The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-11-10
F'rom The Charleston Mercury.
S P e &c H
HON. JAMES H. HAMMOND,
DELIVERED AT BARNWELL c. H.,
OCTOBER 30, 1858.

obh Ioitiai iSSSpN'ou' " SNhHu hclc
and speak to the people Of BarnweIl re.
minds me OF times long gone 10y. have
done it, | believe, but once in more than
twenty wears. But those we've stirring
times when, a quarter of century ago,
| so often spoke to you here of the Con
stitution aud the Uuion-of your rights
and wrongs in this coniederacy. No,
no: TO you, but to your fathers. | am,
indeed, happy TO recognize in this assem-
blage 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 gallant
spirits who then surrounded me here, and
whose kindlmg eyes and heaving bosoms
animated and responded to my speech,
have for the most part passed away but
the theme is still The same and it is my
part to day, adhering with unchanged
conviction and unabated zeal To every
principle | then mantaincd, 10 discourse
upon the same great topics. Our battle
then was for the Constitution and our
Rights, in the Union, if possble-ou, of
it, If need be. AND this is our battle
now.
The lapse of thirty years has brough.
much experience to the survivors of those
who enlisted for this great cause in South
Carolina The veIo 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 un-
known 10 us. 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 aud paIpabIe. Aud 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 aud our
eau e just; 10 recognize the untlInching
courage aud overpowering ability with
which they have been so long maintained,
and to feel renewed assurance that they
must finally and fully triumph.
Your fathers confiled in me from the
first moment that we met upon this spot.
They took lie in their arms and lifted me
into Ali the high places that were within
their reach and have had many proofs
that they taught you TO coniide in me rs
they had done. For this great and gere-
rous and abiding confidence and trust,
never knew but one reason q; and that
was, that always told them the truth
according to my best knowledge aud be
lief Aud rs | dealt with them, | shall
deal with you.
The last Legislature Of the State con.
icrrcd on Inc the high honor Of a seat in
the Senate Of the United States, and dur
Ing the late stormy session Of Congress,
in part represented you there. You
will expect me 10 give you some accouLt
OF the proceedings there, and most espe
cislly of those which occupied four fIths
Of the time of the session, and produced
such great excitement throughout the
country. | alIude TO the Kansas question.
And as no exception has been taken, so
far rs ! know, to any act Of mine, save
my course on that, will take this occa.
sion to give my views in sull upon it.
When, four years ago, The Kansas and
Nebraska act was passed, giving govern.
ments 10 those territories, was. like most
of you, a private citizen. ! was earnest
ly engaged in renoyCting old lands, and
creating new out Of morasSes hitherto
impenctrable, and had as little desire or
expectation Of ever again taking part
in public affairs, as the least ambitious OF
you here present. made up my mind
then that this bill was fraught with delu.
sion and trouble to the South, and so ex-
pressed myself on all suitable occasions.
The bill had two leading features in il.
II enacted that every territory, in forming
its constitution for the purpose of apply.
ing for admission into the Union, should
have the right to establish its own organ.
ic or constitutional laws, and come in
with its own institutions, with the single
condition that they should be republican.
! Why, unless our constitution is mere
waste paper, AL our institutions shams, and
our theory of self goyernms.t a falIacy,
this principle and privilege is their es
seuce; lies at the bottom Of the whole,
and constitutes the corner stone. 1t is
the very right for which our fathers
B fought and made revolution. / might
/ not have refused to reafiirm it--but il
Was supeTogatory ; it might we'll weaken
the whole structure to dig up, for the pur.
pose Of veriticaton, its foundation.
The oth,r feature Of the bill was the
repeal Of the Missouri compromise line.
That was already repealed. 1t bad long
fulfilled its IN ssion. 1t had caImed
! the troubled waters for time. 1t was
obsolete until the annexation of Texas,
when we scceeded to the demand to ex-
tend it through the Northern deserts Of
that State. But when California came
California that should have been, and
may yet be, a slave State---and we de
manded TO extend that line to the Pacific,
aud thus secure for the South portion
of the magnificent territory purchased in
/ part by her blood and treasure, it was
I refused. Then that line was blotted out
everywhere and forever. To repeal it
was mere formality. The supreme
Court has recantly pronounced il uncon.
stitutional, and so the repeal was, IN no
r