Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1860-03-16
Speech of Hon. John A. Gilmer

II We give below thc speech Of Hon. John A. Gil
mer, of North Carolina, at the Bale Peyton Dinnei
in Philadelphia on the i4th Of January. speechc
were delivered by Messrs. Peyton, Crittender
Gilmer, Nelson Maynard and others. The chair
man, in introducing Mr.. Gilmer, said,
| intend now to call to the floor gentleman
from North Carolina, the gallant old North Stat
with which the whigs--for it might as well be con
fessed that most Of Us here are whigs-with whicl
we wings used ofien to be associated in the goos
old time. And in calling upon that gentleman
mean that we shall here accomplish tonight wha
the members Of the House of Representatives have
been in vain trying TO accomplish for five or 81,
weeks-certainly what the southern Opposition ani
the democrats together cannot do. mean that W,
shall make Gilmer the speaker EProtracted cheers
I propose the health Of Mr.. Gilmer, of Nortf
Carolina.
| The sentiment was tumultuously applauded, and
a round of cheers greeted the North Carolinian as
he rose to respond.
II is with no ordinary pleasure, he said, that
| find myself present here TO night ] am q son o
the south. / am from the honest State of North
Carolina conservative State, whose people love
the Union. With all my southern preudices and
partialites, educated at the South interested in all
that concerns the welfare of the SOUTH interested in
that very institution which has given rise to much
agitation in this country, tell you that which you
no doubt already know, that | nm an old Henry
Clay whig Long applause II is promising
sign for the harmony of the country, when we sec
that Notwithstanding the troubles and the sgitations
through which have passed, there still exists in
old Pennsylvania, and In her proud city, conser-
vative feeling that yet extend the hand of fell
lowship to southern men, and invite them to the
festive board. You have heard the sentiments of
the distinguished veteran of Kentucky, and of the
distinguished gentleman from Tennessee; but when
we return TO Westinghouse shall on account Of
the simple fact that we have come here tonight,
and commingled with you in this friendly manner,
and interchanged opnons-zwe shall be placarded
by the organ of the Administration as having gone
too FAR north. [Laughtcr.l Notwithstanding all
the feelings and all the sentiments that you have
heard here, that organ and its minions in our coun-
try will tell our people-the masses with whom we
associate--that we have come here to Philadelphia,
city in non-slaveholding State and that we have
thereby turned abelitionists. {Applause.)
repeat am happy to be here. 1t does me good
to be here. Upon one memorable occasion, q great
work was done upon this ground. In this city
which was born and Graded declaration which
gave rise to the glorious constitution under
has been reared up the greatest and finest govern
ment upon earth. (Applause.) Fellow-citizens
what are the signs Of the times have heard
of our country, of'our glorious Union; but while
we hear such language with pride, and bestow upon
it applause, permit to tell you, as plain man
from the South, what have already said elsewhere,
there are ,troublous times upon us. There is work
for you 10 dothere Is work for MS of the South to
do. This sectional agitation upon the question Of
slavery must cease assure you that this consti-
tuition and this Union, that we all so much love,
viii end 1t must be done. Every man who win
recur back for few years, tracing the course of
events will soon come to the same conclusion. No
doubt you, like myself have felt pain and regret to
see the religious denominations of the country
highly respectable organizations gradually seperat-
ing into North and South. You have no doubt
witnessed with regret, for years past distinguished
politicians and others of the South presenting 10 the
world what are the resources of the South in con-
tradisnction to the NORTH and what are considered
to be the resources of the North in contradistinc-
tion to the South. Permit me to say that never
heard with more qualification a sentiment uttered
by any human being, than experienced on hearing
one uttered by the venerable gentleman fiom Ken
tucky, who has just taken his seat when he decar-
ed in the Senate Of the United States that he de-
lighted TO see this happy and this rich showing for
both sections of the country-that it evinced that
we had the means and the resources 20 form two
republics. But he said that ii made his heart glow
when he put them both together to see and to know
under what glorious government we are all uni
ted. (Applause.)
Amid this excitement which had been brought.
upon the country while we find some silly men of
the South Withdrawing their children from your
colleges of literature and science, to finish their
educatons they declare, in southern institutions
what do you see among your own representatives
in the Congress of the nation? What is the cause
of the state of things that has existed there for the
last six weeks. Why, this continued pickering
upon the subject of slavery. The representatives
of the nation decline to organize according 10 the
requstions of the constitution, and enter upon the
discharge of the public business by the election Of
a Speaker. You find representatives Of the South
confronted with representatives of the North angry
countenances and infurated words characterizinQ
the conduct of each In such a crisis as this, is
there not something to be done.
Is there anything of solid and substantial mpor-
lance in the question which has set the North and
South together by the ears2 Where is this great
battle to be fought in regard to slavery in the terri
tores2 We had our troubles in regard to this
question early 1920. The question was settled
by what is famiarly known as the Missouri Com
promise. When argue TO my people in the South
that that line ought never 10 be disturbed am de-
clarcd Black Republican-an enemy to the South
l tell them however, that have no scruples about
the constitutionality of it. way or the other
The Supreme Chourt the arbters duly appointed
TO decide these questions have decided that il was
to the decisions of the authorities OF my country
! have been reared to have respect for the legal
authorities when they expound what are the con-
stitutiona provisions Of the country and the rights
of Congress. (Applause.)
The first early impression, that ! ever formed
against our democratic friends was In connection
with this very subject upon the question of the
United States Bank. The Supreme Court had de-
cided that the bank constitutional but the de-
mocrats declare they were not bound by that min
ion and the democratic President, jackson, said in
substance that he would execute the constitution
Of the United States and his duty under il, not as
the supreme Court might expounh il, but as he un-
derstood it. | then conceived that to he a wrong
and dangerous position for any party TO take that
each and every man should expound the sonstitr-
ton for himself aud 50 say here, in Philadelphia,
that whatever may have hcen my opinions previous
to decision, il is your duty, and my duty, as law
abiding, and Union loving and Constitution loving !
men, to submit TO tho DECISIONS Of the Supreme
Court. (Appause.) !
The Supreme Court has decided that the Missouri
compromise was unconstitutional, but still have
= Al. IL. Z.