Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-11-11
Dulitital.
SPEECH OF
HON, JAS. 4. HAMMOND,
Delivered at Barnwel, Court House, S. c., Octo-
Der 9th, 1858.

thank you very siuceieiy III 'at' ni"u
and cordial reception. To stand here and
speak to the people of Barnwell reminds me
of times gone by. I have done it, believe,
but once in twenty years. But those were
stirring times when quarter of century
ago, I so often spoke to you here of the Con-
stitutiou and the Uuion-of your rights and
wrongs in this Confederacy. No, not to you,
but to your fathers. lam, indeed, happy to
recognize in this assemblage many who were
actors in those scenes, but many, many more
have been summoned hence; while you have
grown up to supply their places The gal
liant spirits who then surrounded me here,
and whose kiudling eyes aud heaVing besoms
animated and responded to my speech, have
for the most part passed away, but the theme
Is still ths same; and it is my part to-day
adhcriug with unchanged convictions and
unabated zeal to every principle Ithen main
tanned, to discourse upon the same great top
les. Our battle then was for the Constitu-
ton and our Rights, in the Union, if posi-
ble,-out oft, if need be. And this is our
battle now.
The Lapse of thirty years has brought
much experience to the survivors Of those
who enlisted for this great cause in South
Carolina. The veil of what was then the
future-a future covered with angry clouds
and doubt and darkness has been removed,
and looking back, we now see the events OF
long years which were unknown tous. The
hard fought fields, our chequered fortunes,
our victories, our defeats, the dead, the living
all then deep buried in the womb of Time,
are now all clear and palpable. And to those
of US who have been spared to make this
retrospect, it is proud satisfaction to know,
that time and events have proved that our
principles were true and our cause just; to
recognize the unfinching courage and over
powering ability with which they have been
so long maintained; and to feel renewed as
surapce that they must finally and fully tri-
ampk.
Your fathers confded in me from the first
moment that we met upon this spot. They
took me 10 their arms and lifted me into alb
the high places that were within their reaeh'
and have had many proofs that they taught
you to cou6de 10 me as they had done For
this great and generous and abiding conf
dence and trust, never knew but one rea-
son and that was that always told them
the truth according to my best. knowledge
end belief And as / dealt with them,
shall deal with you.
The last Legislature Of the State confer
red on me the high honor of seat in the
Senate Of the United States, and during the
late stormy session Of Congress, | in part,
represented you there. You will ezpec. me
TO give you some account Of the proceedings
there, and most especially of those which
occupied four-6fths of the time of the Ses-
sion and produced such great excitement
throughout the country. [ allude to the
Kansas question. And as no exception has
been taken, so far as I know, to any act of
of mine, save my course on that, l will take
this occasion to give my views in full upon
it.
When four years ago, the Kansas and Me-
braaka act was passed, giving Governments
to those Territories, was, like most Of you,
a private citizen. I was earnestly engaged
in renovating old lands and creating new out
of morasses hitherto impenetrable, and had
as little desire or expectation of ever again
taking part in public affairs, as the least am
bilious of any of you here present 1made
up nv mind thsl that this Bill was fraught
with trouble and delusion to the South, and
so expressed myself on all suitable occasions
The Bill had two leading features in it.
1t enacted that every Territory in forming
its Constitution for the purpose of applying
for admission into the Union, should have
tie right to establish its own organic or con-
stitutioual laws and come in with itsown In
stitutions, with the single condition that they
should be Republican. Why, unless our
Constitution is mere waste paper, all our in
stitutions shams, and our theory of self:gov-
ernment fallacy, this principle and privi-
iege is their essence; lies at the bottom OF
the whole, and constitutes the corners stone.
It is the very right for which our fathers
fought and made revolution. might not
have refused to re-afirm it-but it was su-
pererogatory; it might we'll weaken the
whole structure, to dig up, for the purpose OF
yeri6cation, its foundation.
The other feature of the Bill was the re,
peal of the Missouri Compromise Line. That
was already repealed. 1t had long fulfilled
its mission. 1t had calmed the troubled
waters for time. 1t was obsolete until the
annexation of Texas, when we acceded tc
the demand to extend it through the North
ern deserts of that State. But when Cali
fornia came-Californi that should have
been, and may yet be, a slave State-and we
demanded to extend that line to the Pacific
and thus secure for the South portion Of
the magnificent territory purchased in par
by her blood and treasure, it was refused
Then that line was blotted out everywhere
and forever. To repeal it was mere form
ality. The Supreme Court has recently pro
nounced it unconstitutional, and so the re
peal was, in no respect, of any importance
But this Bill with these new features
aeishsr of thaG of say practical importance
4agni6ed and exaggerated by orators ant
newspapers into great Southern victory
led the South into the delusion that Kansas
mioht he made slave State, and induced i