Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-20
SPEECH OF HON. B. F. WADE, OF OHIO.
DELIVERED IN THE UNITED STATES sen
ATE DEC. II, 1860.


SPEECH OF HON. B. F. WADE, OF OHIO.
DELIVERED IN THE UNITED STATES SEN
ATE, DEC. II, 1860.
Mr. PREsIDENT,-At a tine like this, when
there seems to be unusual excitement, | have
very little faith in the efficacy Of any argu-
ment, but must say, when in this very cham.
Der, where we have all raised our hands to
heaven and took an oath that we would sus-
tain the constitution of the United States, we
hear it said by many senators that we are on
the eve OF dissolution of this Union, and
that your constitution is to be trampled under
foot silence under such circumstances seems
10 be akin TO treason itself. We have listened
to complaints on this side of the chamber pa.
utntiy, and with an ardent desire to ascertain
what obey were. But l confess | am unable
to understand what it is of which they com
plain. The party which has lately elected The
president, and is prospectively coming into
power, have never held office under this gov
eminent, nor any individual OF them. There
fore, it is manifest that that party has as yet
committed no act of which any body can com
plain 1t an one has fears as TO what may
hereafter ensue, they are mere apprehensions-
nothing else. A bare suspicion, Il fear, rising
out OF unwarranted prcjudces | sin to as
certain in the outset whether we are right, for
tell gentiemea here that if they can convince
me tuat am holding any political principle
that is not warranted by the constitution I'M
der which we live, or trenches on their rights,
they need not ask for compromises, for l will
redress their rights myself when am wrong,
No man need approach me with threat that
the government Is To be destroyed, because
hope that have now, and ever shall have,
that sense Of justice that " hen any one shows
| am wrong, | shall be ready to right it with.
out threat or compromise.
Now, what is it of which gentlemen com
plain When | lett my home III the west to
come to this place. all was calm, cheerful and
conened l heard OF no discomfort, and ap.
pretended that there was no cause to inter-
rupt the harmonious course OF legislation.
did not learn that there had been, since we adj
journed, any new tact intervening that could
at all disturb the pubic mind. l did not know
that there had been any entertainment npon
the rights OF any section or individual. There
fore, came here expecting We should have a
harmonious session. 1t is very true that the
great republican party, which has been organ.
lied ever since you repealed the Missouri com
promise, which gave you four years full warn
ing thai its strength would result as it has re-
suited, and | suppose any man might have
supposed things woulu have resulted in the
same way; it is true that this party has car.
rled the elt ctOn but / don't suppose any.
thing growing out OF the election is the cause
Of the present excitement in the country
Now, who is it that is complaining? Is it the
minority that have subjected to an oppressive
and aggressive government No such thing
as that, sir. We might suppose that eighty
four years ago, when the leaders OF that glori-
GUS revolution met in Philadelphia there to
draw up a bill OF Indictment against weak
king and his ministers, they had been at a loss
what they would set forth as the cause Of their
complaints. But they had no difficulty in set
ting them forth, and SO that great article of i'm
peachment will go down to posterity to justify
them for all they did. Let us, then, suppose
all the old patriots had been the ministers of
the crown, or members OF the British parlia
ment OF the dominant party that had ruled
Great Britain Tor thirty years previous. In
stead OF dignitying " hat they did as revolu
tonary, who would not have hanged every
man OF them as traitors They would ask
what right have you, who have had the gov
eminent in their own hands, who have been
ministers, doing everything that has been done,
to set up here that you have been oppressed
and asgreved by the action of that very gov.
eminent? 1t would have been an act OF trea-
son, and nothing less.
Now, they who sit here, the leaders of this
moral revolution, are they i'll a position to
complain OF the action of this government for
years past? Why, they never had more than
tw0-thirds of the senate for many years. You
that complain represent but little more than
one quarter of the free people of the United
States yet you have prevailed for ten years
past in the cabinet Of the president, and in the
supreme court OF the United States, and
nearly every department of the government.
Those who voted with you have dictated the
policy oi the government. Is il not strange
those who occupy this position come here
complaining that their rights have been
stricken down! But what is tile cause OF
this great excitement which undoubtedly pre-.
walls III IA portion OF our country tor ii the
newspapers are to be credited, there is a reign
OF terror in the cities and large towns OF the
south that looks very much like the reign
OF terror i'll Paris during the French revolu.
lion. We hear of northern men being sent
back, or scourged and tarred and ieathcrcd,
and no inquiry made in regard 10 the cause |
do not suppose tine regular government, in
times of excitement like this, is really re,
sp0nslble Tor these outbreaks OF passion. If
the states where these outrages prevail were
foreign government, and it they were
really authorized by the constituted authori-
ties, everybody knows, if it were the strong
est government in the world, we should dc.
clare war III one day.
But what has caused this great excitement?
VIII tel you WHAT suppose 1t Is. do not
50 much blame the people Of the SOUTH lie.
cause l think they have been led TO believe
that we, 10 day the dominant party, who are
about take the reins OF government are their
mortal foes, and stand ready TO trample their
institutions under foot. They have been told
50 by our enemies at the NORTH and they
would not hear us at all. Now | wish to in.
quirc candldly, honestly, and fairly, whether
the southern gentlemen who complain so
much have any reasonable grounds for that
comnlaint-l mean when they are really in.
formed as to our position. The northern dem
ocrats have said we have personal liberty bills
III some OF the northern states, which would
somehow trench upon your rights to recapture
runaway sIlves--a position that in not more
tLah two or three eases has the least founda.
tion in fact. But il these laws are really re-.
puBnant TO the constitution, they are utterly
VOID. and the nnurIa Mnuld dnnidn Ihn..a ~, "a