The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-09-27

principles which last year they felt to
be truee-Qriven by loud and false
clamorf Are they to be bewildered
and staggered by cry from maintain.
ing their right, and when Kentucky is
asked to express her own opinion as to
her rights, is the chivalry Of the Com.
monwealth sunk so low that she dare
not assert it7 Such were not the men
who laid the foundation Of the State.
Such were not your fathers in 49,
They took the lead in vindication Of
the truth. The New England States
stigmatized them as disunionists; but
undeterred they stood by their rights,
and inaug urated q political revolution
that preserved the true principle of
our system. These were your fathers,
the men Of '9S. Now in 1850, the is
sue is distinctly presented to you. Will
you express your own opinions of the
equality Of your own State in the I'm
ion? Will you by your vote, assert
your own rights in the Confederacy /?
The Supreme Court Of the United
States says you have them You your.
selves have said you have them. In
every form in which you can express
your opinion to the world you have
claimed these rights. Here they are
embodied in this platform of principles.
Upon them are standing men who you
cannot deny to be true to them, and
whose loyalty to the Constitution and
the Union Of the country no man can
successfully attack. Then will you fly
from your own principles, as asserted
by yourselves, at the clangor of bells
and unreasonable orators? That is
the issue presented to the people of
Kentucky.
/ [Voices--"Gool," and applause
Fellow-citizens, can you bear with
me little longer?
A voice--"Yes, a week, go on."]
You must allow me, then, to make
a few remarks in tone more subdu-
ed, and must apologize to you for the
loose way in which I am going on,
smitten as I am by sickness.
know of but one political organi-
cation before the United States which
asserts the principles have underta.
ken to vindicate and defend. The Re.
publican organization has taken pre-.
cisely opposite principles. They say
we have no right in the Territories
with our property. They say Con-
gress has right to exclude it, and it
is its duty to do so, and they are will.
ling to see the Territorial Legislature
do it if Congress does not.
I In regard to the Platform adopted
by the Convention which nominated
Mr. Bell, Of Tenn, and Mr. Everett, Of
Mass, ! have only to say, that certain.
ly it announced no principle at all up
on the sublect-nonc whatever. Gen
tlemcn tell US they are advocating tile
claims of these distinguished gentle.
men upon the principles of the Consti-
tuition, the Union, and the enforcement
Of the laws.
presume that there is scarcely a
man in this assembly, perhaps 10 one
North or South, who will admit that
he is against the Union, the Constitu.
ton, and the enforcement Of the laws;
but yet they entertain the most diverse
aud opposite opinions as to the best
mode OF preserving the Union, Of sus.
tanning the Constitution, and as to the
character Of laws which ought to lie
passed. Mr.. Seward, of New York,
Mr.. Burlingame, Of Massachusetts, Mr..
Giddings, OF Ohio, and all those emf.
nent gentlemen thoroughly identified
with the ultra anti slavery party Of the
United States, will tell you that they
are for the Union; but it is their own
sort OF Union that they want. They
say they are for the Constitution but
they construe the Constitution so as
to take away all our rights. They
tell you they are for the enforcement
Of !lie laws; but they are for laws
which would take away our property.
[Cleers. For the Union, the Con IT,
tuition, aud the laws, they shake hands
with you Oh that, but you cannot agree
on a single thing under heaven after.
wards. Laughter aud cheers.
i Then this platform practically de-
clares nothing. The platform which
have read to you does contain dis
tinct enunciation Of certain principles
which touch the rights of property and
persons in tile Territories, and we lc-
gard it to be the equal rights of tie
States, and we want to know if tie
people Of Kentucky are ready to meet
the issue. We appeal to you, not in
behalf of any individual, but to stand
by your own principles, founded on
the Constitution Of the country. [Cries
Of "good"]
Now, if it be true that am not
disunionist, and if it be true that the
political principles ! advocate are not
disunion principles, but are the pruci-
Piles Of the Constitution, is it not right
hard to establish disunion on sound
men with Constitutional principles /?
Cries of that's so."] That, gentle.
men, would seem to exhaust the sub.
ject. Sound men with Constitutional
principles, which principles have an.
nounced in the form recognized in
American politics, to be asserted by
the means of the ballot.box.
| But word on another subject It