The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1859-12-27
Hale on DisuniOn,

hiNtt A'OutuNlu ipNuhNOio hhd hS
clared in favor of Disunion in case Re
publican President were elected in 1860
John p. Hale, on Tuesday last, gave his
opinions on the subject in a brief speech
which commanded much attention at Wash
ingtou. Mr.. Gwin, of California, bad
just taken his seat after procIaiming tina;
the South was ready to go out of the I'm
ion, and clarifying her greatness and indie,
pendent strength Mr.. Hale said that il
Gwin's position were the true one, we had
been living under an utter delusion:
We are not union of States; the free
States are subject Provinces and our poo
pie do not choose a President. They but
perform an idle ceremony. You sit there,
according to the enunciation made this
morning, tho representatives Of fifteen
States, and you proclaim to the majority
of this Union that if they dare to exercise
their prerogative aud choose President
representing the views they entertain, land
the supposition presnpposes III thoy are
the views Of majority of the people of
| these United States, or else they could not
elect President,) YOU will dissolve the
I - IlOu. u pu SNuStNnliNllN, Nv lh4s NtNlt-
ration, declare that this is an idle mockcry,
dclusion, and deception 1t is no
choice; you people OF the free States Or Of
the onslaveholding S.ales-if that is
phascology suiting any ear bettcr-you
are MOI u part Of the sovereign power OF
this Confcderacy; you occupy to us the
position the Old French parliament did to
tb.ir ,,,,p,r,h l., l., a., 1 H.,
prcrogarive Of the parliament was to regis
ter them-that was all They call that a
government Of law. The Senator from
California speaks to us as if there had
5cen an appeal made to us. do not con-
sldcr il 81. iathet consider It - 4 foro-
warning Of a state OF facts which, if it ex
lists, ought to be known and cannot be
known too soon.
This is the remedy, sir. | am glad TO
hear it. The remedy is that majority
Of these United States must surrender,
give up their convictions, forbcar in the
exercise Of the highest functions with
which God ever endowed frecmen, to let
their ballots speak the sentiments of their
understanding, and of their heats; stilo
'''I 'IlllS IH'l - IbdulN w Il'Ill' II ~
chance they ever Sot anything Of that sort
there, and 90 to the polls next fall to 60
through the idle ceremony of voting, when
it is already Il forcgona conclusion, "",l ir
'hcy 90 not register your DEGREES, the Tn
ion is to be dissolved. Sir, it is dissolved
now, it that is the state of lh case; it is
not u Union; we are not GO States; We
are not here the representatives Of sovcr-
eigu States, or Of States having any politi. .
cal rights; We are here simply 10 register
yom dcctccs lilo oIr, not that, but our
people are to como together in the fall Of
$50 and register the solemn dccrccs that f.
shall be made for them 10y the slaychoid- /.
ny States Of this Union.
reco,loct an eastern tale which may
serv' rs an illustration. and trust the
story is not below the dignity of the oc.
ca>on. It is said that an eastern mooa,cl .
h,> riysici II, had determined .
to pat him to death. The phy>ici II beg
god hard for his life, but il was OF no a.
vail At last he sad =" II You INSIST upon
putting me t. death. have on Y one ro.
qu'st TO make aud thal Is that my di,
severed head may hc put in u basin Of
water, and then it will answer any question
You may pat to it, The monarch r.
piled: "lf | had any doubt about taking
Your life before, / have none now, for
want to try that experiment. Sir | want
to try that experiment, and want to see
whether | am the representative on this
floor Of such craven slaves that they can
be driven from their convictions, and the
exercise of their high franchise 10y tho an
that if they do it this Union is
to be dissolved Sir, it is no Union TO
them; this Government is nothing but
badge of oppression and degradation and
of humiliation, if such be tho tenure by
which We hold our places in this conrcJ-
eracy.
Is this an appeal that is made to II, p
1t is not an appeal to Us as freemen, not
as the representatives Of FREQ States, not
rs men. If YOU respected us or our con
you could not make such an ap.
peal. 1t is not an appeal to be made to
men, Or to trcemcn. IL does not address
itself to our reason, but to our fears.
hlspN ~ D'' Soi'I. Splll'lllIltN ill'dNIl-
fully, that the only way to appeal to rs is
either to address our fears or our pockets.
This declaration to day, made upon the
lpor Of the Senate, is basel upon the idea
hat there is nothing manly. nothiag pa
tfiotic, nothing that spurns degradation in
ourselves or in the people whom we repre-.
,ent.
ST., il Senators think that that is the
way this difficulty is to be solved, it is not
or ne to complain. thank them for the
and ask them if they feel any
sort of interest to know how it is received
,y the people of the Free States, to read
he returns that vii, como from the next
election, and ascertain how many are scar.
ID, how many are frightened, how many
uc driven 10y such an appeal, rs it has
)ecn called. 1t is not for me TO stand
nero aud make professions, because they
IRE discrcdited just as fast as they are
made, and | havo none to make; but |
will say this-l do not know whether |
hall get credit for my sincerity in tt
nave declared again aud again that | do
lire the Union of these States to be per.
oetual. | desire it to be perpetual as
Union Of equal States; but if | stand hero
-epresenting people who will quail before