The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-04-29
HON. JAAEs HUGHES, OF INDIANA.


wo make the following extract from speecn
of this gentiotnau, delivered in the House Of Rep
tesen,atives, in reply to the remarks Of Mr..
BuRLINaAMg, Of Massachusetts:
II said this was not the first time this thing
This foor-Mr. Morris, Of fllinois-made re.
mark in reference to myself, some days ago, in
sn essay which lie read upon this foor3 but
whether lie wrote it or not, this depdDent saith
not. He said "the gentleman foh Indiana. "
referring to myself, had been fnt firth by our
Southern friends to be shot down in the outposis
Of this controversy" Well. Sir, in retessssice to
that matter have this TO shy: If am shot
down in this controversy upon the outpos,s,
It will be all honorable death. It will be post
nf honor, and it " i'll be death met in defence
of the outptsts, of the CSmsi,nrion and l will
ray to the geataeu: az ia the language Of the
poet of old,
Dmles ct decornn est pro patr;a mort"
but God forbid that SHOULD ever be shct a, a
gentleman has been, IN the attempt to desert The
flag of my country.
Dough.facesI says the gentleman from Mas.
sschusetts. am glad he has given me the OPP
portunity to declare upon this floor that the only
men who, in this trying struggle. have to meet
responsibility, nre those men whom he is pleased
TO denomnate d'mgh faces. Sir. the man who
represents Il Southern constituency has an easy
task to perform in voting for any measure that
savors Of permitting the peculiar ins,itutun.-
The man who. like the gentleman from Massa A..
chusetta, represents that "me idea. crazy, ire
claimable Boston f,naticisn which worships in
truth IAN ilola,rous myth" under tho ra,ue of
liberty, hHs an easy task to perform in vO-
ting against measure. But those men whom
no has tauutod with want of moral courage,
with a want of f,ithfhlncss ID the Constitution
with want OF fitrnuess. Il seems 10 me ARE the
tho only conservative men in IT, is national cQun-
ci and who are III danger Of being ground to
powder. between the t&6 extremes. II does it
become that gentleman to talk to me Of crouch
Ing to Southern mcn, nnl Of pandering tG the
vices and pechliarities Of Southern socieiy. That
gentleman made u statement here which brand
ns untrue. These dough- faces said he, como
Into this hall and say one thing, while they
preach another story to their constituents. Sir,
II the gentcmt will ed TO my district aud read
the newspapers of his own party Mt this hoir,
he will fad ,ha, they are publishing thai WNich
is in substance true-that said in the presence
of many Of my cohs.ndi:nts, upon a temporary
flsit to my own State, that " il every stump in
Kansas Were negro, every tree upon her soil a
s'ave.driver, and every twig upon the trees Il
lash to scourye negro to his daily toll, would
vote for the admission Of KANSAS under the Le-
cSmpton Constitution, to preserve the peace of
the whole country aud If INV constituents did
not like it, and would let me knew it, ] would
tesign There are those within The sound of my
have yet 10 hear from my constituents that
they disapprove of my sentim ents my course.
Without going into detail aud discussing or cx-
pressing the sentiments of The Democracy uf In
diana which, in my opinion, have been some.
what m'srep.esente,i upon this floor, undertake
to say, that ,ugh divisions may distract my
Constituents, nine-tenths Of the Democracy Of
tny district will be found to endorse the course
have taken upon this floor.
Let ME avail myself Of this occasion to saw
that, come what may, intend to submit my con.
duct to the verdict Of my constituency, although
1t Is district which was represented in the last
Congress by any opposition member I intend
TO face the music ON this question. Those who
have represented that expect TO take anv other
course, little know me. will come hack to this
Hall approved. endorsed, sustained by my con-
stituency. or will go to private life, consoling
hyself with the reflection that
"Truth crushed to earth will rise again.
and with tho further reflection that if this coun-
try is to be again cursed with Black Republi-
can majority in this Hail.
'When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway,
The post Of honor is private station"
A word or two more in regard to the noisy
partisan from Massachdsette. Ill dGGs it become
that man to say that the Northern men who
stand here in defence Of this dmr.stration arc
inconsistent. while in the next breath, he disa.
vows all claims to ccHdstency, and says that he
goes for the Crittenden amendment his antece
dants to the contrary notwithstanding. lie disa
avows all claims 10 constituency. and goes blindl,
for the purpose Of defeating the Democrat,
party. What is his logic 6n this suhiect7 Why
that the Crittenden Amendment is the .easies
mode Of making Kansas a free State: He talk
about mailing doctrines and mailing parties. l
10 a very easy matter to nail him, on this occa
sion, to the counter, like base count Grfet as h
The Chairman.-The gentleman must remem
ber that 1t is not in order TO indulge in pers0nali
tI,o Ao.,r r.,ff f,a
Mr: Hughes:-PoliticaIly speaking. spea1
In Pickwickinn and parliamentary sense. H
says it is the best mode Of making Kansas fire.
State. Therein, sir, lies all his statemanship o.
this question: Since this question was agitate
before the masses, an authoritative exposiiion .
constitutional law has been promulgated from
fhis Capito-frou4 the highest constitutional al
thorisy-from that orGcle of the Constitution
which intend to respect and TO obey as long a
beneficent Government spreads Gt6Ynd me it
protection, its Constitution and its laws, project
ing all. in helpless infancy and in mature ATE
IN all the rights of person and of property. T6Ra
expression says that the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, proprio vigore. carries slavery int
tho Territory. That is n new reading to peopI
10 the West, because, as have frankly said o.
this hoor on a former OCCASION we advocated tn
doctrine of squatter sovereignty. Stare decis;s
Iny motto as a lawyer and u citizen; and stand
ing by the decision that While the Territory re
mains in territorial condition it is slave territory
snd that Southern men may carry their slave
there, are not the friends of freedom emphalicall
those who desire to hasten this Territory into In
sisterhood of States and to clothc liz peopl
with all the power Of sovereignty, SO that the
may regulate and form their domestic institution
10 their own wayf In other words if Kansas
to reInan Territory, it is slave Territory; an
its coming in as State under the Lecompton O
any other constitution is the shorest and onI
method by which it can be made free State,
II Is the pleasure OF the peoDle ra thnt ebo,,I
bb free Stale. The best enabling act for Kar
sas 10 to admit her into this Union. do NO
stand on FREQ State or slave State, but am onI
answering tEe ISgic Of the gentleman from Mas
sachusetts. lie says tha. to remsnd this questio
to the people, ii throw it all ugain into chaos an
confusion, to reopen agitation and strife, and t
array the emigrant tir sct'ety man against tn
border ruffian, is the shortes. aud easiest way
making Kansas free State.
Sir, I deny it. I can imagine another motiv
and another ground for this facile ch6hge of frou
amongst those who. Of late, rang out tbrougho