Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-12-26
WHOLE NO. 954.
senn,.r wahe,s speech.

We give below the New York TribuDs's
report Of The great speech recently made in
the United States Senate. by Mr. Wade ol
Ohio. 1t is masterly effort and should be
read by all who desire full understanding
of the questIons involved in these trouble
some Tires. The positions taken by the
Senator from Ohio. will unquestionably
take strong hold Of the popular mind in
the Northern States. Every candid man
must admit the eorrec~ess of his views,
and the heart of every patriot must respond
TO the eloquent sttersnees of the gifted or
ator BE looks the troublesome times full
in the face, and talks like statesman aud
hero. Read this great speech fellow cit
liens, and then Judge if thers is sufficient
cause for South Carolina. or any combisa
tion Of Southern States. TO dissolve this
Union
At o'clock, Mr.. Powelrs, dem, Ky.)
resolution was taken up.
Mr.. Wade, Rep, Ohio, said: At a
time like this, when there seems to be un-
usual excitement, | have very little faith
in the efficacy OF my argument But,
must say, when, in this very chamber,
where we have all raised our hands to
heaven, and took the oath that we would
sustain the Constitution of the United
States, we hear it said by many Senators
that we are upon the eve of dissolution
of this Union, and that your Constitution
is TO be trampled under foot, silence under
such circumstances seems TO be akin to
treason itself. We have listened to COM
plants on the other side of this chamber
patiently, and with an ardent desire to as
certain what they were. But, / confess, /
am unable to understand what it is of
which they complain. The party which
has lately elected the President, and is
prospeetively coming into power, have
never held Office under this Government,
nor any individual Of them. Therefore,
il Is manifest that the party have as vet
committed no act of which anybody can
complain. If any one has fears of what
may hereafter ensue. they are mere appre-
MISUNDERSTANDING else a bare suspicion
"A fear-rising out of unwarrantable
preiudices. I wish to ascertain in the
outset whether we are. right, for l tell
gentlemen here if they can convince me
that am holding any political principle
that is not warranted by the Constitution
under which we live, or trenches on their
rights, they need not ask me to compro-
mise, for 1 will'redress their rights myself
when I am wrong. No man need ap-
proach me with a threat that the Govern
ment Is TO be destroyed, because | hope
that have now, aud ever shall have, that
sense Of Justice, that when any man shows
me / am wrong, / shall be ready 10 right
II without threat or compromise. Now,
what is il of which the gentlemen COM
plain? When l left my homs in the
West to come to this place, all was calm,
cheerful and contented. / heard Of no
discomfort, and apprehended there was no
cause to interrupt the harmonious course
Of legislation. did not learn that there
had been, since We adjourned, any new
fact intervening that could at all disturb
the public mind. / did not know that
there had been any encroaehment upon
the rights of any section or any individual.
Therefore, L came here expecting we
should have harmonious session. 1t is
very true that the great Republican party,
which has heen organized ever since you
repealed the Missouri Compromise, which
gave you four years ago full warning that
its strength would result as il has resulted,
and suppose any man might have sup
posed things would have resulted in the
same way-it is true, this pa ty have car
ried the election; but I do not suppose
ANYTHING growing out of the election is
the cause of the present excitement in the
country Now, who is it that is complain
ing? Is it the minority that they have
subjected TO an oppressive and aggressive
government? No such thing as that. sir
We might suppose that s4 years ago, when
the leaders Of that glorious Revolution
met in philadelphia, there to draw up 8
bill OF indictment against a weak king and
his ministers, they had been at loss what
they would set forth rs the cause of their
complaints. But they had no difficulty in
setting them forth, and so that great arti-
Gle Of impeachment will go down to pos
teritv to Justify them for all they did. Let
us. then. suppose the old patriots had
been the Ministers of the Crown, or mem
bers Of the British Parliament of the dom.
inant party that had ruled Great Britain
for 80 years previous. Instead of signify
inc what thew did as revolutionary, whC
would not have hanged every man o
them as traitors2 They would ask wha
right have you, who have had the Govern
ment in your own hands, who have beel
Ministers doing everything that has beel
done. To set up here that you have beei
oppressed and aggrirved by the action o
that very Government? 1t would hav
been an act of treason, and nothing les
Now, they who sit here the leaders Of thi
modern revolution, are they in positlo
to complain of the action of this Govern
ment for years past2 Why, they hav
had more than two thirds Of this Senat
for many years. You that complain, reI
resent but little more than one quarter {
the free people of the United States; ye
YOU have prevailed for ten years past j
the Cabinet of the President, and in til
Supreme Court of the United States, an
nearly every department of the Govern
meut. Those who voted with you hay
dictated the policy Of the Government
Is il not strange that those who occup
this positiOn come here complaining tn
their rights have been stricken down
But what il the cause of this great excit
ment, which undoubtedly prevails in
portion of our country 2 for, II the new
papers are to be credited, there is a reie
Of terror in the cities and large towns
the South that looks very much like &
reign of terror in Paris during the Fren'
Revolution. We hear Of Northern m
being sent back, or scurged and tarred al
feathered, and no inquiry made IN rege
to the cause. l do not suppose the regul
Government, in times of excitement II
this. is really responsible for these OF
breaks Of passion. If the States wht
these outrages prevail were foreign &c
ernment, and they were really authorlz
bv the constitutional authorities, evel
BODY knows, if it were the strongest &c
eminent in the world, we would decl'
war in one day. But what has eau:
this great excitement? 1 will tell y
what suppose it is. / do not so mt
blame the people of the South, because
think that they have been led to belle
that we. to-day the dominant party, "
are about 10 take the reigns Of Cove
rnsnt. are their mortal foes, and sts
ready TO trample their institutions un
foot. They have been told so by our
emies at the North, and they would
hear US at all. Now, | wish TO inqI
candidly, honestly, and fairly, whet
the Southern gentlemen who complain
much have any reasonable grounds
that complaint--I mean when they
really informed as to our position.
Northern Democrats hsve said we h