St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-02-09
CITY, FLOYD COUNTY, IOWA, THURSDAY FEBRUARY g. 1860

the slaveholding people of the South
they will be compelled, by every prin.
ciplc OF justice, of honor, and of self
| preservation, to sever the tie which
binds us to the Union, pcaceably if
We may f0rcibly if we must. 49,:
Whenever that is accomplished (the
election Of Republican President)
the people of the South in my judg.
mcnt. will consider it an overt act and
a Declaration Of War, and take immc
date measures of redress.
4 *
| have not time to elaborate all the
questions that rise to my mind in con.
nection with this subject, but l say
here that, with regard to the action
of individual States, the people of
Georgia, of South Carolina, of Massa.
chusetts, or Pennsylvania, may, when-
ecer they desire 1t, dissoire the Union. |
stand upon this doctrine as q consti,
tutional and as a national man. 1t is
the great reserved right of all the
States. The gentleman from Penn
sylvania, (Mr. Hickman, in speaking
of disunion and secession, said But
if dissolution means division Of ter
ritory by Mason and Dixon's line, or
any other line, | say no, that it shall
not be-" express my opinion, says
Mr.. Hickman, and it may go forth to
the country, that the North will never
toierate a division of territory-a SEN
timcnt which was applauded by Re.
publicans who endorsed that senti-
mcnt.
Mr.. Hickman.-(Rep. of Penna. y
If | am offered an opportunity | will
state exactly what said.
The floor being yielded, he contin'
ucd:
l said when the time shall come, il
it ever should come, when a dissolu.
ton of the Union will be persisted in
by the people of any State, or by the
people of many States, at the South,
it will be found at that time that there
is settled determination to prevent
disunion at all cost and at any sacri-
fee. That is what | said in this
place. | then said, we have eighteen
millions of people at the North to
eight millions at the South ; that we
have all the appliances of art and sci
cnce people trained to industry ;
and say now we can make more
arms and munitions of war in ninety
days than the South can purchase.
We can procure more volunteers to
enrol themselves under that banner
which shall have inscribed upon it
"The Constitution and the Union,
than can be raised by conscription at
the Sonth. That is what | mean and
| hope no misapprehcnsion may go
out and be felt hereafter as to my
meaning. l will say single word
further. Gentlemen seem to congrat-
ulatc themselves here at the idea that
there is a division of feeling in the
North on the subject of the maintc-
nance of the Union. Now, sir, say
that while the Democrats are divided
here upon this floor, while they are at
open war, and while the member from
Georgia declares that the election Of
Republican to the chair will, ipso
faoto, be the cause of disunion--I say
that there is no division in The North.
The gentleman from Georgia upon
this point says that his people back
him in the opinion that the election Of a
Republican President or Speaker arOuid
be a cause of disunioa. Then | declare
that on this point there is an undivid
ed North in favor of the maintenance
of the Union and the Constitution, and
that tre are Determined 10 perpstuate 1t al
all risks and all hazard. (Applause
from the Republican benches and from
the galleries.
Mr.. Lcake democrat cf Virginia.
Virginia has a remedy. She was the
judge of that remedy herself she
knew her rights and dare maintain
them. She had never dreamed of Gre
ating an intcrnecinc war within the
Union. There was a peaceful, a con-
stitutional remedy. She had The right,
,chea she pleased, 10 aeithdraw from The con.
federacy-(applause from the Demo
cratic Disunionists) whenever the
heavy hand of oppression was laid on
her. Whenever she felt that the bur-
dens of the Union more than counter
balance the benefits, she would say,
with that quiet and dignity which be-
came her proud and ancient renown,
l withdraw myself from your associa-
ton, and stand here as was original
ly, on that proud and elevated ground
of pure, independent, undelegated SOW
ereignty which l never parted with,
and by Him who made me | never
will consent to divide with you. That
was the doctrine of Virginia. She
would not fight in the Union, but she
would quit it the instant she thought
proper to do so. She held to the
rights of the States as an absolute in
defcasiblc right. That right was pro.
tective in its character, not aggres-
sive defensive, not offensive; a
shield, and not a sword /; or if a sword
it was that flaming sword which
guarded the gates Of Eden, turning
every way, yet doing harm to none
except to such as would attempt to
invade the sacred precincts that it
guards. That was Virginia's doctrine,
and neither Governor Wise nor all
the Governors in creation could COM
nit him to any other Governor Wise
was eloquent, and able, and chivalric,
and brave, but he was erratic and
he (Mr. Leake) did not choose to be
bound by his sentiments. He was for
State sovereignty, pure and absolute,
and never intended to give it up. Gap.
plause.
Those who arc familiar with Con-
grcssional debates, need not be told,
that the general character of Southern
speeches on the floor Of the House of
Representatives, is characterized by
reckless .fippamcy rather than by dig
nifty, discretion, or judgment, And
the speeches of such men as Keitt,
NJ