Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-15

lion. He bad very great doubts whether the
,onosition desired to defeat the bill. They
were striving only to crush out its friends
10 the North. They intend to make Kansas
a free State, but they intend while it is
slave State TO use it as a means Of overthrow
ing 10 the North the party that favors ITS ad-
mission. Gov. IL. said that regarding the
whole movement as designed to operat'
against domestic institution of the South
ern States, be was prepared to discuss the
merits Of that institution, but was not dispo-
sed any l)nger to consider i, in IFS abstract
form. He would oulv discuss slavery as
actieal question lie wanted the issue set
tied as coon as possible. and was anxious u
bring tae North ADD the South face to tace,
tn 1t they might see where they stood, and
how they would stand in the event Of disunlon
what the resources and prospects OF each
uld be 10 that cont ngency. Tie o)uth,
he said, has eight huudred aud fifty th'us-
and square miles of territory, an area as
large az that covered by Great Britain,
France, Austria, Prussia. and Ssain. TIE
North, even after the admission ot the two
large territories of kauss- and Minnesota,
will fall one hundred thousand square miles
>
the territory lying west OF the 'cky NOM"
tains, which will never come into antagonism
wi h the South We have the best sol, the
best climate, indispensable productions thai
canno, be grown elsewhere, shore line OF
three thousand miles, and 80 iudented with
bays and crowded with islands as to make
the whole measurement twelve thousand
miles. Through the heart of our country
runs the mighty Mississippi, into whose bo-
som are poured thirty-.ix thousand miles OF
tributary streams. Ia the great valley 1t
drains, will be the scat Of the worlds eEpirc.
We have population four times az large rs
that whi,h conquered our independence, and
a thousand fold as strong. Upon ouT muster
roles We have a million of men. At any
time the South can raise, equip aud MAINTAIN
in the field larger force than any power On
earth can send against her--men, too,
brought up on horseback, with guns In their
hands The wealth OF people ID to be esu
mated by their surplus productions. All the
enterprises of peace and war depend on
what nation il able to spend The reports
of the Secretary of the Treasury show that
the exports of the United States amounted
last year to S270 100000. exclusive of gold
and foreign merchant 20 re-cxpor'ei. VI
this amount, the productions Of the South
are 1885 ,000.0 600. 10 addition to thi- we
send to the Northern States $50 OUOOOO Ut
our staples. making our surplus pr 'ductlons
worth 1920, 100000, equal to $40 10 per
head of our population, supposing 1t TO be
twelve millions, dividend which no nation
on earth can show.
With this summary Of the Senator'S speech
thus far. we give the conclusion in his own
words
With an export Of 1920, 0O0,sO0 under the
present tariff, the South organized separately
would have about $40 OOO, 900 Of rcvcnue.--
With one fourth the present tariff she would
have a revenue adequate to all her wants, Tor
the South would never go TO war; she would
never need an army or navy, beyond lew
earrisons on the frontiers and few revenue
cutters. 1t is commerce that breeds war II
is MANUFACTURES that require 10 DO ha~ked
about over the world, and give rise to nasies
and commerce. But we have nothing t. do
but to take off restrictions on foreign mer-
chandise and open our ports, and the Whole
world will come to us to trade. Tney will
be too glad to bring and carry for MS, and
We never shall dream Of war. Why, sir,
the South has never yet bad just cause OF
war. Every time che has seized her sword 1t
has been on the point Of honor, and that
point of honor has been mainly loyalty to
her sister colonies and sister States, who have
ever since piunde7ed aud illuminated her.
But if there were no other reason why we
should never have war, would any sane ma
ton make war on cotton? Without firing a
gun, without drawing sword, when they
make war on us We can bring the whole world
to our feet. The South is perfectly com.
petent to 20 on, one, two, or three years with
ont planting q seed of cotton. believe that
# she was to plant but half her cotton, 1t
would be an immense advantage to her. l
am not 80 sure bot that after three years cessa-
ton she would come out stronger than ever she
was before, aud better prepared to enter
afresh upon her great career OF enterprise.
What would happen il no cotton was furnish
ed for three years? | will not stop to depict
what every one can imagine, but this Is GER
tain; old England would toprle headong and
carry the whole civilized world with her.
No, sir, you dare not make war on cotton.
No power on earth dares make war upon II.
Cotton is king. Until lately the Bank OF
England was king, but she tried to put her
screw as usual, the fall before last, upon the
cotton crop, and was utterly vanquisbed.
The last power has been cooquered. Who
can doubt it that has looked at recent events!
When the abuse OF credit had destroyed
credit and annihilated confidence, when
thousands Of the strongest commercial houses
in the world were coming down and hundreds
of millions of dollars of supposed property
eyaporating 10 thin air. when you came to
dead lock, aud revolutions were threateued,
what brought you up? Fortunately tor you
it was the com mencement Of the cotton sea-
son. and we have poured in upon you one
million six hundred thousand bales OF cotton,
lust at the crisia, to save you from sinking.
The cotton, but for the bursting Of your
speculative bubbles 10 the North, which pro-
duced the whole of this emulsion, would
have brought us 100000 600. We have
soId il for 500 10000 and saved you
Thirty FIVE millions dollars We. the slave
holders of the S ,utb, have pot into the
charity box Of your magnificent fnanclers,
your cotton lords, your merchant princes.
But, sir, the greatest strength OF the South
arises from the harmony of her political and
socal institutions. This harmony gives her
frame of society, the best in the world, and
an extent of political freedom, combined with
entire security, such as no other people ever
snioyed upon the face of the earth. Society
precedes government; creates It, and ough'