The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-05-05
Speech of Mr. Clay, of Alabama

lic"n members of Congress
With the control of bu, one House Of |
Congress, and opposed by the other and /
10y the Executive and Judiciary, YOU tried,
with sublime audacity, to seize the repns
Of government aud absorb the powers Of
all It's departments, in order to expel :
slavery from Kansas and anu,hilMe Son
ihern power N that Territory. To achieve
that purpose, vou endeavor to arrest the
Wheels OF government aud to revolution.
ize II, TO nulIiN all laws aud subvert all
authority in Kansas, aud to subject IFS
people TO AL tue horrors Of anarchy and
tratrcidal war. Great indeed wonl6 H..
the humiliation and degradation of suh.
mission to yonr demand. bv surreude.iur
TO You the exclusive occupancy OF all the
Territories of the United States. But
that would not purchase our peace or sa,
isty your demands. Aud if the >ou,b
decide to yie,d this demand, IN the VAL.
hope ot AL ingtorious peace, let her check
her pride and make up her mind with
becoming meekness and humility TO live.
while she is let live, in a state of sulin
CATION, subordination and suhseryieucy To
the North, impetrating mercy of her
masters instead of exac,iug justice of her
equals.
l do not doubt that you thrk she will
yield all your demand do pot doubt
you believe you can extori from her fears
OF your power all that YOU canno, se,.uce
from her love Of the Union. believe
you expect To excite discord among her
own sons, and to array again>, the slave
holders all who are not shareholders. by
persuading them that they are opposed
and wronged. But the eyample Of Kan.
sas, where 'here c.nnu, have been mar.
than two hundred slavehn derS ont of six
thousand pro slavery voters, should have
taught you that the sons OF the South
know and feel that they have common
interest IN preserving the institution of
s'avery-that they must keep the negro
IN his normal condition Of slavery or de
stroy hi'n, or surrender TO him their coun-
Try. do not fear that You can deInde
or beguile them 10 their own Self Clestruc.
ton, or the deSoation Of their country
know you count largely upon the defec-
tons and deser,ions of Southern leaders
and ! confess, with shame aad regret, that
you have but too good reason Tor YOUR
calculations in the mortifying examples
we have furnished Of those who have he
trayed their trust and broken their ALI,
glance to the South. not, perhaps, because
they loved her less, but the Union more.
and themselves most. | know i, is idle
TO try to disenchant your minds of i'm
Pressions which You are fond tu relain
ana wish TO he true, but which ! think
dish0nor the South. wrong tie North and
may dissolve the Union. Yet. a, the
hazard OF y"nr rid;cuI", must tell YOU
thal Alabama, IN Common with all her
So"ehern sisters but two, has, h7 the uni.
'er'ai Vo's OF her pe"p,e, rs expressed
on party conventions, by popular assem-
biIeS, and by her late aud former leuisIa-
lures, resolved-''lhal she will and ought
10 resist, even las last resorD to dis.
hHpron OF every tie, which binds her 20
'n- Onlon, any action Of Congress npon
the subject of slavery in The District OF
C".amb'a, or in pieces subject TO the in
rlsdlctlen of Congress, Incompatible with
the sa ETY., the domestic tranquility, the
rights and honor OF the savehoIdinp
States ; or anv refusal TO admit rs a Sla,e
any Territory hereafter applying, because
OF the existence Of slavery therein or
any act prohibiting the introduction of
slavery into the Territories +
or any act repeating or materially modify
ing the law now in force for the recovery
OF fugitive slaves
II this be mere bravado, she shares the
folly and the shame in common with
twelve OF her Southern sisters. While
have lndnIged, 80. shall indulge, in no
menace, promise or prophecy Of her course
yet | can, and will say, Tor IN, self, that
IN the day Of her self degradalion, 10y Ills
regarding her pledges and submitting To
your government, will not sit here to
endure the contumely anl reprotcI which
yon justly NAV, and certainty will, heap
upon the heads Of per Senators.
MIR. President, / have not been sddIc.
ted to singing pe ms or uttering eulogies
upon the Union, or accustomed 10 re gar
ding 1t as 'the paramount pnIiiieaI good"
or "the primary object Of patriotic DESIRE"
have ever felt that owed my first and
highest allegiance to my State, and that
her sovereignty, her Independence, and
her t0BoF. even without the Umion. should
be dearer to her sons, than the Union and
her subordination, dependence, and dis
honor within il. Yet, sir, the Union of
the constitution, which our fathers made.
] love and reverence and would preserve;
but this Union without the constitolion,
or with It as constreued by Northern
Republicans, abhor and scorn, and would
dissolve, II my power were equal to my
will. To this Union. the South is com.
mended as choice Of evils, and cornman-
ded with mensces Of compusion. Wherb-
or she will choose the Union rs a lesser
evil or submit to IL by compulsion and
abandon her self government and surren.
Ter her desunies to your control. or you
VIII surely test, IT you get the power, aud
ime Will surely prove. II she yield to
H..