The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-12-22

into the hands of the slaves, to murder their
masters What will you have accomplished
| when you shall have isduced such belief
among the white people Of the South, or among
the slaves Of the South Will you be more Sc
cure2 Will there be any less likelihood of an
instruction, when you haze circulated through
out the whole slave population the idea that the
great mass of the people 81 the North are ready
to arm them to slaughtef their masters Why
not, then, | ask, treat US Us brethren2 Treat us
| fairly, take our platform ~ it is. When we say
that all men created lual, we do not mean
that every man in orgs lied society has the
same rights. We do rot ierate that in Illinois
| | know that there is q Distinction between these
two races, because the Almighty himself has
marked it upon their very faces and. in my
| judgment, man cannot, by Legislation or other
wise, produce perfect equality between these
races, so that they will live happily together.
have always been Democrat and yet, now
] am denounced as a Black Republican, as an
Aboitionist; for some of the Southern Govern
ors, believe, choose TO call all Abolitionists
l have changed no sentiment. on the subject of
Slavery since the time when acted with the old
| Democratic party. l am no more averse to it
] now than | was then. have lived amidst it.
and would be as far as any Sc lator from nterfer-
ing with this domestic relation where it exists in
| the States.
| Wndt gentlemen meant Dy talking
about inequality of rights between the North
and the South and about aggressions of the
North upon the South; and when and where
they were made. In reply, the Senator from
| South Carolina, instead Of taking our platform
as the exponent of our principles, adverted to
what single individual OF the Republican party
| had said. Now, sir, does it comport with the
candor and the fairness of that distinguished
| Senator, who is, believe ordinarily, a very can
/ did and fair Centlemau m attrihuta 70 o,raat
! party in the country, which has declared its
| principles in Convention assembled, what any
one individual member of the party may say are
| his own opinions2
The Republican party has declared no such
| principles as the Senator attributes to it. Would
he mislead his people2 Would he deceive him
| self2
Mr. CHESTNUT. Mr. President-
The PRESIDING OFFICER, (Mr. MAsoN.)
Does the Senator yield the foor2
Mr.. TRUMBULL. Yes, sir.
Mr.. CHESTNUT. The Senator has been pleased
to comment on portion of the remarks which
made yesterday, as not presenting candid view
of the subject, as if | did not speak in candor
| Mr.. TRUMBULB. l dotnot mean to impute
want of candor, in any offensive sense, to the
Senator but think be hes not fairly stated our
! principles.
Mr.. CHESTNUT. Mr.. President, merely rose
to state in response to what the Senator asked
of me, whether Iswould lake the opinion of a
! party from an individual, t4at ordinarily would
not but when find the party acting upon such
! principles generally whek5 l find him who is ac-
! knowledged as the distinguished leader of that
party, and so admitted believe, everywhere,
! and ] suppose among tbs mselves, utterng his
! well-considered and elaborate opinions opinions
which have been promulgated, and which have
| had their effect upon the CO sntry; opinions which
! have never before been Ienied by the party
! 1ybin haxo hot, aor
as ! am aware; which hav! never been respond
ed to by the gentlemen who belong to that par
| ty, as not being the opnioSs of their party felt
! at liberty, and think / Wa authorized in feel
| ing myself at liberty, to b. d them as the opn-
! ions, the well-considered o.inions, of the leader
! of this great party in tho North. That is the
reason why chose, upon Che discursive debate
of yesterday, having that speech before me, to
! predicate my remarks of the purposes and prn-
ciples of that party upon tie speech of that dis
| tinguished leader.
Mr.. TRUMBULL. Mr.. president, I wish to
| say that l acknowledge, a1d, so far as | know
the Republican party acknowledges, no man as
its leader However high respect for the dis
! tinguished Senator from Ne.5 York, not now with
! us, do not acknowledge lin as the leader of
! the Republican party nor 10 | hold myself re-
! sponsible for the opinions ke may express. We
acknowledge no leaders. Whether the views
enunciated by the Senator rom New York are
correct not correct is uot4he question if they
differ from the creed of the1Repubican party as
announced in its authortaty e Convention, then
they are not the creed of the party.
Mr.. Chestnut. May l ask the Senator one
question?
Mr.. TRUMBULL. Certainly.
Mr.. CHESNUT. Does he Jspudiate those views
of the Senator from New Y~k2
Mr.. TRUMBULL I repud ate the construction
that you have put upon thcAe views. And now
wish to ask the Senator ON South Carolina,
who read from that speech which | have here
before me, if it comported exactly with his sense
of fair dealing and propriett as a Senator of the
United States, speaking in Gs place here for the
information of the Senate and the country, and
his own constituents in thh South, to attribute
to him such sentiments as these L" We (of the
NORTH will subjugate you give US the rens Of
power, and we will place yosI at our feet? "
Mr.. CHESTNUT. | quoted no such language as
having been used by tbe,Senator from New
York. quoted from the speech of the Senator
from New York, in which he expressly stated as
the result of this irrepreA1ible conflict" that
the wheat-felds and rye-feals of New York and
Massachusetts, would ultima lily be titled by slave
labor, or that the sugar plal tations of Louisiana
and the rice-felds and coz on-f fields of South
Carolina must be titled by frte labor That was
the language of the Senator from New York
Mr. TRUMBULL. l wilt ask the Senator, then,
if it COMFORTS with his sense of fair dealing to a
Senator from one of these Or ted States to quote
that portion of the speech, snd leave out this:
On the other hand, while dc confidently believe and
hope that my country Will bcCne land universal
Freedom DO not expect that II WI be made otherwise
than through the action OF the raj States cooperating
with the Federal Government, all acting strict
1ormity with their respective Constitutions"
Mr.. CHESNUT. True, Mr.. President, that part |
of the speech is there. y quoted, from |
another speech, portion which l thought bore
strongly upon the recent occurrences; but from
the speech from which the gentleman now quotes,
l made a quotation expressly to show what was
the purpose of the gentlemen and what they had
in view. do not care by what means they seek
to bring it about. They may take one means or
another, but they have the end in view and it
is that which resist, and which we will resist
Mr.. TRUMBULL. This is tile speech where the
term " irrepressible conflict occurs and if the
Senator is satisfied to go be&re the country in
the attitude of having quoted one portion of the
Speech and given to it a Teaning at variance
with another portion whica he has left out,
wherein it is stated in expresS>erms, by the SEN
ator from New FORK, that be has no expectation
that this country will all become free, except
through the action of the States in constitu-
tional way, it is his privilege to do so. | draw
his attention to it in fairness and in candor, as
| have conducted this whole discussion on my
part and it seemed to me that'it was at least,
due to the Senator who was not here that his
own explanation of the language which he bad
used should go along with what had been quo
ted particularly as the Senator from South
Carolina drew differences which led him to use
language wherein he spoke of subjugating the
South, and placing them under the feet of the
North, as if that were a legitimate deduction
from the remarks which he quoted, though the
m rnada thace he had |