Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1861-02-01
Boarding the Lion in His own Den

Mr.. clemens, OF virginia, made noble
ard patriotic speech in the House of Rep
resentatiyes on the 22d ult., in whick be
did not mince matters at all, but called
things by their right names, as will DO
seen by the following extract. Said he:
Il speak as Southern man, identified
with all the interests of the South; as
Western Ylrginian; as the custodian Of
those who Were not old enough to know
the perils to which they were exposed by
those who were now riding on the crest Of
the popular wave, but who were, neverthe-
less destined to sink into the very trough
of the sea to depth SO unfathomable that
not bubble would ever rise to mark the
spot where they went SO ANONYMOUSLY
down. Well might those who had inau-
gurated the revolution which was now
stalking over the land cry out with up
lifted hands for peace, and deprecate the
effusion of blood It was the inventor of
the guiIotine who was its first victim, and
the day was not far off when they would
fad among their own people those who
would have to rely upon the magnanimity
Of that population whom they had most
cruelty outraged and deceived. He hfd
not the heart to enter into a detail Of the
arguments, CT to express the indignant
emotions, which rose to his lips for utter
ance. But before God, and in bis inmost
conscience, be believed that slavery would
be cruciGed should this unhappy contro-
versy end in dismemberment of the I'm
ion. IF not crucifed, it would carry the
death rattle in its throat. It remained to
be seen whether treason could be carried
out with the same facility with which it
hrd been plotted. There was a holy cour-
age among the minority of every State that
might for the time be overwhelmed. Laz-
arus was not dead, but slept; and ere
long the stone would be rolled away from
the mouth of the tomb, and they would
witness all the glories of resurrection"
He did not fail to pay his respects par
ticularly to Bobby Toombs, jeff Davis,
and other secessionists of that stripe, who
we apprehend will have no difficulty in re-
cognizing themselves by beholdlng the mir
rOr thus held up to view by Mr.. Clemens,
Of them he said
ITO be diamond Of the first water, a
man must stand in tho Senate House Of
bis country, and in the face of forbear-
ing people, glory in being a traitor and q
rebel. He must golemnly proclaim the
death Of the nation to which he had sworn
allegiance, and with the grave stolidity Of
an undertaken, invite its citizens to their
own funeral, He can take an oath to sup
port the Constitution of the United States,
but he can enter with honor into q eonspi-
Iacy to overthrow it. He can, under the
sancltity Of the same oath, advise the seiz-
ure Of forts and arsenals, dockyards and
ships and money belonging to the Union,
whose officer he is, and find most loyal
and convenient retreat in State authority
and State allegiance.
He went on to say that if Southern
Confederacy were formed out of the Sc
ceding States, the South would have more
troubles than it ever knew anything of be-
fore, Regarding the expansion of Slavery,
he said
but where was Slavery to expand p
If the South left the Union she would new
err get as much Of the present territory as
be could grasp in his hand. A war of
thirty years would never get it back, nor
could there ever be extorted from the
North treaty giving the same guarantees
to Slavery that it now had
We regret that we cannot quote more
largely from this admirable production
We have as yet seen only the telegraphic
synC psis, which abounds in sentiments such
as we have given and deserves to be read
all over the country. The men in the
South who dare, in these times, to make
such speech are few indeed.
The New York Tribune of the 25th