The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-04
SPEECH OF SENATOR HAMMOND,
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Senator Hammond then came forward la the midst of
enthusiastic cheerng aud addressed the assenbage for
tho space Of an hour He alluded to the grateful pleas
urc IL gave him to be IN the midst of his friends Among
them he had spent nearly the whole of his manhood no
had lived their laorer in the Obscure fields of agr
culture and yet arenty attached to their company
and to the absorbing tolls of the field 1t known
that when Called by the voices of many IN the State to
leave his pesceu ayocation of agriculture he 10th
to relinquish his hbors in fact he had almost
sion to being taken from the handles Of the plough it
ly bis beloved State In the august
Gil o the confedracy OF this vast national council in
tho Keeping OF whose wisiom and power all the
honor and safety of county council composed of
the elite of the lands intelligence and equal to that Of
any other country iu the world Taken somewhat
prepared this OCCASION while feeling tho arduous du
ties and abors Of the last six months and returning
homo to enjoy rural quiet he not orgetul of the
esum OF bis friends and the complimentary illusions to
is yices. These he would accept as the evidence of
Fgoowi thoi part, rather than any great merit
MS lie would frankly Fay he orator oraton
not, like poets, born they made by practice ;
and he not skilled in the consummate art For
twenty years he had been devoted to agriculture, and
agriculture and oraory were not in the same line OF pur
suits lie would, therefore, make but plains speech,
giving account OF his stewardship and the results of
his observations. When he went to the federal Congress
six months ago. he found the admission of Kansas under
the Lecompton constitution the alt-ahsorbng end
citing subject before the representatives OF the people and
the government 10 him the whole theory and schtme Of
squl'.r ynty er Of disgust. The Kansas Ne
Ofpffd OLt uttu900 ana He
felt satisfied that that basis the South would
unite The President plead and tried to do his best
North and South but it was evident that it was sub
ject fnught with trouble. He Cir H) ever opposed
to this Kansas ebraska bill and u there single
good feature in it, it that it allowed the people, free
from interference to frame principles for themselves af
ter their fashion 1t was snare to those at the
South 1t rotten with fraud and those who made it
fnched from its consequences Its only effect was to
add another State to the Union His hearers knew that
Kansas SO far Congress c-n admit it, was now admit
ted with the Lecompton constitution, and without the
Green proviso Hr. H. reviewing briefly the admission
of Kansas under the conference bill questioned II Congress
call State convention, and considers it dangerous
precedent He alluded to his position and that Of MIR.
Bonhan, the representative Of Edgefed lie found no
fault with the honorable gentleman Mr. Bonham may
have been right, and he may have been wrong Ii Mr. Bon
ham erred his the safe side He worthy
of all confidence since acted from the honesty OF his
vctions and such should be honored and cherished
by his constituents Mr. Hammond then alluded TO other
topics before Congress during the session He voted for
the increase OF the army and navy. Ho had heard
number of sophomore speeches against increasing these
of the national defence They we're worthy Of col
lege students rather than grave senators of the nation
He apprehened little danger from standing army; and,
to the extavagance of these measures he replied to
senators that u the expenses OF the departments had been
examined they would be found double that of the army
The navy should be increased bet au5e the South was ut
tery inefensibe in its present condition. In the port
of Charleston there but naval steamer of light
daught The southern coast needed for its protection
n numerous Hcct OF small vessels. Inc IaCt B, our
navy what 1t forty five years ago, and s In
sad and disgraceul condition Senator Hammond said
he would address himself to the great question OF
tho relations OF the North and South He would speak
he thought and it would give him pleasure for his
hearers to take what he said in the spirit in which it
uttered In his opinion there were many grounds for
apprehension at the South but there also strong
reasons for hope and confidence. Whatever relations
might evaltuate between the North and South,
they would be in the end consistent with the rights and
security Of this section Under the presat aspect Of affairs
IRE Somh could hrs 10 Tertn IN he Un'm He would
rather the game played out between the North and
South than the Union brought to end II VIC had
dissolved the UDion and had engaged In brush with
some people, (which must N setting up for
selves and lawfully establishing insttutions,) it
would have been best for us But now, If We can rule in
the Union let remain. BY the word rule he did not
mean the securing high Office Co southern men. Tho
achievement Of in elections is insignificant in
comparison with the establishment of those great prnc
piles of free government which the South has fixed Its
stamp those true and just principles which should gov
the world. The United States now stands in the
first rank of nations To obtain this position out of the
Union the South would require many years Mr. Ham
mond then took up Senator Seward remark, that the
battle of the sections fought and in 1850 He
admitted that battle had been fought between the
tions and lost to the South 1nere was, however,
other greater battle fought and won This threw tho
farhng cndelig Of the New York senator's victory in
the shade The New York senator meant that at the
North they had majority and finally succecdcdin drawing
sectional line that they united in Congress- and
nineteen free TO fifteen slave States (were II not for
the gallant little Delaware might have said twenty to
fourtoen) This the result OF the physical nuIner
cal battle and victory Our battle and triumph
moral one in stemming and checking tho false and absurd
philanthropy of the civilized world African slavery He
did not heed them this boast of northern supremacy.
Yet he would say to the people of tho South be prepar
cd for if the North in order to snerve her purposes Of
ambition fanaticsm, should attempt TO reorgan2e
federal courts Of law the representative basis and thus
destroy the conservative nature of that court and thereby
get the government into their hands, then the peo
pie of the South must dissolve the Union. We must
dissolve the Union if they effect any of their ag
gressivc purposes banks direct tampering with
slaves But he did not think to-day the North could.
combination, eei aLoihenist, he did not think that that
issue the great body Of The South wod go out Of the Union. But
this toiowe1by second election Of The kind he
thought they woaH Senator Hammond alluded to the fact
that the northwestern States not much to be
viewed as enemies New England Indiana would
have been slave State had not the question been lost
by vote and, If the Union dissolved 1t might
still be slave State. The North cannot unite per-
manently while the South The North never yet
had an important Office more than term. He
therefore feared nothing now Yet he would say to
stand to your arms, mark time and be ready,
der any circumstances terms, to act promptly
In resisting any actual interference with rights
South Caronian courage, and ayoncts fixed like the
brave Palmetto at Ohapultepcc, be ready but do not
charge too quick. The North Is by wholly to
blame for the present condition Of the sections Manv
Of gripdnces took their rise al te South Many false Aeo
rvs originate here and many others tie South oted With
the effects of these have long strven The victory is
ror to pass off, and then march boldly We have
uri n Drpuf norn ypuyo and cbo,,lj II,