The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-12-28
Hon. B. +. Wade's
Great Speech.
In U. S. Senate, Dec. 18th, 1850.

Att o'clock. Mr.. PowELL's Dom. Ky, }
resolution was taken up
Mr.. WADE (Rep., Ohio) said: At time
like this, when there seems to be unusual
excitement, hnvc very littln faith in the
efficacy of any argument. But must say.
when. in this very chamber, whcro wo have
all raised our hands to Heaven and taken
an oath that we would sustain tho Constitu.
ton of tho United States, We hear it said by
many Senators that we arc upon the eve OF
dissolution of this Union. and that your
Constitution is to DO trntnpled under foot,
silence under such circumstances seems to
be akin to treason itself. We have listoned
to complaints on tho other side of this chan
Der patiently, and with an ardent dosiro to
ascertain what they were But confoss |
am unable to understand WIN: it is Of which
thoy complain. Tho party that havo lately
elected the President and is prospectivoly
coming into power, have mover held Office
under this Gosernment, not any individual
of them. Therefore, it is manifest that tint
party have as yet committed no act of which
anybody can complain. If any ono has fears
as to what may hereafter ensue, they are
mere npprchenSions-nothing else. A bare
suspicion-a scar--risirg out Of unwarraut.
a
outset whether VIC are right, for toll gen.
tlemen horo Il they can convince mo that
am holding any political principle that is
not warranted by the Constitution under
which wo live, or trenches on their rights.
they need not ask inc to compromise, for
will redress their rights myself when ! am
wrong No man need approach me with a
threat that tho Government is 10 bc do
ctrnyaf hEcapon I hnnn thoN I koy.,
and ever shall have, that sense os Justice
that when any man shows me I am wrong,
l shall TO ready to right it without threat
or compromise. Now. what is it of which
gentlemen complain: When | loft my
homo in the West TO come TO this place, all
was cain. cheerful and couten,ed. | heard
of no discomfort and erprchcndcd there
was no cause to interrupt the harmonious
course of legislation. did not loarn that
there had been, since VIC adjourned, any
new fact intervening that could at all dis.
turb the public mind. did not know that
there had been nny eucroNchment upon the
rights Of any section or any individual
Therefore, came here expecting we should
have u harmonious session. Ii is very true
that the great Republican party, which has
been organized ever since you repealed the
Missouri Compromise, which gave you four
years ngo full warning that it's strength
would result as it has resulted, and l sup.
pose any man might havo supposed things
would have resulted 10 tho same way--it is
truo this party has carried tho election
but do not suppose anything growing out
of the election ia the cause of tho presen,
excitement in tho country. Now, who is il
that is complaining Is it the minority
that they have subjected to an oppressive
and aggressive Government: No .ucf
thing as .hat, Sir. Wo might suppose
that. 81 years ogo. when the leaders Of tha,
glorious Revelation met in Phiadclphiu
thcro to draw up a bill of indictment against
q weak king and his ministers, they had
been at a loss what they would set forth us
the cause of thoir complaints. But tho,
had no difficulty in setting them forth. nut
so the great article Of impeachment will gc
down to postority to justify them for al
thoy did. Lot US. then, suppose tho old
patriots had been tho Ministers of tht
| Crown, or members of the British Purlia
mcnt of the dominant party that had ruled
Great Britain for 80 years previous In
stead of dignifying whnt thoy did no revolu
| tionsry, who would not havo hanged ever,
man of them as traitors They would asl
what right have you, who huvo had tb,
Government in your own hands, who have
been Ministers doing everything that ha
| been done, to set up here that you hav
been oppressed and agerievCd by tho actor
Of that very Government II would hav
been an act of treason, and nothing less
Now, they who sit hero the leaders Of thi
modern revolution, are they in n position t
complain of the ecion of this Governmon
for years past: Why. they havo had NOR
than two-thirds of this Senate for man
years. You that complain represent bu
!ittlo moro than ono quarter Of tho fre
4 people of tho United States; yot. You hsv
prevailed for ton years past in tho Cubine
of tho President. and in tho Supreme Cour
OF tho United Statcs. and nsary every de
partment of the Government. Those VIII
voted with you have dictated tho policy c
the Government. Is 1t not strange thu
those who occupy this position como her
complaining that their rights hevo Lee
stricken down: But what is tho cause c
this great excitement which undoubtedl
prevails in portion Of our country: fo
if the newspapers arc to be credited. ther
is q reign Of terror in tho cities and larg
towns of tho South that looks yery muc
! like tho reign of terror in Paris during III
French Revolution. We hear of Northor
men being sent back, or scourged and tarre
and featherod, and no inquiry made in re
gard to the cause. l do not snppose tn
regular Government, in times of Cxctcmcr
like this, is really responsible for these ou,
breaks of passion. If the States wher
these outrnges prevail were a foreign go,
crnment, and if they were really authorize
by the constituted authorities, cverybod
knows, If il wero the strongest governmcn
in the world, We would declare war in on
day. But what has caused this great ez
citemont? ! will tell you what suppose
10. do not so much olamo tho people c
the South, because think they havo bee
led to believe that we, to- day tho dominar
party, who are about to tako tho roins q
Government, ero their mortal foes, an
stand ready to trample their institution
under foot. They have been told so b
our enemies at tho North, and they woul
not hear US at all. Now. wish to inquir
candidly, honestly aud fairly, whether tn
Southern gentlemen who complain so muc
have any reasonable grounds for that com
plaint-I moan whom they are really in
formed as to our position. Tho Northern
Democrats have said We have Personal Lib
erty Bills in some few of the Northern
States, which would somehow trench upol
your rights to recapture runaway slaves
position that in moro than two or three
cases has not the least foundation 10 fact
But II these laws arc really repugnant Il
the Constitution they arc utterly void, ar,
the Courts would declare them so at an,
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