Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1859-12-16
SPEECH OF JOHN HICKMAN.
Anti-L compton Member of Con
from PennsylvnninlG' - . -

sSPEEUh .OE3JOIIN HICKMAN.
Antt-L LecomptOn Member of lConnress
from Pennsy1TnninI
Now, sir, wish to say W brd 10 the
other side of the House, and 1 Intend. in
what say upon this occasion and upon
every other, to treat every man here ns
would be treated myself, rcspectfHlly: but
shall express my opinions, ifI choose to do
so, all of them, fearlcssly There is n
contest between the North and the South
and the admission might just .asl we'll be
made now as Mt any future timel There
IS state of feeling existing between the
North and the South which canndt be re-
moved; it is as deep laid as the fouh hdations
OF mountains, anu, SIR, II perYauas every
point ike an atmosphere. IfyoulEant to
Know why the North have feelings upon
this subjec0I will tell you. Tidy hnye
become satisfied that there is but ode thing
which will satisfy our southern brethren.
and that is the right to carry slavery every
where, to plant it everywhere, to {ustain
it everywhere, against the united Wishes
as it is against the united interests bf the
North.
This determination to extend SLAVERY is
Southern interest, and the Represent htiYes
OF the South are compelled to ask as
much. do not complain of them for SO
doing; and when our interests are directly
adverse to theirs, and lay in anothdr di-
rection, why should we be denounced fer
pursuing our interests as they pursue theirs.
More than this. The North has gridvous
charges to prefer against the South, and
they are charges which they will have an
swcred. That is my conviction; and If the
expression of these sentiments stamps me
with the title of Abolitionist, SO be i'll and
| viii wear it as well as I can. Yesl sir,
they have charges TO make against the
South which they will have answered.
They charge them with the. Violation of
covenants, compucts, and Compromises
That is what they charge them with, and
it is well that they should know it. Ii is
useless to cry peace, sir, when there is no
peace. Why, sir, when the compromises
OF the Constitution were entered intd by
our fathers, it has been said that if the
same spirit had existed which exists
now, those compromises never could hive
been made. l sec the truth of the remark;
feel the truth Of the remark, sir; for
when those compromises were entered into
they were entered into under the SOLEMN
conviction that the powers of slnvcry # rom
that day was not to increase but to retro
grade. If they had had the convictions,
or If they had pursued the policy Which
our Southern friends are now intent upon,.
those compromises never could have been
entered into. What did they gct-what
did onr Southern friends get by those Cd qm-
promiscs2 They got the slavery represen-
ton. They got the foundation for fugi-
tive slave law. They got exemption from
| export duties. They got, three very large
advantages. What did the North get or
what did the interests of freedom get2-
Why, sir, they got the implied pledge that
after the year 1903 the importation of
Africans, or the foreign slave trade, should
cease. I'D.
| Vow, sir, the South boasts to-day that
they arc in full possession of all tho bcne-
hts of all the compromises of the Constitu
tion; that they have the slavery rcpres en-
| tation; and, If understoodta a gcntlcIhan
| who spoke few days ago, that they have
/ here, by force of the threc-fifths rcprescn-
tution, twenty members upon this door,
They boast, sir, that they have the fugitive
slave law, and that the North does not
abide by its provisions. They are certain
ly exempt from duty upon exports; and
where is the North, with her share of the
| compromises of the Constitution? Why,
SIR we hear it boldly avowed-not hcre
but it-wilNcome before spring, it will come
before the flowers scomos-thIt, they do not
intend that the foreign slave trade shall be
ciosed: They intend to open the traffic
es, sir, they have opened the traffic; they
make bold to say so, and Southern courts
refuse to punish offenders. / say, then,
the North charges upon the South that they
| have weptaway from the North the bene-
hts OF the compromises of the Constitution
when the South are IN the full, enjoyment
oftheirs.7 .,r.t -.
w hen you como to the compromise of
1920; when, in order to get Missouri into
the Union aS slave State, they gave 10 us
OF the North the solemn pledge and. enter
cd into bonds that slavery should never
exist north of the southern line of that
state; after having got Missouri in, and
reaped all the advantage which they could
reap from that compromise, the South
came here-not the North-the South
came mere, almost united Seuth,l to say
that the benefit which the North received
from the compromise Of 1920 should be
/ swept away and, sir, southern breath
swept it away; and we have, in consc-
| quence, the struggle in Kansas MS to- WhetlI-
er slavery should or should not 90 into
territory from which it was prohibited.
] But, sir, the North charged further that
IN the compromise of l832-the great
compromise ofthei great compromiser-
northern trade was paralyzed and northern
industry destroyed. And then. sir last
and not by any means least, We have the
compromises Of 1850 and 1854, which
choose to join together, as they constitute
but one single compact. Aftcf: NC bouoht
| yes, sir, after We bought California into tho
Union according to anlundiyided. senti-
ment' to' giving to them monstrous preroga-
tlVes, which will not undertake now III
enumerate, they madc!us thessolemn guar
1 antee thatif we weuld adopt the Dri6rinIe
l of the Runsas-Nebrasko hill IN loa,.o r.