Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-12-26

diction. we have no hold upon it. Is there
anything in the character of the President
elect of which You complain? Has be moi
lived a blameless life. never violated any
law; has he committed any violation o dutyi
Why then are you suspicious that he will?
Now. then. | have shown that having the
Government in your hands all the time,
you have brought it to the verge of des-
truction; and the people. believing it wa:
time the scepter should depart from your
hands. have placed il in more competent
hands. If this is 50 you have 10 eonstitu.
tionai right to complain. wien We a
disavow any intention so tn ma e use oil
that victory We have Won. IS to injure you
at all.
This brings me to the question Of com
promise. The first day of this session d Sen
atOr ris sand off r. re solution t. iuquirein-
u the evils between different sections. and
to ascertain what could he done to settle the
diff. ulty; | tell that Senator I know OF
no difficulty. AS to compromise. | sup
posed we had agreed that the day of com
promises was at an end. The most SOL
emn we have made have been viJl. tel.
and where are they? Since | had "a seat
in this Senate one Of considerable antiqui.
ty was swept away from our statute book:
and when in the minority [ stool up here
aud asked yuu to withhold your haLds-
that il was a sacred compact between see
tious-w. at was the cry? That it was
nothing but an act of Congress. aud could
be swept away by the same majority that
passed it. That was true. in fact. and
true in law. and it bowed the weakness Of
compromises. Now. | only speak for N.Y.
self. that in view Of the manner in which
compromises have been treated. | should
think h1rdly any two members of the Dem
oeratic party could look each other in the
face and say compromise" without a
smile. A compromise to be brought about
after the experience we have had. is ALSO
lutcly ridiculous What arc We to com
promise? | am one Of those who went
with zeal to maintain the principles of the
Republican party. In u constitutional wav
We met and nominated our candidates.
You did the sam.. The Issue was made
and We went to the peopl with it, and.
although usually in the minority. usually
beaten, the Justice of our principles and
the bad administrS ton # the Government
convinced the people that a change ought
to be brought about. and after trying
your utmost. we beat you. We beat you
the plaiuest and most ~ralpable issue
ever presented to the American people. and
one they understood the best-and now.
when we come to the capital. we tell you
that our candidate nus be i~nausurated
and administer the Government precisely
as their predecessors have done. Ii would
be humililting and dishouorable to Us if
We listened to j compromise by which we
should lay aside the verdict OF the people.
When it comes to that. you have no Gov
ernment. but anarchy intervenes and civil
war may follow. and all the evils that hu-
man im1ginItion gan ris, M y b. con
upon su;h u curse as Ina; The
American people would loose the shert-an-
Of Liberty. whenever it is denied on
this floor that 4 majority Fairly given shall
rule. | know not what others may do.
but | tell you that with that v~erlict Of
the people in my pocket. and ~stanling on
the platform on which these candidates
were elected. | would suffer anything be-
fore | would compromise in any way. |
deem it M case where We have u right
to extend courtesy or generosity. The alb
right. the most sacred that a free
people can beStow upon any man. is their
verdict that gives him a full title tn the
ofi,e he holds. If We cannot stand there.
We cannot stand anywhere; and my friends.
any other verdict wOull be as fatal tn you
Is to us. You say he came from one see
lion of the cnuntry. What of that? Mr..
appealed to gentlemen on the other
side to say if they believed if the result Of
the contest had been the other way the
Republicans would have threatened disun-
ion? He clIimed that f Mr.. Lincoln was
loneSt man. he would administer the
Constitution faithfully. Therefore | say
to you, as far as | am concerned, | will
FIELD to no compromise. | do not come
lere begging one. 1t won d he an infigui-
y to the people | represent if | was to
here recre1nt to the rights Of my
party. We have won our rights to the
Chief Magistracy, and if you are as will
ling to do Justice to others as to exact it
from them. you would never rise to ask
Tor compromise. Many of you stand in
an attitude hostile to this Government
when you threaten. unless We do so and 50.
you will 20 out of this Union. and destroy
he Government. | say. in my private
capacity. | never yield to anything by way
IF threats. In my public capacity | have
no right to yield. Therefore. | would not
entertain a proposition for compromise.
This long. chronic controversy must be met
lpon the principles of the Constitution. [
nope it may be adjusted, but | know of no
way except that laid down by the Consti-
luton of the United States. When we 90
lstray from tn t, We plunge ourselves into
There are different ways of
constituting it. but. in my judgment. it is
-uC hlSGSl AOuSlANuNipi NfCl JNI OiEuuiASus
md | am willing to stand by it. [ ask for
more. There is another subject
bout which l ought to say something
t is claimed that you have-a right to Sc
,ede at your pleasure. | cannot find any
for doctrine like that in the Con-
tuition. In my judgement, it you'll be
ubversiye of constitutional obligations.
f this is 50. we have no Government. 1t
would reduce this Union to a mere con-
.lomeratiOH of States. to be held together
It the will of any captinus member oft.
The State of South Carolina is a small
State; but. probably if she was sunk by an
arthquake, we should hardly find it out.
kept by the unwOnted harmony that
would prevail in this Chamber. | say
his from no i'll will. l think she is uu-
rise. | would be willing to let her 90 out
{ VIC c5uld do so without an example fatal
o all government. But. standing here,