Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-12-02
From the Boston (Abolition) Journal.
Senator Hammond's Speech.


From the Boston (Abolitiou) Journal.
Senator Hammond's Speech.
The recent speech of Senator Hammond Of
South Carolina, at Barnwell, in that State, isa
remarkable document. In thorough devotion to
the interests cf slavery Mr.. Hammond is the leg
itimate disciple Of Mr.. Calhoun, whose indepen-
dence and frankness he also rivals. Heis think
ing man, statesman reposing on his own ideas,
whose opinions are always worth attending to,
however they may differ from those most in vogue.
At the present time he is also representative
man, speaking in behalf Of interests which have
hitherto ruled the country, and whose future poll
cy recast to new exigencies, is now being made
up. In reading Senator Hammond's speech, in
this light, we have been struck with two or three
primary points:
In the first place, Senator Hammond takes his
position in the van Of those who declare that sa-
very is good thing per &C. and the indispensably
good thing to this country. He allows no room
for mistake on this point-his language being ex-
plicit sweeping and hearty. ~ believe" he
says, "that God created negroes for no other pur-
pose than to be the hewers of wood and drawers
Of water-that is, to be slaves Of the white race
and wish to see them in that capacity on every
spot on the surface Of the globe where their labor
is necessary or beneficial. Nor do I doubt that
such will be the final result" Therefore, he con-
sistently blames the eminent Southern men who
have had the weakness to acknowledge slavery
was wrong; singing out Washington, who "emau-
cipated his slaves" and Jefferson, who "bitterly
denounced the system and did all be could to des-
troy it," and the "Clays, Marshals and CraW.
These men, says Senator Hammond, came near
r,,nn;no tko 9outb hv fhair erronaoua viewa q
catastrophe which was preveated by "a few bold
spirits" who took the question up and compelled
its consideration anew. The result is, that ''it
would now be difficult to And o Southern man who
feels the system to be the slightest burthen on his
conscience" while "the very negro who, as
prime laborcr, would have brought four hundred
dollars in 1928, would now, with thirty more years
upon him, sell for eight hundred dollars" In
the plenitude Of his faith in slavery he styles the
belief 10 emancipation "new found superstition"
This point. whether regarded as personal or
representative expression, is very important to the
subject in hand.
In the second place, Senator Hammond disaents
from the majority of ultra Southern men in re-
gard to many practical measures. He never bad
any hopes that Kansas could be made slave
State and he confesscs that his opinion was that
"the South herself should kick the Lecompton
Constitution out Of Congress" He thought. at
the very first, that the Nebraska bill-was fraught
With mischief to the South, and the Kansas trou
ble has only confirmed him in that view. In res
pect to the future. be has no hopes of the reopen
ing of the African slave trade and he thinks that,
without that step, the annexation Of Cuba would
prove injurious rather than otherwise. lie is op-
posed to further annexation on our southwestern
border, considering that profitable slave labor has
reached its limits in that direction. He fully ad-
mits, therefore, that the slave States can never
compete with the free in population and political
power. But he shows that the South, even when
divided, has made and unmade tariff, bank and
internal improvement systems, according as the
majority wished--what then can she not now do,
when che is unit! Anti slavery agitation, he
contends, Is everywhere dying out, and cannot be
revived in this country II the South offers no prac.
tica question to feed its flames, and it has really
none to offer, in bis judgment. All that is requi-
site, in Senator Hammond's view, to the continued
ascendaucy Of the South, for he says, I'VE now
have o President and bis Cabinet; o majority in
both Houses Of Congress; Supreme Court of the
United States and still hosts Of allies in the free
States"-is to cultivate the aid Of those faithful
allies in the free States. This done, ell opposi-
ton will dis out by the giving up of ell such fu-
tile topics IS the opening Of the slave trade, and
the annexation Of more slave territory. This pro-
gramme, while it implicitly admits that the South
has heretofore offered all the occasions for excite
ment on the subject Of slavery, deserves great at
tention as indicating change of tactics exceed
iuply important-if only in its announcement from
so hiqh quarter-at the present .juneture.
But, unfortunately, the mildly expressed pro-
positions Of Senator Hammond are all vitiated and
poisoned By the spira in which they are stepped.
The whole sum and substance of his speech is this,
We of the South now control the country let Us
WELD the power judoiously but srield IL zee must,
or break up the Union! His whole argument is
an outgrowth from that sentiment, and shows its
origin in every part. He confcsses that for many
wears he openly advocated the dissolution Of the
Union Why does he not do 80 still? Because, he
ssys. ho believes that "we (the South) can fully
sustain ourselves in the Union and control its &C.
t;on IN all qreat aGans." II this letter contingep-
cv fails, bis remedy is apparent for he says
liTbe dissolution Of the Union is nm alternative
that we always have ut command, and for which
we should be ever ready" He may we'll inculcate
such practical precepts, when he avows that "the
Union of these States is but policy and not
nrinciple;" but "the union Of the shareholders Of
the South is principle involving oil our ri ghts
and oil our interests" Hence, Mr.. Hammond re-
cards our Federal Union as only q ''polcy" sub
serYient to the continued supremacy of the South.
he saws that they now have complete control of
all Departments Of the government and Of course
il would be folly to engsnder any sgitaons likely
70 weaken their power. That was their mistake
"A mere mistake-in regard to Kansas. He
Trusts they will be wiser henceforth. They must
make more Of their "faithful allies in the free
States" But even on this point he, makes the
astounding declaration: "But if she (the South)
determines, and whenever she determines, TO
throw off her Northern frisads and dissqlus tis u
MON, need scarcely say that I shall, without
hesitation, 20 with her fully and faithfully" The
Northern friends of the Southern Democracy will
here take note of the character ond tenure of the
service to which they are invited
We have thus given full summary of Senator
speech (which was reported by him
aelf) because we deem IL an extraordinary mani
lssto at the present time. We also think that
MANY Northern journals have misunderstood its
real character. So far from indicating return
ing sobriety in the leaders of Southern sentiment,
we look upon 1t as only revealing more mariness
and skill of tactics. In its peryading assumption
that none other than shareholders are to be- allow
ed to have the control Of the government, IN the
deliberate calculation that sufficient portion OF
the Northern people may be relied on to prevent
a different result, and in the ayowal Of disunion
az the instant and inevitable alternative, we re-
rard il as one of the most unpatriotic, sectional
Ind insulting speeches ever delivered in this
country.
Cotton Statement.
We copy from the Charleston Mercury, the fol-