St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-02-25
Mr.. Wilson'S Speech.

on the 4th inst, IN reply to MIR. Brown
of Mississippi Mr.. Brown had gone
ont of his way to attack Gen Wilson,
accusing him of delivering an old
speech, from year to year, through q
whole Senatorial term. Gen. Wilson
completely turned the tables upon his
assailant, particularly in that part Of
it where he quoted from an old speech
of Senator Brown The natural and
legitimate deduction is that it is bet
ter to be consistent, even at the risk
of being accused of triteness, than to
falsify ones own record:
Mr.. Wilson said: Mr.. President, the
Senator from Mississippi has told the
Senate and the country that he loves
old wine better than old speeches.
The Senator and myself differ in our
tastes. love old truths better than
old wine. l was led to suppose from
the declarations of the Senator, that
we were to have nothing old, stale or
threadbare in his speech that we
were to have something original,
fresh, racy, brilliant something that
was to thrill the Senate, charm the
galleries, clcctrify the nation, and
carry the Senator's name all over the
country to receive the admiration and
applause of the people. / have listen
ed to his speech, to his declarations,
to his assertions, to his iteration Of
old errors oft refuted in this chamber
and in the other. There is one
declaration, however, which seems to
me to have something of originality
about it. He told us that he did not
expect to make any converts on this
side of the chamber. This avowal of
his expectations brings to mind a
couplet of Pope's that we should
n1n every work regard the writer's end,
For none can compass more than they intend
After listening to the Senator's long
and labored speech, / am sure we
shall all admit that he has not, in this
case. compassed more than he intend
ed. The Senator could hardly expect
to win any cJnverts on this side OF the
chamber to his principles or his scnti-
ments by logic so often refuted, or by
the iteration of palpable historical
facts.
The Senator assured us that he APP
proved of the Presidents message,
but that he did not expect us on this
side of the Chamber to approve it.
did expect him to approve it, and am
not disappointed for the message is
complete and absolute public sur.
render by the President Of the United
States to the principles, the doctrines,
the policy and the sentiments OF the
slayeholding propagandists Of this
country-of men who are now, and
have been, during the past, pur
suing a policy looking to the ultimate
triumph of the slaveholding interest o
this country, Or the dissolution of this
Republic, and the establishment of ;
Southern confederacy based on mill
tary principles.
The Senator supposed that W.
would not indorse these doctrines be
cause we were sectionalists-we wer
the sectional Republican party! 81
what principle have we avowed tn;
is not Incorporated into the Declar
ton of independence, the Constitutlo
of the Uuited States, and the gran
old ordinance of 1887, which receive
the sanction of the trainers of the cor
stitution, and the great national mel
of the Republic? What policy hav
we avowed that has not received tn
sanction of Washington, Of Jefferson
and of the great men OF this cou@tr.
north and south? say to-day tina
we have not ayowed IL principle, d'
clared a policy, OF pronounced a sent
ment. here OF in the country, that ha
not received the sanction OF tn
mightiest men of this Republic from
III up TO within the last few years
We have declared everywhere tina
freedom is national that the doctrine
of human rights underlie our free Demo
cratic institutions that all our inst
iutions grow out of the absolute
recognition of the equal rights of al
men. We have maintained that in tn
territories under the national author
ity, under the protecting folds OF thu
national flag, freedom and free institu
items for all men go where the flag o
the Republic goes. We have ac
knowledged that the system OF SLAYER.
is nothing but municipal institution
founded on State law, and limited t.
State lines. This was the doctrine 0
all the fathers of the Republic-of al
the great Statesmen who have asso
ciated their names with the liberty
honor, and renown of the Republic.
These are national doctrines. Stand
ing upon these ideas, we have not as
sumed to control the slaveholdin.
States of our Union; we have recog
nized State rights, but we have claim
ed authority to save the Territories o
this Republic to free men and to fire,
institutions. Do you call this section
al? If it was sectional, Washington
Jefferson, Madison and Monroe-al
the great men of the past, wer,
sectioualists. This charge Gomez
with an i'll grace especially from tn
Senator from Mississippi Eigh
years ago, in the other House, whe
California had framed constitution
that had received the sanction of he
whole people, and organized Stat,
government, and came here and aske,
for admission, the Senator from Mis-
sissippi took the floor and resisted he
admission, because it would disturb
the equilibrium between the free an,
slave States of this Union!
/ will call the Senator's attention t
enc of his old speeches and com
mend him to the study of old speechs
especially his own old speeches. II
said:
"The admission of one such State as Cal
fornia opens the way for, and renders easy, tn
admission of another. The President alread
prompts New Mexico to a like course III
two will reach out their hands to n third an