Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-03-31

>. but am unwilling to tresspass longer on t
# crowded columns of the Spectator.
It Yours truly and sincerely, g.ias
yr-,.. !s.-..s PAUL PoPLM.
Extract from Mr.. Crittenden,s speech.
The speech delivered by Mr.. Crittenden,
: Kentucky, on the Kansas question, in the Unite
States Senate on the 18th inst, concludes as fo
lows: --... ~.
am as anxious now as any man here to clio.
up this scene. would vote for the admissie
of Kansas upon almost any terms that wonl
give peace and quiet If | thought this bi
would do so, should vote for it. would SUI
, press all scruples for the sake of that peace.
, was sure such would be its result, would vol
for it, thinking myself justified by the price tbs
was to be paid-the peace Of my country an
the restoration of good will among my fellow
citizens. do not hope for it. l fear furthe
trouble. We are again told that this will hav
the effect, at any rate, of localizng the questio
of slavery, and that we shall be no more trout
led with it; that the mischief and clamor an
agitation will be confined to the limits of Kan
sas. This is the same hope that was disappoint
ed when the Kansas. Nebraska bill was passed
The same hope was INDUCED in then, and sine
then there has been nothing here but agitation
on the subject, increasing with it every day.
Again, we have the idea of localzing it pres
ented. Now, sir, if it is to be debated any
where, it will be debated here and, perhaps, j
it is to be debated anywhere, it is best that i
should be debated here; because we might hope
Mr.. President, that in this body it would be de
hated with q spirit of moderation and concilia
lion that would deprive it of msny mischievou
consequences if it were agtated and debated q
mong men without our years, without our re
sponsibilities, and without the restraints which
our conditions and our knowledge impose upor
Us. We do not debate it in the right way here
| We allow ourselves to become too much excited
about it. To this great country, now, what Ii
Kansas and this Kansas question, and the two
or three hundred slaves who are there that you
and /, and all the American Senate, should be
here day ard night, and using such language oi
vituperation and invective on this subject as we
often do? Look at our great country, and the
great subjects which claim our attention as her
legislators look at them all in their majesty
and their magnitude. and then say how little,
pitiful, in comparison, is the question about
which we are making 80 much strife and con-
tention.
On this subject, and on many others, it seems
to me that it becomes US, of all the citizens of
this great Republic, to set to our fellow citizens
examples of moderation and conciliation. What
good does the mutual charge OF aggression, of
ten fiercely repeated9 What good do these in
vectives of one against anothera Especially let
me say to my friends Of the North, why indulge
in invectives of the most reproachful character
upon those who, in fourteen or fifteen States OF
this great country, are slaveholders2 Does that
give you any cause to traduce them2 Cannot
you live content with the institutions which
please you better, and leave these fellow-citi-
zens, who have just the same right to adopt sa-
very that you have your institutions, to enjoy
their liberty in peace also2 Is there anything
10 the difference of our Institutions which ought
to make Us inmical to one another2 How was
it with our fathers2 Did not they live together
in peace and harmony Did not they fight to.
gether2 Did not they legislate togethera Did
they ever abuse and reproach each other about
the question of slavery? Never, that / have
read of. Why is it that We cannot do as they
did, Have we degenerated from those fathers,
or have we grown 80 much better and purer
than they were2 doubt whether we are any
better; and do not believe, Notwithstanding
all that is said about progress, that We are at
all more sensible than those fathers who made
the Constitution of the United States, and laid
the foundation of this great Government of ours.
They gave rs an example OF brotherhood; and
when we look at all that connects us, ali that
unites and makes US one people, how much more
powerful would its influence seem to be to con.
meet US together, than the power of slavery and
anti-slavery to divide uss We are united by
circumstances of which we cannot divest our
selves. We are united in language, in blood, in
country, in all the memories of the past, in oil
the hopes of the future. This is our connection,
leading and pointing to the brightest destiny
that ever awaited any people All the unnum-
bered blessings of the future are in full prospect
but there is this little, this comparatively small
matter of contention, that we seem disposed to
nurse up into continual occasion for philippics
and for reproaches. This is not the right tenn
per with which to regard the subject Crimina'
ton and recrimnation is not the way to strength
en- our Union-that Union of brotherhood, OF
good will, of cooperation for all great national
purposes, which our fathers formed.
was gratiied to hear comparisons made Of
the mighty esources of the different sections Of
this country. 1t was proud exhibition. The
honorable Senator from South Carolina (Mr
Hanmond) gave US, in very interesting and
eloquent manner, the mighty resources OF the
South. They are beyond estimate-beyond cal
culation. This is replied to by gentleman from
the North, who gives us the mighty resources
and the mighty power of New England and the
nor. slaveholding States. Well, Sir, if the con
clusion which might be drawn from it was true
that each of those sections would by itself make
mighty country, and country that any one o.
as might be proud OF, what magnificent coun
try is made when we put it all together! Wha
a magnificent abode for man., such as the al
mighty never gave to any other people, and new
er placed OIL the surface of the earth
1t seems to me the most natural union in the
world-the South, with her great and rich pro-
ductions, while the North abounds with ingenu
lity. labor, mechanical skill, navigation and com
merce The very diversity of our resources il
} the natural cause of union between US. 1t would
not do for us all to make cotton, nor would it d.
tor us all to work in your manufactures. Ma
ture seems to have organized here this country
adapted to a union OF people North and South
Nature has given her sanction to the Union
Nature has traced that Union, and you alone
disturb il. Gentlemen, you alone disturb it BY
making this subject of slavery the cause OF dis
sension OF tile dissension itself it is not Sc
much the cause, for we seldom come to ques
ton that calls upon US to act on the subject
Now. if we were through with this petty Kan
sas affair. what a summer sea OF boundless ex
panse lies before US. where there lie nothing bu
repose! There is no other Territory that yor
can dispute about in my lifetime or the lifetime
of any inan here This is the last point on which
a controversy can probably be made. We wen
through many difficulties on this subject oelor'
the Missouri Compromise, but, on other occa
sons. the question has presented itself with prac
tical consequences. Now we have reacheu .a'
last of it, the least of it. Let US settle this mat
ter in peace let us settle it in good temper ant
I see nothing before us but long period Of re
pose. and, hope, of mutual conciliation. U
one thing am certain, that elimination ana re-
examination between the North and the South
- -.. = ii .aa; a;ntnn;nn Of sectional feel