe vgor and power Of those castgations CIV
en- to -nothingism by the democratic and anti
knownothing party and which have eectually cured
it of its PRIDE arrogance, and vanity the cool mpu
is ready to don the old garments and of the
gallant old wing party and to defend and uphold it STILL
with all its :" obnoxious acts and violated pledges I!
This ewly-named party, however, has contrived to
pick up principle since the has opened and has
rendered to issue upon the Kansas question
Though no supporter of the Kansas actthough in fact
having denounced it in former days fee-soil meas
uret that its principles have been violated by
Gov Walker and that in spite of the act and in viola
ton of its principles President Buchanan and the demo-
cratic party design to make Kansas free State This
issue we have been compelled to meet, and called
upon to choose between the democracy the voator of
the Kansas act and the know nothngs, its new-hedged
friends We might very well object that the precedens
of the know-nothng party unfit it for the office of accu
ser on this issue Its national convention of February
1856, repealed the 18th section of former platform
which pledged the party to stand by the Kansas act It's
candidate for the presidency denounced that act and par
tcuary the repeal of the instrumentation line,
ise and conceived for purposes of unworthy per-
sona ambition and the party has frequently through its
press in this State discouraged southern emigration to
Kansas.
The spirit of this outcry in behalf of the South may
well be attributed to disposition to drag down the
national democracy than to elevate and protect the
South When that party enacts law to protect south
ern rights is opposed and the law denounced good
free-sol measure When the principle of the law hap
pens be violated in its administration that adminstra
ton Is denounced of free-sol tendencies If the
law is freesoil measure, it would that violation
of its principles would be opposing freeso success But
with these hypocrcal patriots the itself is free
SOIL and the violation Of the is free soil, too
But waving of the character of the
SER we willing to allow that the Kansas act great
democratic measure and the democratic party respon
sibe for the in which it administered The
sponsibty Ii ours, and must meet it, and abide the
Judgment of the country upon the manner in which
sustain ourselves
The question: then, is have the principles of the Kan
act been violated? and by whom!
In considering the first question, we should inquire
which those principles far the slavery issue is
concerned?
They are FIRST equality Of privilege in settling in the
Territory Second the transfer by Congress to the peo
pie of the Territory of all control the settlement of
their domestic affairs leaving their subjects free to but
restriction, and that that their action should be
in accordance with the constitution of the United States
Third providing for tribunal which should have the
power to judge to the constitutionay of that settle
ment by giving appeal to the Supreme Court of the
United States The fourth the right of the people there
to into the Union State with without slavery
their constitution may provide.
The two leading general principles which that act
rests the equality of the North and South in the Ter
roy and the right of the people there to form their in
situations for themselves Both the great sections of the
country have taken deep interest in the development of
this system of segovernment in the Territory of Kansas
Both sections have contributed material aid in men and
money in the hope of realizing the advantages
from preponderance of numbers Let us waive the
question whether indeed the North has used at least
questionable means to carry its point.
The result that the South has succeeded in the two
great and controlling pointsof carrying the Legislature
and thus obtaining legislative protection and of securing
large preponderance in the convention called to frame
constitution The operation of the act thus far has been
to open to Territory from which we had been exclu
ded by the Missouri act and to give the South all the
desired for forming a prosaye State The only