The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-06
DlSUNI0N THE OBJECT AND PURPOSE
OF THE SECEDERS.

DlSUNI0N THE OBJECT AND PURPOSE
OF THE SECEbERS.
Great Speech OF Pierre soule in the
iL national Convention.
Pending the final ballot in the National
Convention, when the State of Louisiana
was called, Hon. PIERRE souLE rose and
was received with enthusiastic cheers and
applause. After silence had been restored
the gentleman proceeded as follows:
Mr.. PREs1DENr-I am appalled,, truly an.
palled, by the expectations which the wel>
come which has just been extended to me
seems to signify. am the last man in this
convention from whom anything deserving
these manifestations could be expected, and
it is at once with deep feeling of gratitude
for what kindness there was in them, and of
great difidence that attempt to address
you on this most solemn, most momentous
occasion. Be not afraid, however, that
shall trespass long upon your kindness and
your attention. But few remarks from
me will lay the foundation for the vote
which l shall cast for the noble state which
l have the honor, in part, to represent in
this body. have not been at all discour-
aged by the emotion which has been at
tempted to be created in this body by those
who have seeded from it. We from the
farthest South were prepared we had
heard around US the rumors which were to
be initiatory acts which you have witnessed
on this day, and we know that conspiracy
which had been brooding for months past
would break out on this occasion, and for
the purposes which are obvious to every
member. Sir, there are in political life, men
who were once honored by popular favor,
and consider that the favor has become to
them an inalienable property, and who cling
to it as something that can no longer be
wrested from their hands political fossils,
so much ecrusted in Office that there is hard
ly any power that can extract them. ZAP
plause. They saw that the popular voice
was clearely manifesting to this glorions
nation who was to be her next ruler. More
than eight or ten months before this con>
vention assembled the name of that future
ruler of these states had been thrown into
the canvass, and was before the people. In.
stead of bringing a candidate to oppose him,
instead of creating before the people issues
npOn which the choice of the nation could
be enlightened, instead of principles dis
cussed, what have we seen? An unrelent-
ing war against the individual pre-
sumed to be the favorite of the nation.
(Applause.) A war waged by an army
of unprincipled and INSCRIPTIONS pol.
iticians, leagued with a power which
could not be exerted on their side without
disgracing itself and disgracing the nation.
(Renewed applause) When this Conven-
ton assembled at Charleston the idea had
not yet struck their minds that movement
of the nature of the one which has Just been
effected could be based upon the doctrines of
the distinguished gentleman from Alabama
(Mr. Yancey) who has fathered this session.
1t was presumed by these political intriguers
outside of the Convention, who were maneu.
vernig the measures through by which the
destruction of the Democratic party was to
be efected-it was presumed by them that
it would be in their power, after raising the
storm, to master and quiet it but it will
be found, before forty-eight hours have
elapsed, that in that storm they are bound
eventually to sink and disappear. loud
applause.) For it is idle for Southern men
to disguise the true object of that movement.
Secession from the Democratic party can be
nothing else than disruption of that party
at the very moment when the hopes Of the
whole nation are hanging upon its continu-
ing in power. (Applause.) Secession is q
word intended to conceal another word of
more signifca1cy. If secession was to find
an echo among the people of this great con-
federacy, then no longer could this republic
boast that the structure which our fathers
erected with so much sacrifice and so much
toll, was noble experiment. Secession
must beget disunion. Upon what pretence
must secession be predicated. l will not do
those distinguished gentlemen who stepped
out of this room this morning the in.
justice to suppose that they truly parted
from you because of your having decided
the question of internal organization in
a manner that did not agree with their
views. They may give this as pretence,
they may use it as cloak to cover their
desertion from the party, but the truth can
not be disguised. Whether deluded or not
they are tools in the hands of intriguers,
and their course must necessarily tend
to disunion. (Applause.) Many of us
who were then the representatives of the
South in the National Councils, believing
that the South was in earnest and consider
ing ourselves bound to follow in their foot
steps, fought the battle, not with the view of
creating the contingency contemplated, but
to defend the rights of the South, by op-
posing the introduction of California into the
councils of the nation. That, at that time,
was to the South the great wrong, and the
creating of great danger, because not
only was California coming into the Union
with a constitution obliterating the Mis-
souri, compromise line, but as free State.
Sir, it is said that the seceders carry with
them out of this convention the sympathies
of the South. Believe it not; and l have,
in my own experience of the past, certain
strong reasons why l cannot bring my mind
to the supposition that the South, under the
present circumstances, can respond to that
movement, and 1 will briefly lay them be-
fore you. In 1849 and 1850, when Califor>
MIA was about being admitted into the
Union, the South rose against her admis-
sion, passed resolutions, and impressed upon
the minds of the people of the North that
if the outrage was perpetrated, she would
secede from the Union. Not only was she
yvnkA T. A.