Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-02-01
MR.. SHERMAN'S SPEECH.

In his speech last Friday, Hon. Johr
Sherman expressed himself as follow:
on the subject If compromises under the
present circumstances
81 know that Ill the gentlemen around
me must deeply leplore civil war, es.
pecially if that war should involve the
fate Of this capitd, and the disruption oi
this government. No man with head
to reason, or a hart to feel, can contem-
plate the inevitable result of such war
without the most serious desire TO avert
it. 1t is our duty as members of this
House-it is the duty Of Congress--and
| am happy TO say it is the acknowledged
duty of the President, as it is of the in
coming administration, to use forbearance
to the extremea point. Let not physical
force be arrayod in civil war until the
last hope of peace and Cancellation has
been exhausted. Then let each branch
Of the government, acting in concert
with each other, perform their respect
i've duties, although the heavens fall.
What can we do for peace and concilia-
tion' anticipate your reply You say
" Let Us compromise yield what we de-
mand of you. Let US compromise, and
we will preserve The Union, and civil war
will be averted." This l know is the
earnest appeal OF patriotic man in the
Southern States who would gladly give
their lives to stop the progress of treason
in those States.
How useless it is to talk about COM
promise, concession, conciliation, adjust
ment, when, if everything were conceded
the integrity of the government may be
broken up by majority of single state.
If we hold this Union and ali the rights
it secures TO us, and all the hopes we
base upon, upon the whim or will of a
state, then, indeed, it is the weakest gov
enment ever devised by man. IF sin
gle state may destroy our nationality,
then, indeed, is the wisdom of our faith
ers the wisdom of babes. We can no
longer talk about the weakness of the
Old Confederacy, OR the anarchy in Mex
leo. Sir, we owe it as the most sacred
of duties to put down this heresy. If it
now fortifes itself by sectional animosi-
ties--if it rises from paltry rebellion to
civil and sectional war-stll it must and
will be met with determined resistance.
Again, say, what is the use of conces-
sion and compromise, when if we yield
every thing you demand you cannot say
TO US, sit will save US from disunion or
war" Are we not in danger of quar-
reling about terms of Cancellation when
traitors are overthrowing the government
we wish to preserve? Are we not diyi-
ding ourselves for their benefit? What
will satisfy South Carolina, and Florida,
aud Mississippi, and Alabama? They
want disunion, and not compromise or
Cancellation.
The Democratic party would not agree
10 their terms, and they seeded from the
Charleston and Baltimore Conventions.
Is it likely that we will yield what our
Northern Democratic friends could not
yield? We on this side of the House
might properly say that we have done
nothing to impair any constitutional righ.
and we propose to DO nothing to infringe
yours. We have succeeded in eonsti-
utional way in electing a President of
he United States. All that we ask is
hat he may be inaugurated liz peace,
md may develop bis policy in the usual
manner. We can add that this is the
lemand of all our people, not only of
hose who voted for Mr.. Lincoln, but of
very loyal citizen"