The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-10
SENATOR HAMMOND AT HOME.
SPEECH or nov JAMES H. HAMMOND.
Daiprod al Banleea O. H., october 20, 1858.

thank YOU very sincerely for this kind and cordial
ention To stand here and speak TO the people OF
prnwell reminds me of times long gone by. have
Ina n believe but once in than twenty years
mt those were stirring times when quarter of cen
ty ago 80 often spoke TO you here OF the constitution
and the nionof your rights and wrongs in this con-
s-Jeracv No not 10 you, but to your fathers. i am
indeed happy to recognise in this assemblage many who
r actors In those scenes but many, many more have
heeu summoned hence while you have grown up to sup
NV their places The gallant spirits who then surround
"a me here and whose kndng eyes and hcaying bosoms
natd and responded to my speech have for the most
n,rt nassed away but the theme Is still the and
i Il nv part to-day adhering with unchanged convc-
tion and undated zeal to every principle then main
tanned discourse upon the same great topics Our
Lte then WAS for the constitution and rights in
tbe Union il possible out of it, if need be- And this is
our battle now.
The lapse of thirty years has brought much experience
Ia the survivors of those who enlisted for this great cause
IN South Carolina. The veil of what then the fu-
tnna future covered with angry clouds and doubt and
darkness has been removed and looking back We now
zee the events of long years which unknown to us
The hard fought fields chequered fortunes; our vic
tories our defeats the dead the living, all then deep
buried the womb of time, all clear and papa-
bic And to those of who have been spared to make
this retrospect proud satisfaction to know that time
and have proved that principles were true and
our cause just TO recognise the unnching courage and
empowering ability with which they have been so long
maintained and to feel renewed that they must
finally and fully triumph
Your fathers confdcd ia me from the first moment that
we met upon this spot They took in their and
lifted into all the high places that were within their
reach and have had many proofs that they taught you
to confdc in they had done For this great and
generous and abiding confidence and trust knew
but one and that was that always told them
the truth according to my best knowledge and belief.
And as dealt with them shall deal with you
The last legislature of the State conferred the
high honor of seat in the Senate of the United States,
and during the late stormy session OF Congress in part
repesented YOU there. Yon will expect me to give You
some of the proceedings there, and most espe
cy of those which occupied onr-ffts of the time of
the session. and produced such great excitement through
out the comtryI alude to the Kansas question. And
as no exception has been takcn far know, to any
act of mine my course on that will take this oc-
casion to give my views in full upon it,
When, four years ago, the Kansas and Nebraska act
was passed giving governments TO those Territories was,
like most of you, private citizen. l earnestly
gagged in renovatiug old lands and creating out of
moasses hitherto impenetrabe and had little desire
expectation of ever again taking part in public affairs
as the least ambitious Of you here present made up
my mind then that this bill fraught with delusion
and trouble to the South and expressed myself all
suitable occasions.
The bill had two leading features in it, 1t enacted that
every Territory in forming its constitution for the pur
pose of applying for admission into the Union, should
have the right to establish its organic consttu
onal laws and come in with its own institutions with
the single condition that they should be republican.
Why, unless constitution is mere waste paper, all
institutions shals and our theory of selfgovern
ment aacy this principle and privileges their essence
lies at the bottom of the whole and constitutes the
stone. II Is the very right for which fathers fought
and made revolution. might not have refused to
affirm itbut it was supcrcrogatory; it might well weaken
the whole structure to dig up, for the purpose Of ycf
cation its foundation.
The other feature of the bill was the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise line. That was already repeal
ed. 1t had long fulfilled its mission. 1t had calm
ed the troubled waters for time 1t obsolete until
the annexation of Texas, when acceded to the de-
mand to extend 1t through the northern deserts of that
State. But when California cameCalifornia that should
have BEEN and may yet be, slave State--and de-
manded to extend that line to the Pacific and thus Sc
for the South portion Of the magnificent territory
purchased in part by her blood and treasure it re
sed. Then that line botted out everywhere and
forever. To repeal it was mere formality The ST.
preme Court has recently pronounced it unconstitutional
and so the repeal was In no respect of any Importance
But this bill with these two features neither of them
Of any practical importance, magnicd and exaggerated
by orators and newspapers into great southern victory
led the South into the dcusion that Kansas might be
made slave State, and induced it to Join in false and
useless ISSUE which has kept the whole country in tur-
MOL for the last four years. and gave fresh life and vgor
to the abolition party.
Through the most disgusting AS well as tragic scenes
Of fraud and force the Territory of Kansas at last came
before Congress for admission as State with what is
known the Lecompton constitution mbodying slavery
among its provisions. But at the same time the conven-
lion, ly an ordinance, demanded of the United States
some twenty three millions of of land instead of
The four millions usually allowed to States contain
ing public lands 1T was almost certain that majority of
The people OF Kansas were opposed to this constitution
but would not vote 1t and this additional nineteen
millions, which, If allowed, would probably have kept
them again from the polls was what the South was
expected to pay for that worthless slavery clause which
would have been annnlled Kansas admit
TED confess my opinion that the South herself
should kick that constitution out of Congress But the
south thought otherwise. When the bill for its atop-
ZION was framed with what is called the Green pro-
'so, strenuously objected to it, and felt very
much disposed to vote against the whole, but again
gave up to the South, which accepted it by acca-
hn'on II that proviso meant nothing, and
unexpected It, 1t was nonsense and ; business there,
oelng without precedent II it could be made to mean
anything, 1t must have been something wrong and dan
gerous But said, the South took that bill far and
Vide The house rejected it, They passed then the Crit
hden substitute which proposed to submit the Iecomp-
h constitution to vote of the people of Kansas and
accept it, If ratified by them The Senate had previously
refused that substitute, and did second time. 1t
ooh asked committee of conference That committee
reported what is called the English BILL" BY that bill
ohess accepted the Lccompton constitution pure aud
nhpe without proyiso. The land ordinance Of the Le-
'ompton convention, which in wise part of the
nsutuon, but separate measure, demanded, have
u Donation of some twenty three millions of of
anu being nineteen millions than had been given
any other land State The English bill cut this down
".ne usual amount of four millions of acres, and
eu mat the people of Kansas should ratiy this modi
""aeoa and surrender all claim to the remainder of
e lands, as the condition of her final admission. Such
o., lu'siuon has been made every State, carved
~ !" Tue public lands that has been admitted into this
sometimes in the enabling act, and, where there
not one, always after accepting the constitution. Go
any, statutes OF Congress and you will find it in every
-, 'aeih IL Is the custom, II Is necessary and this