Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-05-23

wise men of these three classes are those who be-
lieve the Government had better be broken up; be-
cause if they can destroy the Democratic party in
any way, they will have made great stride in that
direction.
Before quitting this branch of the subject, desire
to allude to another remark that is often made in
the country 1t is said somewhat tauntngly, l
think, by thoughtless southern men, that as to the
northern States, they cannot be counted upon as
Democratic; that no one of them is certainly Demo
cratic and that their views ought not to be heard
Mr. President, I think it comes with bad grace
from any southern man to throw this out Upon
the old issues upon which the Democratic party was
built up, the great body of the North would be
Democratic t0.day-there is no doubt about that
and the South might not unanimously be So In
the very last contest that turned upon these old is
sues, in ls4s nearly half the South voted for the
Wing candidate and the North was divided in about
the same proportion. At that time the anti-slavery
movement, which had previously existed gained
such power that our elections since then have turn
ed upon the slavery question: and they have gained
strength, ] admit, against our friends; but we of
the South have no right to boast of our position
The only fight has been with the Abolitionists in
the last two elections. When say Abolitionists
perhaps use too strong term mean the anti:
slavery party, consisting of Abolitionsts, Free-So
ers, and others. We boast in the South that they
have made inroads among us. Why. sir, if an
Abolitionst were to come into the part of the coun
try where live. or were to manifest himself in any
way, the best thing he could do would be to emf
CRATE very rapidly, and if he did not carry with him
little tar and feathers he would be quite lucky
Are we to boast and plume ourselves on the idea
that in fighting the Abolitonists We can carry the
southern States? five could not We should not be
worth anything but where they exist in the North
they are formidable, and there they haze beaten
many of cur friends. Those fends are fighting this
battle, not for their personal rights to protect
their own immediate interests Far from it. you
abolished slavery it would not take the property of
any man in the free States l admit that indirectly
it might ultimately prejudice their citizens. Their
interest is not at all what ours is; and yet they
have the manliness to stand up and fight the Adolf
tionists from year to year. They are beaten down
from time to time in many Of the States. They give
up all the honor of representing their people in the
Federal councils they lose State place. and power
and office; and because they arc defeated and cut
down, find southern men haunting them with
their diminished numbers. Mr.. President, when
General Scott reached the city of Mexico. would it
have been just for him to turn around to the Pamet
to regiment, which from its gallantry III many bat
ties had lost more men than any one in his army,
and say to them: "You are a mere skeleton of
regiment; you do not amount to half regiment;
the greater part of you have been killed or left on
the road to die; the few of you that have come up
here are SCARED and MANNED and halt; your very
flag is shot to pieces do not consider you worthy
to remain in my camp; want these sleek, full re-
giments that came in late, and did not see the
enemy, to make up my army" Or suppose when
George Washington's army was returning from one
of its hard campaigns, an American had tainted its
soldiers which being half clad and emaciated and
wounded, with would have been thought of him?
| hold, sir. with the Senator from Georgia. (Mr.
Toombs,) that no applause and no honors can be too
high to DC heaped on these men, and as he said in
stead of throwing additional burdens on them, by
narrowing the platform. / would rather widen it,
and give them all the aid and support possible I
would allow every man to come upon it in this fight
which we have against the public enemy.
Mr.. President in 1854, we repealed the Missouri
compromise line, and great many of our northern
friends were cut down and the Congress elected in
1855. had believe. majority of two to one against
the Democracy; but they resolutely went to work
and recovered their ground, so far as not only to
elect Mr.. Buchanan in 1885, but to secure MAORI
ty in Congress. We all know that the discussion
on the Lecompton bill, and the movements then
made. hurt again. ! do not undertake to say
who is to blame for this. but speak of the fact.
The consequence was in the next election the Dem
ocratic party in the North suffered severely Take
the State Of Pennsylvania for example. Instead of
seventeen members Of Congress that party there
elected in 1856, We only got two or three in 1853.
Our friends have been recovering their ground again,
and ready to 60 into the fight with high hopes.
Now, ask if it is wise policy for us in the South
to seek to get the platform changed just before
another election-a total radical change from nom
Intervention to Intervention? am free to say that
have very great apprehensions that such thing
would lead to a defeat, and, hence, would not make
the change if there no: other valid obec-
tions to it.
We all know Mr.. President who were here in
this city four or five days ago, that when the re-
ports came that the secession had occurred at
Charleston, and it supposed the Democratic
party was broken up and destroyed that every one
who met our Republican opponents was struck with
their jubilant expression If they had actually
carried the election, and got into power, they could
not have shown more citation. They thought that
the Democratic party, which they had in vain en-
deayored to destroy, had killed itself by commit
ting political suicide. But when on Thursday
morning last we learned that the convention had
adjourned to meet in Baltimore, their faces
were very much elongated. have no doubt they
would like that we should get into such collisions
| and divisions would enable them to triumph over
us; but do not think they are destined to have
this qualification. The Democratic party has great
vitality because it stands the great principles of
the Constitution; it has good and true men in eve
ry section of the country, and entertain the high
est hopes that they will yet come together and make
harmonious nomination.
It is to be regretted exceedingly, however, that
| we should have these debates on immaterial ques-
tlons Senators upon this floor are representative
men; and hence when We embark in discussions,
and squabble over these points which are small in
themselves, we tend to divide our people at home;
and forebore to embark in this discussion, for this
reason. The question connected, ALSO some
what with the aspirations and claims of different
presidential candidates. and felt delicacy in en-
barking in it; add do so now only with extreme
reluctance As citizen, have right to my opin-
ions As a Senator, regard myself as member
of coordinate branch which is the equal of the
President; and Senator have no desire to inter-
fere with the presidential contest There are reasons
which will strike every mind why ought not to do
so, and why think no Senator should We have
rule of the Senate which us debate to avoid
personality and personal illusions; and yet, sir,
some half dozen perhaps of the Senators here are
prominent candidates for the Presidency: and if
should interfere to aid of Them necessarily get