Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-10
ssnntor Hale on the Crisis.

The telegraph contained a brief abstract of
the speech of Senator John P. Hale III Con-
gress. Below will be found one or two ez-
tracts from his speech:
"Mr. Hale, of New Hampshire, Rep)-I
was very much in hopes that there would
have been a Message that would have com
mended itself to somebody. I Tas not san
guine Of its pleasing myself but l did hope
it would please some one, and that the Presi-
dent would have looked things in the face. l
have read it somewhat carefully, and if ! IN
derstand it. and l think do, it is this; First
That South Carolina has just cause for Sc
ceding. Second that she has no right to Sc
cede. Third-That we have no right to pre-
vent her seeding. That is the amount of tue
Message, substantially. Then the President
goes on to represent this as a great and pow
erful country, and that no State has a right to
secede from it and all the power of the
country, if l understand the President, o
sist in what Dickens makes the English Con-
stitution consist-the power to do nothing.
Now, sir, 1 think it was incumbent on the
President of the United States to have point
ed out and recommended to Congress some
rule, and to have told US what he recommend
ed US to do. The only way to escape the
danger is to look it in the face; and | think
the country did expect from the President
some exposition of decided policy.
do not wish to say a word that would
cause irritation, or add to the feeling of bit
terness which really exists in the county,
Not one. would bear and forbear before I
would say such a word. But I tell you the
/ rla5n frufh fhof tho nav "a 10 Lob tho thine
in the face, and see where we are. And
what is the issue that is presented, but
that the constitutional will of the public
opinion, expressed through the forms Of the
Constitution, will not be submitted to2 And
if war is the alternative, let it come in any
form or in any shape. The Union is dissolv-
ed, and it cannot be held together as a Union
if that is the alternative upon which we 90
into an election. II it is pronounced aud
determined that the vote of the majority ex-
pressed through the regular constituted forms
of the Constitution will not be submitted to,
then, sir, this is not a Union of equals. 1t
is a Union Of dictatorial oligarchy on the one
side, and a herd of slaves and towards on the
other. That is it-nothing more or less.
If this discussion is proceeded with, shall
take occasion to address myself to that phase
of the controversy which is so constantly, per-
severingly and continually held up, that the
Northern States are the aggressors. We have
a set ofpresses and politicians among US who
have perverted the public voice and the pub
lie interests, ministering to a depraved appe-
tite, and they have lent their interest TO as
pensions and ISLANDERS on the people among
whom they live, and upon whom they feed
and l very much fear our friends on the other
side have listened too much to their asper-
sions rather than to their own convictions
of what the trouble is.
=" Let me say further, # there are
those WHo look to the settlement of This con-
troUsrSy By further concession from the North,
1 think they mistake. l think we have con-
coded too much, We have compromised too
much, and we have got to that position of
things, whenever any fault is found, there is
the ever recurring remedy of statesmen, of
stiIl further concessions from the North. l
agree, sir, that under the Constitution of the
United States, you are entitled to demand
and have an honest and fair discharge Of that
obligation which is imposed on all the States
in regard to the rendition of fugitive slaves,
and l am willing, perfectly willing, that there
shall be an honest, and fair, and faithful per-
Torrance of that pledge. Sum up every case
of injury and suffering and aggression by the
whole North, Of tue free States, upon the
right to recapture fugitive slaves, and put
them all down in the darkest c%olors, and
draw it as hideous as truth and fancy can
make it. and then l can show you aggres-
sions on the constitutional rights Of citizens
Of the free States that will infinitely out
weigh and outnumber every aggression by
the free States upon the rights of the South,
in regard to their slaves"