Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-12-14
Debate IN THE SENATE.

of Messrs. Hale and Iverson, in the United
States Senate on the 5th inst
Mr. Hale Rep. n. H. moved to reconsideF
tie vote % print the Presidents Message. z
Mr,. HaleI was very much in hopes that
there would have been Message that would
have commended itself to somebody. l was
BOT sangaihe of rs pleasing myself, but L did
hope it would please some one, and that the
President would have looked things in the
face. l have-read it somewhat carefully, and
if understand it, and think I do, it is this
First That South Carolina has just cause for
seeding Second, That she has no right to
secede. Third, That we have right to pre-
vent her from seeding. That is the amount
of the Message, substantially. Then the Pres
ident goes on to represent this as great and
powerful country, and that no State has
| right to secede from il; ; that all the power OF
the country, if | understand the President. con
sists in what Dickens makes the English Con-
stitntion consist-the power to- do nothing
| Now, Sir, 1 think it was incumbent on the
President of the United States to have pointed
out and recommended to Congress some rule,
and to have told US what he recommended us
to do. But. in my Judgment, he has entirely
in the face He has acted like the ostrich
hid his head, and thereby thought to escape
the danger. The only way to escape the danz
rgef is to look it in the face; and think the
country did expect from the President some
exposition of decided policy. confess, for
one, was rather indifferent as to what that
policy should be, but did hope it swould be
decisive. But he has utterly failed in that
respect l think that the state OF things IN
| this country looks to one of two things: 1t
| looks to absolute submission, not on the part
of Southern States, but on the part of the
! n orth, to an abandonment OF their pOsitlou.-
| 1t looks TO surrender of that popular senti=
/ ment which has been uttered through the con-
| stituted forms of the baliot-box or it looks
| to open war That is what it looks tos and
| we need not shut our eyes to- the fact Ii
means war to the State which has put herself
in the attitude of secession, and she looks up
on it so, and asks 10 counsel. She has con-
| sidered it SO, aud has armed herself If | un-
| derstand things, IL looks to sahat and nothing
else i understand there WAS remedy sug
| gested in one of the papers III this city. Ii
was that the Irtsident and Vice President
/ elect should be itfiugurateda That would be
great coHecssiun; and thcn ibeing inaugural
ed, thry should quietly resign. But i sthink
J that wBHd nut settle the question. Shoold
they -resigug there would be as much difficulty
has 10 who would take their places as there
| was before. ! do not wish TO say word that
would cause irritation add to the feeling of
! bitterness which really exists III the country.
Not one / wonld bear and f0rbear before l
/ would say suGn word. But l tell you the
plain truth that the way is to Look the thing
in the face and see where we areA And what
is the issue that is presented, but that the con-
stitutional will of ihe public opinion, expressed
through the forms of the Constitution, will
4 not be submitted to? "a nd if war is the al
/ Tentative, let it come IN any form or amy shape
The Onion is dissolved, and it cannot be held
| together AS ULion if that is the alternative
upon which we go into election. III it is
pronounced and determined that the voice OF
the majority expressed through the regular
constituted forms of the Constitution will not
be submitted to, then, Sir this il not Union
of equals. 1t a Union of tlietatorial oil
gareiiy on the one side, and herd of slaves
aud towards on The other. That is it-noth-
| ing more nor less. And this is not Union
of equals. If this tlsctssiois is proceeded with,
shall tsle occasion 10 ssstlFtss myself 10 that
phase of the controversy which is SO constant
y, perseyeFingly, and continually held up, that
| the n ofthefn States are the aggressors. The
! Northern States are the. aggressors in one
sense. Ne haye.a set of PRESSES and politi
eishs among us who have perverted the public
voice and The public interest, nlinistering 70 a
| deprayed appetite, and they have lent their ip-
| teiest TO aspcrsions and slanders on the people
among whom they live, and upon whom they
| feed and i very much fear our friends on the
other side have listened too much to their as
perations, rather than, to their own convictions
OF what The truths. I desire, il ibis discussion
proceeds. to show up what I conceive to be the
true character Of his position, fsr as relates
to the North. ! only speak fvr o,e State
and but for the half of that Ard let nc say,
| have no lcar, not the slightest. No do3bt
moi the minutest. Let the result ofths con
troversy be what it may let it be settled in
any form it may /; let it be drenched in blood
if it may. l have no fear but the little State
which | have the honor, in part to represent,
win stand acquiited-not before posterity-I
don't care so much about that-but she will
stand acquitted before the civilized world, and
by The verdict of to-day and of Christendom
l have. no such distrust OF the position that
State occupies that I'wish 10 appeal from the
present to the future. No, Sir. / say this
that State, upon the Constitution, and upon
the record, and upon. the truth of history, will
stand to-day and forever fully acquitted of
every charge that can be brought against her,
looking to any infraction, on her part, of the
Constitution, or any Of its provisions, be they
onerous OF otherwise, Let me say. further, if
there are those who look TO the settlement
Of this controversy by further concession
rom the North,,,I think they, mistake
think we, have conceded too much, we have
compromised too much, and We have got to
that position of things, whenever any fault is
found, there is thesseyer-recurring remedy of
statesman, Of still further concessions from
the North ] agree, sir, that under the Con
stitulion of the United States, you are enti-
tied to demand and have an honest and fair
discharge OF that obligation which is imposed
on all the States in regard to the rendition Of
fugitive slaves, and am willing, perfectly will
ling, that there shall be an honest, fair and
faithful performance of that pledge. i listen
ed to the Senator from North Carolina, and !
agree with very much that he said. But Il
can tell that Senator, if he win sum up every
case of injury and suffering and aggression by
the whole North, of the Free States upon the
rights they have TO recapture fagtine slaves,
and put them all down liz the darkest colors,
and draw it as hideous as tDuth and fancy can
make it, and then l can show you aggressions
on the constitutional nights of The citizens of
the Free States tbabr will infinitely outweigh
and outnumbep every aggression by the Free
States upon the rights of the South in regard
to tbeir slaves. We are trying an experiment, !
and believe we are in its crisis. have new