, 1858-04-30
Rebnke of SectiOnalism,

The following eloquent and manly rebuke
of the spirit of sectionalism was admins.
tered by the very able Senator from M
sisSippi, Col. DAVIS, in late speech in the
U. S. Senate, during a running debate:-
To what issue are you
now pressing? To the conclusion that be-
cause within the limits Of a territory slaves
are held as property, state is to be exclud-
ed from the Union. am not in the habit
of paying lip.service to the Union. The
Union is strong enough to confer favors it
is strong enough to command service. -
Under these circumstances, the man de-
serves but little credit who sings peans to
its glory. If through a life, now not n
short one, a large portion of which has
been spent in the public service, have
given no better proof of my affection for
this Uuion than my declarations, have
lived to little purpose, indeed. l think |
have given evidence in every form in which
patriotism is ever subjected to test, and
trust whatever evil may be in store for US
by those who wage war on the constitu.
tion and our rights under it, that | shall
be able to turn at least to the past and say,
up to that period when was declining
into the grave, l served a government
loved, and served it with my whole heart"
Nor will l stop to compare services with
those gentlemen who have fair phrases,
whilst they undermine the very foundation
of the temple our fathers built. If, how
ever, there be here those who do really love
the Union and the Constitution, which is
the lfe-blOod of the Union, the time has
come when we should look calmly, though
steadily, the danger which besets US, in the
face.
Violent speeches denunciatory of people
in any particular section of the Union; the
arraignmeut Of institutions which they in
herited and intend to transmit, as leprons
spots on the body polite, are not the means
by which the fraternity is to be preserved,
or this Union rendered perpetual. These
were not the arguments which our fathers
made when, through the struggles Of the
revolutionary war, they laid the foundation
Of the Union. These are not the princi-
Piles on which our constitution, o bundle Of
compromises was made. Then the naviga-
ting and the agricultural states did not war
to see which could most injure the other;
but each conceded something from that
which it believed to be its owr interest, Ia
promote the welfare of the other. Those
debates, whilst they brought up all that
struggle which belong to opposite interests
and opposite localities, show none of that
bitterness which so unfortunately charac-
terizes every debate in which this body is
involved.
The meanest thing-I do not mean 9TH
erwise than the smallest thing-which can
arise among us, incidentally, runs into this
sectional agitation as though it were an
epidemic, and gave its type to every dis
ease. Not even could the committees oi
this body, when we 6rst assembled, before
any one had the excuse Of excitement to
plead, be organized without sectional agi-
tation springing up. Forcibly, | suppose
gravcly and sincerely, it was contended
here that great wrong was done because
New York, the great commercial state
and the emporium of commerce within her
limits, was not represented upon the com
mittee of commerce. This will go forth to
remote corners, aud descend, perhaps, TO
after times, as an instance in which the
democratic party Of the senate behaved
with unfairness towards its opponents; for
with it will not descend the fact that the
democratic party arranged for itself its
portion of the committees, taking the con
troll of them, and left blanks on the com
mittees to be filed by the opposition; that
the opposition did ill the blanks; that the
opposition had both the senators from New
York; but did not choose to put either ol
them on that committee, though II after
wards formed the basis and staple Of their
complaints.