Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-20

j
ofheis as to exact L from them, you would
never rise 70 ask fer compromise Many Of
you stand In an attitude hostile 10 this Coy
ernmsnt when you threaten, unless we do 80
and so, you will 60 out Of this Union, and
destroy the Government. say, in my pri-
vate capacity, / never yield to anything by
WPy Of threats, In my public capacity
have no right 70 yield. Therefore, / would
not entertain a proposition for compromise.
This long, chronic controversy must be met
upon the principles rof the Constitution,
hope it may be edjnsted, but know Of no
way except that laid down by the Constitu-
ton Of the United States. Whsn We 90 as
tray from that, we plunge ourselves into diff
culties. There are different ways OF con-
strung II but in my Judgment il is the |
Wisest Constitution ever yet organized, aud |
am willing to stand by it, I ask for nothing |
more There is another subject about which /
Iought to say something u is claimed that ]
you have right to secede at your pleasure.
I'CanhOt find any warrant for doctrine like |
that ia the Constitution. In my Judgment, !
it would be subversiYe Of constitutional obli- |
cations, If that is so, we have no Govern
ment It would reduce this Union 10 mere
eonglomeTstion of States, 20 be held together
at the will of any oapti0us member Of it,
The State of South Cardinals small Statei
but probably, if she was sunk by an earth-
quake, we should hardly find it out, except
by the unwonted harmony that would pre-.
vail In this Chamber. | say this from no i'll
will. think she is unwise. | would be
willing to let her 60 out if we could do so
without an example fatal to ell government.
But standing here, my wishes must be con-
trolled by constitutional duty. don't see
low any man can contend that State can
/ 20 out Of the Government at pleasure. The
/ question was reviewed thirty years ago, and
| received verdict which it was supposed bad
set it at rest forever. By Gen. jackson, and
the men who surrounded him, it was pro-
nounced delusion, and utterly disruptiye Of
all Governments. Yet, here it is to-day,
blooming aud fresh. Mr.. Calhoun, even, held
to the doctrine that we have power to make
war on a State. You viii fnd this doctrine
in his long letter to Gov. Hamilton. I ac-
i knowledge to the fullest extent the right Of
revolution, if you so call tia right to des-
troy the Government and erect another on its
ruins more in accordance with your wishes.
But when you undertake it you undertake it
with this provision; If you are successful,
all is right. You are heroes, But, If you
are defeated you are rebels. -. '-
| That is the character OF revOlution5 II sue
cessfnl all well; ffunsuecessful thegoVernment
treats them as traitors, He did did not see a
cause to apprehend that any party intended
to make war on the seeding States; he only
asserted the right to do so if they saw fit. He
: would not however, counsel or advise any
party to do il. He would be very tender
h-t4rl
to break up the Government under which
they had deliberately come 70 the Conclusion
they could not live-but he apprehended that
the position Of the Republicans would COM
r pel them to take austere ground. Although
, a State secedes, they cannot recognize her
right to 20 out of the Union until she gains
the consent Of the Union. The duty OF the
| Chief Magisorate is to execute the law in ey
e cry part Of the Government- He cannot bt
!. | released from this obligation. Nothing il
1 the Constitution Of the United States viii
4 warrant his saying that single star has fall
= en-. BE is sworn net to know that StatF
t has seeded and to pay no respect to resolu
i 1 tions that declare that she has done so. IL
= doing this it does not follow that he mus
: make war upon her, but he should exercist
). every Federal right oYer-her, the most i'm
v portant Of which is the collection Of the rev
e enue. There aremany rights FIR the beneh
], / of the people of a State that might be dis
RI pensed with. IF they do not want the mail
t carried the President could abolish the Pos
ie Offices. They might not perhaps elect off
q GERS to send here, but they could do as the!
u liked about that They hive a right to b
L perfectly represented here, but IL they choos
e to 1forego that privilege it is not incumben
1t upon the President to force them to send rep
III resentatiHes here. But the Chief Magistrat
- -oeli5r eJe.le-. can be re
n leased from that obligation for the C0nstitu
t, ton demands it. What tOlloWs2 If the Sc
re ceding State shuts up her ports of entry 5,
Is thatships cannot discarge their cargoes, ther
i ships will cease to go there; or, if the Gov
e eminent blockades her ports to collect rev
Y enue, she will not have gained her independ
!? elce by secession If she will feel contenteC
2 to live under this equiEocal state of things
e all will be well, but she cannot do so. Hha
u will she do She must take the injtiativ
!; and declare war upon the United States. Thel
e force must be met by force, ard she must hey
e out her independence by violence and war
Is There was no other way under the Constitu
+ ton that be knew Of if a State secede and de
o clare war, He did not suppose that Their
IS was q lawyer on the floor bat who will sal
o that the act Of leyying war is treason agains
y the United States. That is the result and WI
a may as well look the matter in the face. Tht
n Senator from Texas says that the South vii
d force an ignominious treaty from US in Fan
1 eeil Hall To this be would answer, 'eWeil
: you may; we know your powers; we know
e your bravery; we do not want to fight witt
e you, but, nevertheless, if you drive rs to tn,
}. necessity we will use all our powers to main
t tain the Government intact, in all its integri
= ty. five are overthrow the Government
1 viii be suhYerted as thousands ofother Gov
! ernments have been. If you are the weakest
t then you must go the wall. That is all there
t is about it. That's the condition in which
4 We. stand can see no power in. the Consti-
: tuition that will release the Senator from this
S position. He did not take the oath to sup
/ port the Constitution unless one State seeded.
: There was no such immunity tor him. There
r was no way, theu, for State to go out of the
Union, but she could demand equal Justice
2 under the Constitution, and indicate her
grievances while the flag of the nation waved
over her. There was no way for a State to
60 out OF the Union, except by making war
and vindicating by the force of arms her right
to independence, and ifshe did this, he had a
: prophesy in his mind. No man would re-
gTet more than himself the disruption of any
portion of the United States where the people
think themselves aggrieved, if there was any
honorable release fr0E it. Butal this trou-
bic Is a matter ofprejudice superinduced by
listening to the enemies Of the Republican
party. We sars looked upon in the light Of
enemies; We are branded ss traitors; We are
styled John Brown men; but if the South
. will secede we will preserve the Union and
await the gloriOus future. #f Hr
Mexico owes England eight millions Of dol
lars, and ask OF US protection. aud she has all
the elements to build up glorious lRepubli-
can Empire. The Republican party will dc
anything for the Union. The Senator from
| Tilipoio and his oo1laao71n t1c5. o,s1 IL.