The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-13
A BREEZE IN THE SENATE.

Mr.. 1verson, Of Georgia, has distinguished
himself by making the first disunion speech IN
the new Senate chamber. 1t will be seen that
/ he thinks no better of Mr.. Douglass "squatter
sovereignty than of Mr. Stewards Rochester
| speech. He would not turn on his heel for the
difference. We fear that Mr. Douglas has made
great mistake in taking tour South and
that journey down the St. Lawrence, with a
brief visit to Newfoundland, if less pleasant at
this season, would have been more profitable.
The following is condensed statement OF
the speech, which was long and windy-the
fire very much resembling fox-fre. 1t is too
late to get up disunion fever upon a question
like the Pacific railroad and when South Car
DINA has sent two such friends of the Union to
the Senate as Messrs. Hammond and Chestnut,
the mock thunder Of the Georgia Senator is
rather calculated to amuse than TO frighten
"Mr. Iyerson, of Georgia, made strong Sec
tional speech, and moved that the bill be re-
committed, with instructions to report bill for
the construction of two roads-a northern and
southern one. He admitted the constitution
al power of Congress to grant the public lands,
but was astonished that Southern Senators
should vote for such magnificent donation to
the North. 1t is fact that all the Southern
roads pay seven to eight per cent dividend,
while the Northern ones pay nothing. SO small
an opinion had Northern capitalists of Southern
investments, that he believed, if the wealthy
Senator from South Carolina, Mr.. Hammond,
offered mortgage on his plantation and ne
groes worth half a million Of dollars, for a loan
of $4,000 in New DIRK, he could not get it,
Notwithstanding the popularity of his Barnwell
speech. He traced the Slavery agitation from
its rise among a handful of New England ia
natics of both sexes to its present monsrous pro-
portions, and referred to the demon of Abolition
ism in its onward march to power. He also re-
ferred to the Rochester speech Of Mr.. Seward,
and said he knows but little of the human heart
who imagines that Anti-Slavery agitation will
stop short of the total abolition of Slavery by
the action of the Federal Congress. To live
and reign, it must go on till it attains the Pres
idency both Houses Of Congress, the Judiciary,
and the abolition of Slavery, or the Union be
dissolved Witness the result of the late cleo
tons. He did not consider the return of Mr.
Douglas to the Senate victory to the Democ-
racy-it was only victory of Free Soil Democ-
racy over Abolition Whiggery. He would not
turn on his heel to choose between the Wilmot
ProvisO and the Squatter Sovereignty Of the
Senator from Illinois. Mr.. Iverson protested
himself in unmistakable terms disunion man
under the aggressons Of the North. Let the
Senator from New York (Seward) be elected
President, and in his VERSIONS opinion more
than one Southern State would take immediate
steps to secede. In certain contingencies, which
he stated, Georgia would secede. He did not be-
lieve the South would 60 out by general conven-
ton, but let single State swing out, and she
would draw with her. or after her, the remaining
States to form either a Southern Confederacy
or procure an amendment of the present Con-
stitution to secure the rights of the South. As
he belieYed the dissolution of the Union was
near at hand he was unwilling to vote money
and lands for a road which was sure to be To-
Gated outside of the South-hence he wanted
the South to have route equally with the
North, which shall aid her while in the Union,
and belong to her when ont Of IT.