The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-12-19

We have compromised too much, and We have
got TO that position Of things, whenever any
fault is found there is the eyer-recurring remedy
Of statesmen. Of still further concessions from
the North. | agree. sir, that under the Consri-
tltion OF the United States, YOU are entitled 10
/ demand and have an honest and fair discharg
OF that obligation which is imposed on all the
States in regard 10 the rendition of fugitive
slaves, and | am wiling, perfectly willing, that
I there shall be an honest, and fair and faithful
. performance ct that pledge. sum up every case
OF injury and suffering and aggression by the
I whole North. OF the free States, upon the right
! 10 recapture fugitive slaves, and pat them all
down in the darkest colors and draw il as hideous
as truth and fancy can make il. and then l can
-how YOU acgreS>lons on the constitutional rights
ot ciiizens ot the tree States that will infinitely
I outweigh and outnumber every aggression by
the free States upon the rights of the South, in
regard to their slaves.
! We are trying dn experiment, and belieUe
are are nor ia IT'S CRISIS have never been o!
that number of Fourth of July orators, who glo
riiy the country. | nave uniformly said, We are
but in the beginning Of an experiment. We
talk of our Republic. Why, sir, it has not out
lived the ages of the soldiers who fought its bat
ties aud gained its victories. | believe Rome
existed as Republic for GOO years. That is
vived "A lifetime of the men who fought the bat
ties or liberty, or tiIc patriot, aud sage, who
formed our Constitution aLd Government. We
have obtained what We have obtained by great
effort and great price. Ii is not the mere price
oI the Revolution, the mere price of the blood
that was shed or the patriot cOunses that formed
the Constitution. But away back, centuries
upon centuries, in English history, when power
and principle c0ntended-in all these centuries,
there has been going on contest which is cul.
/ mlnatlng in our experiment here. No patriot
blood poured out on the battle fields of civil war
in England has been insignificant in this conflict.
| will add this, that shall present most hu-
initiating spectacle to this world, if at this time,
when, by the Acknowledgment OF the President
of the United States. the blessings of Heaven
have descended upon this people in all the chan.
nels of their industry and business-at time
when, by the confession of the Senator from
Georgia (Mr. Toombs) last year on this floor,
this General Government was faithfully perform
ing all its functions in relation to the slave States
and every State-I say, under such circumstan-
ces of faithful Government, and will add of
subservient Judiciary, if this COnfederacy should
burst, and this glorious community of States be
discovered and fail, by the doubtful contingency
of State action, to carry out the experiment Of
human liberty, and when at the very day and
hour that we are coming tOSucn result IN the
States OF Italy, having for centuries gone through
baptism of blood and taught by the depotism
of centuries, are coming together to unite their
energies for liberty and progress then, if We,
untaught by all the past and reckless of the
present, and blind to the future, should madly
dash ourselves upon this dark ocean, whose
shores no eye of prophecy or faith can discern,
| do not know what is to be the future But l
do hope, if we cannot settle things in the spirit
in which they ought tob settled, we will at least
have the courage and manhood TO look the thing
straight in the face, and understand VIII It it is.
know nothing about the policy uf the incom-
ing Administration but il has been my fortune
since had IA seat on this floor, TO find my self
uniformly in opposition to the Administration,
and am far from certain that shall not take
the same position with regard to the ncom-
ing Administration Que thing is certain, If IL
qsails IN the Performance Of its duty, II At hes
,fatrs, as -Kr. Bachdna, has done, to look clear
iy IA the face of TIE difficulty, and mark out a
poiiey, and sustain IL NTH honesty and patriot
ISM, It certainty wW not find me among ats snp.
porters.