The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-07-18
Eloquent Speech Of Pierre SOuIc
tn the BaItiM ore Convention.

ed with enthusiastic cheers and applause
After silence had been restored that gentle
man proceeded as follows;
Mr.. PRESIDENT 81 am appalled,, truly
appalled,, by the expectations which the
welcome which has just been extended to
to me seems to signify. am the last man
in this Convention from whom anything de-
serving these manifestations could be ex-
pected, and it is at once with deep feelings
Of gratitude for what kindness there was in
them, and of great difidence that tempt
to address you on this most solemn, most
momentous occasion.
Be not afraid, however, that | shall tres
pass long upon your kindness and your at
tention. But few remarks from me will
lay the foundation for the vote which shalI
cast for the noble State, which hive the
honor in part to represent in this body. /
have not been at all discouraged BY the
emotion which has been attempted to be
| created in this body by those who have Sc.
ceded from it.
We from the furthest South were prepar
ed. We had heard around us the rumors
which were to be initiatory of tho acts which
you have witnessed on this day, and we
knew that cons piracy which had been brood.
| ing for months past would break out on this
| occasion, and for the purp which are Oh.
vious to every member. Sirs, there are in
political life men who were once honored
by popular favor and consider that the favor
has become to them an invaluable property,
aud who cling to it as something that can
no longer be wrested from their hands p1-
| I,J =.
that there is hardly any power that can ex.
tract them. Applause
They saw that the popular voice was
clearly manifesting to this glcr2us nation
who was to be her next ruler. More than
eight or ten months before the Convention
assembled, the name of that future ruler O!
these States had been thrown into the can
vass and was before the people. Instead O.
bringing candidate to oppose him, iAstead
of creating before the people issues upon
which the choice Of the nation could be en-
lightened, instead Of principles discussed
what have we seen An unreIentin. war
against the individual presumed to be the
favorite ofthe nation. [Applause.1 4 wlr
waged by an army of unprincipIel an1 un.
scrupulous politicians, leagued with power
which could not b. x'rted on their side
without disgracing itself and dissracjng ths
nation. Renewed applause.
When this Convention assembled al
Charleston the idea h I'd not yet struck their
minds that movement of the nature Of tn
one which has beea effected could b. blseJ
upon the doctrines OF the distinguished gen
: tlemnn from Alabama, Mr.. Yancey, who
has lathered this secession. 1t was presum
ed by these political intriguerS outside OF tht
: Convention, who were mareuverng th
measures through by which the destruction
OF the Democratic party was to be etf1,t d
1t was presumed by them that it would bt
in their power alter raising the storm tt
) master and guide It but it will lie found be
fore forty-eight hours have elpsed, that il
that storm they are bound eventually to 81 Il
, and disappeor. Loud applause.
For it is idle tor Southern men to dsguis
' the true object of that movement. Seces
] sion from the Democratic party can be moth
e ing else than disruption of that party o
e the very moment when the hopes OF tn
II whole nation are hanging upoa its continu
: ty in power. [Appause.l Secession is
n word intended to conceal another word {
e more signifcancy. Ifsecession was to fin
t an echo among the people Of this great Cor
y federacy, then no longer could this Republi
It boast that the structure which our father
;, erected with so much sacrifice and so muc
J, toll was noble experiment.
n Secession must beget disuuion. Upo
e what pretense must secession then be pred
,f Gated. | will not do those distinguish,
o gentlemen who stepped oat of this body tn
st morning the injustice to suppose they tn
e parted from you because OF your hlving d
n cided the question of internal organiz I'll,
y in a manner that did not agree with the
|. views. They may give this q pretenst
W they may use it as a cloak to cover desert
}. from the party, but the truth cannot be
IS guised. Whether deluded or not, they a
/. tools in the hands of intriguers, and the
S. course must necessarily tend to diSl1ion.-
S [Applause.
6 Sirs: Ii is s i'd that they carry with the
4 out of this Convention the sympathies Of II
35 South. Believe it not. Renewed q
z pl use. Believe it not and have in II
n own experience of the past, certain stror
'3 reasons why | cannot bring my mind to Il
I3 suppostion that the SJuth, under prese
II circumstances, can respond to that NOV
6 ment, and | will briefly lay them tefo
5 you. IN lS49 and 80, when California W
4 about being admitted into the Union. Il
a South rose against her admission, .ss
8 reso lutions and impressed upon the minds
- the North, that ii the outrage was perpetr
80 ted she would secede from the Univn.
Many of Us who were then the represe
f. tatives OF the South in the National counci
in believing that the South was in earnest, q
vo considering ourselves bound to follow in h
tv footsteps, fought the battle, not with viz
,e of creutiDg the contingency contemplate
IF but to defend the rights OF the South, q
o.. oppose the introduction Of California il
IA the councils of the nation.
or That at that time was to the South
ns great wrong and the creating Of great dt
CO ger, because not only was California conf
N. into the Union with Constitution oblite
ok ting the Missouri COmpron,ise--not OF
n. was she coming into the Union without ht
mr. ing passed through the ordeal in terrltor
tv existence--not only was she coming IL
M the Union organized by the military fore
-. of the Federal Government--but her {
,ro trance into the Union was going to destr
that power of number which was the Il
~ bulwark of our protection in the Senate.
iva In the higher house OF Congress we fous
an against the wrong. We engaged in
ha battle to maintain our rights to the last,
;ce when the question came to the last, one
in ter the other, we saw the States of the So,
in receding from their position. Disown
-, every effort we had made to maintain
@ ee rights and, let me say with sorrow, dr.
~. gng US into the very gutter for the devot
we had shown them. And why did
,er South do this There is no ungratful 6re
at the South. 1t could not be that she v
he inclined to disown the services Of those v