Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-01-25
Speech of Hon. Albert Rust, on the Organization of the House.
iuered in the House of Represensaf'ves'

The CLLnA. II ue question UOloio ~ House is upon the admissibility of the res olution of the gentleman from North Car olina, Mir. WINsLow, presented on Thurs day last; and on that question the gentle man from Illinois Mir. MORRIS is entitled to the floor.
 MT. RUST. I ask the gentleman to yield to me for few moments.
 Mir. MORRIS, of Illinois. I yield to the gentleman.
 Mir. RUST. Mr. Clerk, when five years ago I, for the f st time, became candidate for seat upon this floor, believing, as did, that the discussion of the question of slavery, and every question connected with or growing out of it, could be attended with no possible good to one section or the other of this Union; believing that, so far as the south was concerned, the argument had been exhausted, and that her rights under the constitution, with reference to 1t, were above and beyond debate; and feeling, sir, that the onl y position which, with honor, she could assume, was one ot calm and dlgnlhed silence, with resolute and effective prepara- tion to respond to any future and further aggression, not by words, not by argu- ment and remonstrance, but by action, and action of the most significant charac- ter, l voluntarily pledged my word to my constituents that while honored with seat upon this floor l would never participate in any debate at all sectional in its charac- ter; but, owing to events which have re- gently transpired, and the relations of the different parties in this House, with refer ence to each other, and particularly the at titude which one member here occupies toward all the rest, feel absolved from that pledge.
 Within the last few weeks, almost in view of this capitol, the most atrocious crimes that have ever disgraced the history of our country, and brought discredit upon our form of government, have been perpe trated, and number of members upon this floor, in the absence of an explanation yet to be made, stand convicted by the current history of the times before the country and before the world of complicity in them. Yes, sir, one of the most extraordinary men of this age, or of any age; extraordinary for the atrocity, the multitude, and magni- tude of his crimes, after long and deliberate preparation, invaded one of the sovereign States of this confederacy for the avowed purpose of subverting her government; fo- menting civil and servile strife among her citizens; numbering them and robbing them and destroying that domestic tranquility and sense of security. which was one of the chief objects for which this Union was created; number of his accessories before the fact are now members of this House, and one of them is deemed by all his republican colleagues, and few who are republican in everything but name, as proper person to preside over its deliber atlons.
 Now, Mir. Clerk, while there may be but little method ill the few remarks which 1 propose to submit, in the present temper of the House, Itrust their brevity may be some atonement for whatever objections they may be obnoxious to in other respects.
 There IS one feature of this infamous pro- duction, the Helper book, which 1 shall not read, or cause to be read, which has been the subject of such just and bitter invective and denunciatien from members on this side of the House, to which l wish especially to reply. Its author, and all those who have indorsed 1t, or contributed in any way to its circulation and distribution, have, by implication, cast an aspersion upon the character of large majority of the people have the honor to represent upon this floor, and l desire to repel 1t. If any member on this side of the House-and there are many more competent to the task than myself-has defended that class of the southern people to which I refer against the insulting assumptions contained in this book, 1t has escaped my notice. Mir. Helper and his colaborers, in their reasonable and criminal design, judging, l suppose, from their knowledge of themselves, from their own merccnary, groveling, sordid, and very acquisitive natures, that the holiest and lottiest motive which could impel man was lust of gain-in truth, the most de- grading and abasing addressed them selves to the vilest and lowest passions and instincts of one class of the population in the southern States, with the, to them, plaus- ible hope that they might be made to en- list in an unnatural and unholy crusade against the peace, the lives, and fortunes of another class.
 The non- shareholders of the southern States are invited, in the name of religion and philanthropy, and for the privilege of plunder and spoliation and confscation to engage in war, indiscriminate and pitiless, against their fellow-countrymen, their neighbors, their friends, their benefactors, oitentimes their kindred and brothers, be- cause, forsooth, they are guilty of the in expiabe crime, in the estimation of the i'm maculate gentlemen on the other side of the House, with their sublimated ideas of virtue and morality, of owning slaves. It matters not that their names are illustrous that to their ancestors we owe the bene ficent government under which we all might live peacefully and happily and prosper ously together-a Washington, sir, might be the first victim. It matters not that their lives have been virtuous and blame less, their days employed in kind offices, and their fortunes distributed in aims and charities among the poor, the friendless, and the less favored of their fellow men. It matters not what they are nor what they have done; themselves and their unoffend- ing and defenseless wives and children are to be involved>in one common ruin. Age and sex and condition. private worth and public services, and illustrious ancestry, all plead in vain. Philanthropy-repub lican philanthropy-demands sacrifice and 1t must be made.
 No, sir, the republican hatred, bitter, deadly and implacable, demands it, and is weak, and foolish, and insolent enough to seek abettors in it's fendish designs among the non-slaveholding people of the southern States. In their name 1 repel the insulting and dishonoring presumption. That class of people whom I have the honor to rep resent on this floor are as honorable and just, as brave, as manly, as true and loyal to the institutions of their country as the opulent proprietor of his broad acres and hundred slaves to till them The men with whom 1 would repel Mir. Seward and all the followers that he could array under his trea- sonable and incendiary banner--o rather his lieutenants and subalterns, his Browns, his Cooks, and Copies, for he has too much of that better part of valor to share himself the dangers into which he thrusts braver and better men-are those who are guilt oc xl T. -.