The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-07-20
SPEECH OF HON. r. B. RHETT.
DELIVERED AT GRAHAMVILLE, S. c.
July 4, 1859.

once rlHnL ana uuly-a rlght on NOut
part to know my opinions, and a duty on
NV part to put them before you. [ serv
ed in the House of Representatives and
Senate of the United States at fourteen
sessions OF Congress. During this period
was at one time aIoro amongst the pub.
lie men Of South Can olna; and at other
times | have been in minority in the
State. Yet for this whole term you gave
me all you had to bestow. More crate
YOU ever accorded to me your sympathy,
your confidence, your support Time has
gone on working out its mighty changes.
The great actors with whom | once play
ed on the stage Of ile's drama are now
heard no more. Calhoun. McDuffie,
Hayne, Hamilton, Taylor, Miller, Turn
bull, with. whom ! counselled upon first
entrance into public life, have passed
hence TO their last account. They died
without seeing the consummation Of their
anxious Iabors. The peace and safety Of
the South had not been assured. They
have left us still an inle, itanCe of Difficult
ty and danger. But they have also lef,
us precious legacy Of their brave exam
pies. They stood forth the intrepid de-
Tenders Of the rights and honor Of til cir
section. That equality of State and sec
ton for which they Contendel aud which
they diSdained To surrender, has, in oar
hands, practic lily fallen to the earth
! on, II is true, have done all in YOUR pow.
er to avert this result. II We must now
struggle, ttebler in comparison, on lower
ground and with a weaker moral power,
against an. increasing northern predumi.
nance audacity, it has been in spite of the
political protest ot the old Seventh Con.
gressionaI District Of South Carolina
k"ady in 32-ready in A ready in
'5O-rcady, trust, always. YOU stand in
the Soa:h the living emboimeut Of the
h'gA Sp'rt VtresistanCc to the aggressions
aud emcroachmen al til. North. You
are the Only people in the United States
WHO, at n regular election or.cred bv n
State, i.ave elected representatives to
: n,iern Cungress, with view TO South.
ern C"ntederacy, ahd | am the honored
representative you chose in that election.
In the Seus,e of tho UuiIed States
pr"pOunded and advocated before the
world the dissolution of the present Union
and the creation Of another Confedcracy
amongst the southern, States. | was not
igm"ranr OF the state Of public feeling a,
lhat tine. ! knew that such policy
WAS exceedingly distasteiul To the greater
portion Of the people OF the United States;
and TO none more so than To the political
ah"iitiouists- the Stewards, Chases and
Summers Of the North. The continuance
Of the present. Union. they all know, is
absolutely necessary to their policy Of
sectional rule and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. To
dissolve it is to snatch from them their
prey and To seal their political execution.
Events with Which you are acquainted
made it incumbent on me- in my opinion,
TO leave public life seven years ago. II
appreheEdeG the uue state OF things,
was hardly fl TO direct them and if |
correctly understood them, it would no,
be difficult TO bear patiently that fate
which awaits every mau WHO'S before his
times. So | retired voluntarily from pub
lie life, and left events which | could not
control to the guidance Of others deemed
wiser than myself You know the result.
Instead of our having peace, never since
the foundation Of the government have
the agltatlons concerning slavery been
more fierce and unnlermitied than with
in the last seven years. The presen,
Chief Magistrate Of the United States
eminent amongst the ablest and pures,
Statesmen Of the North, thought the
Union saved by the Compromise Of 1850
To Union meeting, held in PhiladeI
phia, he wrote as follows:
The agitation at the North, on the
subject Of domestic slavery in the South
like everything human, will have its dav
We have already reached, and, | trust
passed the dangerous crisis. Should this
prove to be the case, the tempest which
has been raging will purify the polilica
atmosphere and impart new and health
Eul life and vigor to the body polite
Mr.. Buchanan is made President o.
the United States, and finds the question
of domestic slavery in the South" at the
very gate OF ais entrance into power. Il
broke down bis administration before the
meeting Of the first Congress after bis in
auguratiou. His recommendation to set
tie agitation concerning slavery in Kan
sas failed, and another compromise wa,
necessary to "save the Union" Genera
Henderson, a Senator from Texas, sine,
dead. wrote rs follows, TO Mr.. John Mar
shall, pn I'd May, 1858:
My Dear Sir: left Washington CITY
on the day before yesterday evening, jus
after the fist passage Of the compromis,
bill. did not vote on the bill at lis pas
sage.
On the morning OF tue day TIE bill
finally passed, the president sent for me
and made such an earnest and strong ap
peal 10 me TO vote for the bill and aid il
saving his administration and the demo
cratic party Of the North, as to induc
me to leave the Senate Chamber and no
.ovote at all. as | would have fel. bount
to vote against the bill " had voted.
The democratic party and the Uniol
are thus saved i,oiee, in seven years, from
the agitation concerning southern slavery
and il you would ask Mr.. Buchanan hi