The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-10-26
Gen. McQueen's Speech.


Our immediate Representative the Hon.
John Mcqueen, delivered in the Court
House on Tuesday Of Court Week one of
his most stirring, practical and effective
speeches upon the politics of the day. 1t
was plain, straightforward, easily understood
| by everybody and couId leave no doubt in
the minds of any who heard it, ~ to the
position which our Representative occupies
before the country. !!e spoke entirely
without notes. We attempted to follow
| him through his speech with the view of
| giving detailed account Of it to our read
ers in tile present issue of the Ledger ; but
a press of other engagements forces us to
condensc more than we had intended and
continc ourself To the most prominent
| points in lis very able address
In commencing to address US upon public
affairs, our Representative expressed his
regret that he had not better tidings and
evidence OF better prospects To lay before
us. An experience Of ten years in Congress
has convinced him, that we of the South
need never again look for justice at the
| hands OF the Federal Government; nor can
we depend with safety upon any party at
! the North. Those ut the North who are
disposed to give uS Justice, and to stand by
| the Constitution, are awed into silence by
an overwhelming majority, whose sole aim
is to despoiI Us and finally I" annihate the
institution which forms the basis of our
comfort, our happiness and our prosperity
as people. In one notable instance since
/ he has been in Congress, II few staunch
friends from the North rallied nObly to our
supper. and assisted us to wipe out the foul
stain, which rested upon Southern honor
| by reason of that uncons titutional measure.
| known as the Missouri Compromise. This
measure of injustice TO the South was re-
pealod, and we We're then told that hcreaf-
ter we were to have equality and justice in
the Union. But facts have proved the con-
trary. Those Of the North who assisted us
to repeal the Missouri Compromise have
been denounced at home by their constitu-
ents, and others more hostile TO us in SEN
timent have been elected in their stead.
When he entered Congress ten years ago,
We had just acquired vast domain. This
domain, acquired through the patriotism,
! the blood and the treasure of the South as
well rs of the North, We have been despoI-
ed of, incn by inch. until scarcely a foot of
it remains, upon which there is any reason
able probability that slavery can ever rest
secure. First we were shut out from Cali
fornia lastly from Kansas, and in every
contest for Territory that has arisen, we
have been defeated by such unfair and lille.
gal means, as leave no room for doubt in
our minds as to the ultimate purpose of our
enemies. The Democratic party of the
! North and NOrth-west, under the leader.
ship of Douglas, entertain doctrines and
sentiments even more insidious and dan ger
Gus to the interests Of the South than the nm
! disguised sentiments ofthe avowed abolition
/ lists The Supreme Court has decar ed in the
bred Scott decision that Congress has not,
nor never had, the right to exclude slavery
! from the Territories but Douglas and his
! followers, in the face of this decision, say,
that although Congress h ~ not the right
! to exclude us, yet few squatters--a mere
/ handful of fanatics, or c0nviots from Boston,
or emisaries from the abolition aid societies,
have the right to go upon our common
Territory and pass laws excluding the South
! from any participation therein. This is the
doctrine that has made Douglas so popu.
lar at the North among the Abolilionists :;
it is short, but nevertheless an efectual
method of despoiing the South and circum-
scribing the limits of slavery.
Turn from this party to the other wing
of fanatics and enemies Of slavery, and what
are we to expect from them! Seward, their
leader, the General of aboItionism publish
es his fiat and says that he will ultimately
abolish slavery in the States, and that he
will do this by operation of law. First the
Supreme CouTt, which he represents as
being now composed of scoundrels, must
be renodeled next convention of the
States must bs called and a new Constitu-
ton formed and by this process he would
accomplish the abolition Of slavery. Shall
pe stand rith our arms folded when these