Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-04-07

= ten as The question was made. IL wa
I lef; 10 lesser lights, in less pure period
? fear, of the administration of our Gov
ernment, 10 discover that the CoHs;i uiior
4 had no warrant for this great act-thi,
! act Of peace as it was called. 1t had
, been an ac, of peace, whether just or un.
r just, and think it as unjust in the COM
mencement. believe. as a northern
man, thai if had been in Congress al
= that day. should have stool with those
who repelled all the pretensions of the
, South. II is said they ugitated then, and
shook this nation Ia its very centre. max
in direful threats of Whist would be done
unless some compromise could be made
in regard of that Territory. would
have stood, looking them in the eve, hand
TO hand, and l would have settled the
question then would have settled it so
that it should stay settled forever. All
their croaking and srumbling | would
treat as surgeon would treat such con
duct on the parI of his patient. would
have smpuialed the limb. and the ques-
ZION should have been settled then.
But few northern men thought other
wise. few Of them joining with the
entire South, settled that controversy by
that great compromise, as it was called,
ard The country reposed in peace under
it. II is true that the Indignation of the
North momeniarily arose, and, believe,
they politically laid in their graves all
the Representatives from that region who
consented 10 il; but, nevertheless, ii was
finally acquiesced in asa final settlement
of the controversy, and it preserved the
peace, for thirty-three years, of our Gov
ernment. After thai lapse of time ii was
| discovered that the act was unconstilu
tional, and great and violent aggression
upon southern rights2 Why did not Mr..
Calhoun, who was in the Cabinet at The
time it was passed, discover it TO be un-
constitutional Why did not all those
men from that region Of the country dis
cover that the Missouri Compromise was
unconstitutional Why did they sleep
upon their rights for more than thirty
three wears bof1re waking up 10 a sense
of the outrage and wrong
But, sir, passing by the point of its con-
siiiuIionalily, for want 10 leave nothing
10 CIVIL here, suppose il was lagrantly
unconstitutional, as you claim that il was,
is there no obligation of honor, is there
nothing sacred in a solemn agreement
between men who have a controversy and
settled il? Is there no obligation that they
shall not open it again? If man, who
had controversy in court OF Justice,
and being doubtful how it would be de-
cided according to The rigid principles of
law, should agree with his adversary,
and they should pledge their honor 10 each
other. fright, or wrong, we will compro-
m:se," what would You think of him if,
after the price which had been paid 10
him TO accept the compromise was safely
in his pocket, he should tcrn around and
say TO the court, ''we made no cnmpro-
mise, and if we did, it was not a legal
one?' Sir, there used TO be such thing
as southern honor; but il was not made |
manifest upon the abrogalion OF that COM
promise. That act was fi.grant ag-
gression. 1t was an outrage, viewed in /
any way you please. 1t was done, as all
The rest of your aggressions are done, for
the purpose of upholding human slavery
AMI rendering predominant in the nation,
politically, those who maintain it.
That act was done four years ago
Encouraged again by our acquiescence
in ii, and growing bolder by the impunilv
with which these lawless deeds had been /
done, you have ventured at last upon an
act, the DUNG of which was in principle 4
precisely that which aroused our forefa!h-
ers, and induced them 10 look Great Brit
aims power in the face, and 10 put her at
defiance. They sought to rule US; they
sought TO put down our principles Of pop.
ular sovereignty by force and violence,
by what they called law; they denied 10 a
majority here the right to legislate for
themselves, and claimed the right to leg
islate for us; they reused the lion in the
heart of the people of this whole country,
and every body knows the consequence
am amazed al the boldness with which
this act is attempted. The people are
alarmed. | do not believe that those Who
are urging this measure with such vehe-
mence upon the people, understand at al:
how il is viewed in the country.
Now, sir, have given you few spec
ifications of southern aggressions. do
not claim that they were purely southern,
for | know you had the mercenaries Of
the North joined with you 10 help you to
do the deed; but nevertheless, you cannot
cover up your own want of principle be-
hind those traitors of the North, because
you knew that they were not backed by
northern sentiment, nor authorized 10 do
what they did.
How is il on the oher side2 II is
claimed by southern gentlemen that line
aggressions are all from the North; but
they specify nothing. The Senator from
South Carolina, Mr.. HAMMOND, the
other day. do not see him now in his
seai, and am sorry FIR it-said that, al
though they deali So kindly by us, though
hey had been Of such great advantage /
10 the North, we had repaid them by +;
Dlunder and slander; we had constantly /.
olundered the South; almost in the same |
breath, he declared-and he declared il i
riumphantly; and, sir, it makes my blood /
ingle in my veins. when have to admit s
hat il was true-that the Shareholders
'f the South have ruled this Government
or sixty long years. That was true, I
Fir. With more Than two 10 one free {
men against you, you have had the for. &
une 10 rule, with absolute despotism, this S
lalion for sixty years. If that gentle i
nan were here. | would PROFOUND to him i
his inquiry; if you have ruled US, as r
'ou have for sixty years, how do you rec r
ncile that fact with the assertion that we I
ave robbed you; and why did you per- s
pit the robbery? What act have we S