Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-09-25
,uE yaNCEY,S SPEECH.

would have it, are for disunion, by saying, 81
tsn Won gentlemen, my disunionism consists in
his. /sinna by the Constitution" This is,
va dorbt = true. and certainly is a noble an.
s..o- II is true of the Democratic party and
NJ Sancey correctly said that the real disu.
n;onists arc those who would lay their hands
violently upon 4 single guaranty ot the Constl'
tuition.
uWr Yalcey has been called by the voice o!
tho nronle to confront the slandcrcrs who have
misreprtsented him, and, through HIM, the
National Constitutional Democracy, and he has
yielded so far, We believe, as to have undertaken
TO address his frllow.citizens in several places
in the Northern States. TO judge by his
snecch here. the eloquent Alabamian cannot
f,iI IA materially assist the Democratic cause. "
Spcech Of Hon. VIM. L. Sancey,
~ Ns .Serenade Gircn To Him in WASHINGTON
CitH, on Friday .Night, Sept. 21st, 1850.
Fellow citizens II am no party man, and |
do not address you as a party man tonight
Strange rs il NAV seem to you, after what you
have heard from some quarters, I come before
Won this evening rs the friend Of the Constitu-
lion, rruol, and the Union under the Consti-
tu,ion, good, and better, and as the enemy OF
any other Union. coming from what source it
NAV. IVocilcrons cheering; that's rightly
During my brief political career, my country
men, Just here the speaker was inter
ruptcd by some drunken individual.
\ Voice. Put him ont.
Mr. Yancry. oh, no; LET him alone. No
harm can be done to Inc by any man, of any
party, who listens to me. 4 v%oicc-that's so.
/ have no sentiments to conceal from any man
Of any party. ] hope men are here represent
ing all parties, with The exception Of that par
tv which is the enemy Of the Cons,itution-the
Black Republican party. Loud and enthusiasts
tic applause. ,
Nv friends, there is one issue before yoI, and
To all sensible men but one issue, and but two
sides to that issue. The slavery question is but
one OF the symbols Of that issue; the CONNER.
c;al question is but one Of the symbols Of that
issue; the Union question is but one Of those
symbols; the only issue before this country in
this canvas is the integrity and safety Of the
good lie is a true Union man who intends
10 stand by that Constitution with all its
checks and balances. lie is a diSunion man
who means to destroy one single letter Of that
sacred instrument. 1t has been said that the
South asks you to trespasS upon the Constitu-
tional rights Of the other States; it is said that
the South seeks 10 aggrandisc itself at the ex.
pcnSe Of other sections; that We want this Go.
yernment to carry slavery and force it upon a
people who do not desire it. With all proper
respect for those who say this, |, as a Southern
man, say that in every iota Of its uttcrancc it is
false. Good The South has aggrcsscd upon
no section, nor does she propose aggression
upon any section. She asks no section to yield
anything that is hers for her safety or for her
protection. All that the South has ever asked
Of the Government is TO keep lis hands off Of
US, and let the Constitution work its own way.
lApplausc. The South has been aggrcsscd
| upon; the South has been trenched upon; four.
fifths of its territory, in which she has equal
rights, has been torn from her; and by the acts
of Government she has been excluded from it.
Revenues have been raised ut the rate Of two
or three dollars in the South TO one from any
other section for the support Of this great Go.
vcrnmcnt; hut the South makes no complaint
of mere dollars and cents. Touch not the honor
Of my section Of the country and she will not
complain Of almost anything else you may do;
but touch her honor and equality and she will
stand Up in their defence if necessary in arms.
lApplansc.
All, then. that the South asks in this contest
is that YOU shall observe the constitutional
checks and balances with reference to her
She is not willing that her rights shall be sub.
H.ittcd TO the will Of mere numerical majorities.
For our fathers, our ancestors, and the great
patriots Of the North agreed that it should be
otherwise. II was the written compact Of our
fathers that the minority should receive pro.
lection from the Constitution against the mere
selfish and avaricious will Of q preponderant
majority. Parties divided themselves original.
ly in this country upon that great principle
One desired that the majority should rule in
all things, while the other-Lhc State.rights
party Of the country-dcsired it should be diff.
lerent. This latter party carried the day in
the formation Of the Constitution, and placed
checks upon the advancement Of the majority.
And this written Constitution was the compact
by which lnajoritics should restrain themselves
with reference 10 the rights OF lnin0rities. Ma
j~oritirS need no protection save their own pow
er. Hence it is easy for the North TO cry out
for the Union at all hazards and under all cir.
culnstanccS. 1t is easy for the North, with its
majoritieS Of millions, to say they are for this
Union any how. No matter who may be
elected, no matter what may be done, still
they will stand to the Union as the great cause
Of their prosperity. Why? Because with no
Constitution at NIL, the North can protect
themselves with the Predominant vote in the
country. But how is It with the South -
How is it with the minority ofthe Countrywide
minority States of the Government If they
leave it to the mere will oC prepondcrant ma.
~joritics in Congress, the North, MS in all other
cases, will seek its advancement Of power, will
seek its own selfish ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and will
distribute the money Of the Government among
themselves, raise as much rs they please, and
do all for their own advancement at the ex-
pence of minor!tics. MinoriticS, gentlemen,
are the trlc friends of our Constitution, be-
cause that Constitution is their shield and their
protection against the unchecked and unli.
censcd will Of the majority.
Hence it is that my section Of the South
stands by that Constitution. You do not hear
so much said there with such tlippant tongues
about the Union as you do at the North; but
you hear mich said there about the Ccnstitr,.
ton; about its strict construction; about the
rigid enforcement of its checks, and it's balances
in favor of these minoritics, because to them it
is Il thing Of life and death. Within this Gov.
minority will be placed as 4 &" lamb that is led
to the slaughter" But let that Constitution
he observed, and the rights of all sections under
that Constitution he preserved, and the South
is content to abide its fate under the workings
of that instrument. The North NAV well cry
out Union Union! Union! at all hazards. and
to the last extremity. And the North, even
now, | understand, at midnight, is arming it.
self and training its midnight bands for the
purpose Of forcing the Union Of n mere maiori.
ty upon the South. ! understand these are
wide Awakcs," as they call themselves
that is. they think themselves rery wide
awake but they will find some men in the
Southern States, gentlemen, sufficiently 'wide
awake" TO meet them. i"That'S So" Applause.
\ brave people and Il true people, gentlemen,
will fear no Wide Awakes.
No man is more wide awake than he who
loves his own fircside, his W wife, his own
child, and aggresses on nobody, but deter
mines, rs far as God gives him power, that no.