The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1860-07-06

/ Eour wears before the country, everybody under
stood IL and IT was not necessary to debate it or
ltalk about il further in the canvass. As It con-
| tanned all the principles rn issue between the
parties, preferred waging the ighton it, with
| the addition only OF the Dred Scott decision, II
gentlemen desired it.
I know, however, that there are several
classes Of persons who will not agree with me
I in these views. In the first place, there are
some gentlemen who are called disunionists per
/ Sc : that, is, persons who think sound policy
| requires dissolution OF the Union. know
some who entertain these views. They are
men of ability, intelligence, public spirit, and
! patriotism. I have no doubt about that. They
honestly believe that this Government IS fail
Iure They think thus slavery agitation has
| been continued to that extent that 1t has
paralyzed the Government for useful purposes
! that It will grow worse and worse and that the
| Union had better be dissolved, and new sys- |
TEN Of Government made. They are honora-
/ bic men, or many OF them, at least, are known |
| to me as such They believe If the Democrat |
! ic party were destroyed, great step would De
taken in that direction and | am free to ad- /
nit it. They suppose, therefore, that by press |
| ing extreme views, by having the South to ln- |
sIst, for example, on slave protection IN Terrific
| RES, while tae North is for non-lntervention,
we may either break uP the party or defeat It |
! IN the coming election. ! shall not enter into !
an argument with such gentlemen as TO how |
far they are right. / think they are wrong. |
II seems to me they are incapable of learning
5y experience There is one thing they might
! have learned, and that is, that they cannot
drive the majority of the Southern people into
line of action of that kind. They may, by
expressing their extreme opinions, involve us
in difficulties, divide US at the South, and wea-
! ken our influence in the country.
| thought, in 1850, that my..section suffered
( because certain gentlemen deemed it proper,
| very unwisely, in my Judgment, TO express
| these views and divide US at home. Mr.. CAL
houn made remark, which was reported to
me, shortly before his death, which / refer TO
because, in my judgment, It illustrates the teel-
| ing of the South, and, as have alluded TO him,
| I beg leave 10 say that, having once, in nv ear
! Iier years. IN some speech spoken in manner
not kind to him, | take great pleasure IN say
ing, on this occasion. that my opinion was sub
seduenty changed and | am satisfied that !
did hlm great injustice. His course in l848,
on the Clayton compromise, satisfied me: be-
cause he agreed to take measure which he
thought fell greatly short Of our rights, for the
sake Of peace and harmony and his course IN
| 1850 satisfied me that he had no uterlor de-
signs against the Government; that be was
very anxious, provided it could be kept on the
line OF the Constitution, to preserve 1t. But,
sir, the remark to which | allude, was this at
| ter saw him for the last time-for | believe
the last conversation had wigh him was on the
last day he was in the Senate, and If | were 20
repeat il, which it is not necessary that should
do, it would only be creditable TO him and hIS
views-a gentleman from South Carolina, then
colleague Of his, gentleman with whom
was on terms of great intimacy-sald IN The
House one day to me in conversation, "laSt
evening" when | was talking to Mr.. Calhoun,
by his bedside, giving him my views as to what
would be the effect OF dlsonlntioa of the Union,
he stopped me and he always stops me at that
point He said, ''you may be right in your o.
pinIons, your argument is very plausible. | ad-
} nit tina: | cannot answer it, but their may come
in disturbing causes which would change all
this. The effect of dissolution is one OF those
great problems which the human mind cannot
grasp ali we can say is, that if the North force
it upon US we must make up our minds to take
: it." That, I,think, was,substantally bus posi-
! ton, that if we could maintain our equality and
our rights in the Union, we ought TO stand by
it but, If forced to take the other alternative,
= we ought to make up our minds to do 1t. l
l think this illustrates the view of the great ma
iority Of the people OF the South. They have
n no such blind revere nee! for the Union, or for
!, this Government, as to submit to It when their
/ great essential rights are invaded but they will
;! not, in advance OF such an emergency, take
a steps to produce Its dissolution.
My own opinions on that subject have alrea-
: dy been sufficiently expressed, and there was
8 no part of the speech Of the Senator from Mis-
: siss ppi yesterday, able and eloquent as it was,
that heard with more pleasure than | did
those declarations of his in which he warned
Il gentlemen on the other side of the effect that
=. would follow their attempt to carry out their
). views. | expressed nv opinions early this ses-
!. sion expressed them in the Fremont contest,
D and shall stand upon them and in such con-
! tingency, doebt whether any gentleman will
be more jealous, though, doubtless, many will
: . be more able, than myself.
= But, sir, :he people of the southern States
will not regard it as sufficient reason TO break
> up The Democratic party, much less to justify
Y revolution, that we are obliged to stand upon
n the old Cincinnati platform. 1t was the unan-
lmous feeling OF the South, four years ago, and
=, OF the Democracy of the North, that the Gin
e cinnati platform was right. Because our con-
IS vention chooses TO adhere TO 1t now, or to ad-
here to it substantially, you cannot induce the
* majority of the southern people to dissolve .he
l Democratic party and hence regret extreme
s. y that portion of our friends in the South
a found it necessary, in their Judgment, TO with
If draw from the convention. All those gen.
s. tlemen that | know are men of high honor
,e courage, and ability. l think they made q
re mistake But, be that as it may, large ma
z orilY Of the southern Idelegates. in the propor