The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-02-08
Speech Of Hon. Robert McLain on
Federal Relations.

Dir. McLain, at the earnest solicitation OF
several Senators, has furnished for the press
the substance of his remarks upon Federal
Relations, delivered in the Senate, in commit
tee of the whole, on Monday, the 23d OF
January. The Senate being in committee OF
the whole on Federal Relations, Mr. McLain
said:
Mr. CHAIRMAN. | have consumed but little
of the Senate's time so far in speech making,
being content to have that work performed By
older members Of this body; being willing to
take position upon the various questions pre-
scented for investigation, according to the die
tates OF my owa Judgment, indicating the
proper course to he pursued
desire, however, upon the subject now be-
fore the Senate, to define my position and give
few reasons which shall govern me in the
vote | shall give upon the present occasion. l
concur with gentlemen who have preceded me
IN this debate, that the subject involves in
| terests of vast magnitude interests as broad
as the land in which we live; interests which
demand the profound attention Of every patriot
| in the land.
II there be any meaning in the resolutions
before Us, one reason can be offered why
they demand at the hands Of this grave body
| one moments Investigation, then the PROPOSE
| ton IS upon us, and resist it we cannot. that
this Government is upon the verge Of disrup-
ton; that the constitution made for us by our
fathers baptised in their blood, and designed
by them to be bond Of union uader which
the ) ates were TO be perpetuated in peace,
harmony and prosperity, has, under the ruth
| less hand of anadcisn, stimulated and mad
eDed by the political machinery of the unprin-
| cipled demagogUe, become iE1potent to the end
for which it was iormed.
| Then, sir, | am fer the resolutions rs origi-
nally presented By the comm ttee on Federal
Relations. ] ala for them as they stand I
care not to add q - lake from them a single
syllable. They have been in the bands Of dis
Greet and prudent men, and after mature de-
Liberation, they have been presented rs the re-
suit of their labors for our action
In my Judgment these resolutions cover the
whole subject il controversy, upon the sub
ject of slavery, between the North and the
South. They place the South in her true
attitude, and that is the attitude of defence.
They admit by implication, that in our ju,lg-
ment it is more than probable that at the next
election man on the basis of the Black Re-
publican Party" will be called to preside over
the destinies of this nation, of which we Of the
South form no Insignificant part. and to the
support of which we contribute more than any
other portion Of the Government according to
population.
The first of these resolutions asserts, in q
negative form, that 'the right to property in
slaves is as explicitly affirmed by the Consti-
tuition as the right to property in anything
else. ESQ, then his species of property must
be protected according to the provisions Of the
constitution as well as any other kind of pro-
perry. This negative form, in which the
ground is assumed that ''the General Govern
ment cannot just'y withhold adequate protec-
ton to slave property is in my Judgment
more appropriate at this time, and under ex-
isting circumstances, than the direct and affirm
alive mode of expression; because it certainly
better meets and more effectually disposes oi
the dogma TAUGHT by some modern statesmen
that we may be robbed not by an aggressive
act, not by direct Intervention against us, but
| BY Withholding the necessary protection until
others come in and rob.us. In q word, that
we may be striped of our property, not BY &
governmental act but for the want of that act
1t has been limited that this resolution is
vague, indefinite, and ambiguous.
moment. To my mind it is clear, concise, and
at the same time comprehensive, covering the
| whole question in dispute. IF the Govern
ment cannot withhold protection justly, then
according to all correct principles Of interpTe,
tation. She is bound to extend protection
Suppose, BY way Of illustration, the Senator
from Bolivar, in -nrging the propriety Of liberal
legislation upon the Levee Question, should
boldly take the ground that the Representa-,
tives of the people composing this Legislature
could not Justly withhold protection to the
river counties against the destructive overfows
Of the Mississippi Would any one pretend
to argue that his position in this case would
he indefinite and ambiguous? Under certain
circumstances this negative form would be fal
preferable to the affirmative and positive mode
of speaking.
| Now suppose there were members Of the
LEGISLATURE who believed the oyerflows were
injurious, not only to the river counties, bal
to a certain ezsent 10 the interests of the
whole State, by Geprecating the value of pub
lie property, yet at the same time they attempt
to dodge the question by Withholding then
votes to the support of the measure. Then
sir, in this case, to assert that the Legislature
'cannot Justly scitAltold adequate protection, .
is the strongest form in which the proposition
could be made SO in the case before Us. The
declaration "tile Government cannot justly
withhold adequate protection" is to the point
is Just the thing wanted, and precisely what
we ought to say. This would be planting our
feet upon the basis where stood the Federal
Court in the adjudication of this case in the
| bred Scott decision. This would be claiming
| Intervention only when we are about to be
robbed of our property; intervention, not to
establish slavery, not to create this species oil
property, but to protect it as already estab-
! lished; to make secure in the hands Of LEGAL
owners that which already belongs to them.
| There is a wide difference in an enactment to
protect and an enactment to create or estab-
! lish: and so, On the other hand, there IS 4
vast difference between intervention upon the
part of the Federal Government to destroy or
abolish, and intervention to protect what
already has legal existence.
The position of this resolution eoncurs eX-
actly in my judgment with the decision Of the
| Supreme Court, which declares Chat the right
to py0psyty an s}apes is distinctly and expressly
affirmed by the constitution of the United
States, and the only Posgcr over it conferred on
| Congress, is the 2o1ra' coupled with the duty
! Of guarding and protecting the owners Of this
property in their rights 10 the same" II the
only power Congress has over this matter is
the power, according 10 this the highest tribu-
nal of the land, 'to guard and project" then
the conclusion is resistless that she is bound
| to extend protection, and that the Government
| is guilty Of fragrant act Of injustice when
she refuses or fails to give the necessary pro-
! lection. Take fiem this decision, made BY the
ablest urists in the nation, the idea Of govern
mental protection to slavery, and it has no
meaning whatever.
| But the main point upon which desire to
be heard to day, is the probability of a Black
| Republican being called soon to preside as
Chief Magistrate Of this great nation, and the
| consequent duty of the South in that event
Now, l am no alarmist would not, if
| could, arouse unnecessary apprehensions in
the minds of our people upon the probability
OF contingency SO disastrous in It's results
upon our national prosperity, national peace
and national happiness. But when | say
there is danger Of this direful event, | but
give utteraIice to the deep and settled conyic-
ton of my own mind, produced by closely
| watching the spread and rapid increase Of abo-
ltion sentiment in this nation for the last
twenty five .yeaSs. l have, too. Mr.. Chair
man, occupied stand point during this period
of years, where have furnished myself with
testimony of reliable character; testimony
which constitutes me q competent witness
upon this subject, upon the floor of this Sen
ate to-day Yes, have mingled in the STRIFE
upon different arena from this, where l
have seen testimony piled upon testimony,
that this fanatieal party are fixed upon the
dismemberment OF the government-that in
the vocabulary of abolitonisn there is found
no such word as despair Now, what are the
facts which fix the conviction upon the mind
that at no distant day the Black Republican
party are bound to succeed in getting the reins
Of this government?
1st. It is a lamcntable fact which frankness
compels me to admit that the sentiments Of
many great and good men; men who occupied
prominent position in the formation OF. this
government and the control of her counsels,
in her early stages, are susceptible Of con-
struction against US, upon the subject Of At
rican slavery and these sentiments, emana
ting from statesmen and acknowledged patri-
OTIS, who were looked to as leaders in their
l. 7 / l.,