The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-22
ANOTHER PATRIOTIC SPEECH
FROM A REPUBLICAN.
HON. WIN. KELLOGG, OF ILL, ON THE CRISIS.

rnOM ANFObAACANs
HON. WIN. KELLOGG, OF ILL.,, ON THE CRISIS.
In the House of Representatives, on the
9th, Hon. WV. KELLOGG, of Illinois, deliv-
cred an able and patriotic speech, in favor
of compromise proposition be presented
week or two ago, and which was published
in this paper at that time. The speech OF
Mr.. KELLOGG will meet with a hearty
response from thousands of Republicans in
Minnesota, who do not propose to follow
their political leaders into civil war and an
irreparable rupture of the Confederacy.
The following synopsis presents the main
points of the speech:
Mr.. Kellogg, (Republican) of Illinois,
said that, if the country is to be saved,
parties and platforms must be sunk and
buried in oblivion. He cared for no party
and no platform in the face of the momen-
tous crisis before them, and his principle of
action in this dread emergency would be
that the Union must and shall be preserved.
No matter at what abandonment of party
or platform, so long as there would be no
abandonment of honor and conscience. The
questions at issue were such as might easily
be adjusted if they were approached with
deliberation and calmness, and with feelings
free from the trammels and preiudices of
party. Let this be done, and peace and
harmony would once more be restored to
our distracted country. Revolution, un-
fortunately, is fact, and history has
recorded it that six states, and perhaps
seven, of the outer circle of the states of the
confederacy have withdrawn their light and
brightness to set-unless they return as
legal state-to set in that darkness forever
which disloyalty to truth and freedom must
sver engender. The time has come when
all menI North and South, must COM
bine to save the Union, sinking out of
sight for the time, at least, all abstrac-
tons which had hitherto prevented them
from clearly seeing the proper course
which lay before them. Let them do this,
and the sun would not rise and set five times
until peace was restored. Harmony would
once more spread her wings over this great
nation, and still the glorious old stars and
stripes will wave as bright and free as ever
not star erased, not line furnished on
the brave old flag. (Applause) What
were the difficulties which prevailed, and
from whence did they spring. The real
difficulty was not as the returning of fugi-
| tives from labor, for in his state, and in all
other states where the question had been
tested, every facility had been given to the
execution of that law. Mr.. Lincoln had
declared in one of bis speeches that the
South was entitled to an efficient Fugitive
Slave law. How, then, could they estab-
lish any charge upon this? No, it was a
more bagatele, and had really nothing to do
with the present difficulties which threaten
the disruption of the Union, as the question
was easy of solution. The difficulty has
arisen from a conflict of opinion between
the people of the North and the South rel,
| alive to the institution of slavery, some
| believing that it was blessing to the slave
and benefit to the master; while the other,
the North, were taught to regard it as a
moral and political wrong, and this conflict
of opinion would continue to exist as long
as the government shall last. Fifty years
ago it was generally conceded, South
as we'll as North, that slavery was wrong;
but since then, education, and politi-
cal training had greatly changed the
current of mems feelings with regard to this
question, and now the opinions of the peo-
pie cannot BE changed. They might legis-
late till the tide ceased to flow, and yet the
South would believe that slavery was right;
they might legislate till the sun grew tired
of his course, and yet the Northern mind
o4os IL. i
moral and political evil. This was
subject on which it was useless to
legislate. Now, the proposition intro
duced by him several days ago was to
amend the constitution as our fathers have
before US. How was the question 10 1920
settled? A remedy was at once applied
line was drawn between the free and slave
States, saying that north Of that line slavery
should not be, but south of it slavery might
exist. The result was that peace was re-
stored to the country, an undisturbed peace
of thirty years, during which time the coun-
try devoted itself to the development of their
natural resources. He further explained
his proposition, believing that it would be
the opinion of the American people in six
months. He did not talk to politicians, as
they are Joined to their idols. Let them
alone.
MIR. Farnsworth, (Rep) of Illinois, asked
his colleague whether he favored slavery
south of the line?
Mr.. Kellogg replied that he would ad-
here to the line with all its legal and logical
consequences. In further response to a
question from Mr.. Farnsworth be reminded
that gentlemen that he (Mr. Farnswortb)
voted for the Crittenden. Montgomery
amendment, which embraced provision to
admit Kansas with slavery in the constitu-
ton, if the people should so determine.
Mr.. Farnsworth said that be knew the
people would not so determine.
Mr.. Kellogg resumed, saying that be
voted for that amendment in the full recog.
milton OF the principles it embodied. He
was for his country in all its parts. He
did not care whether his proposition was
found in the Breckenridge, Douglas or Re-
publin platform. 1t was enough for him if
it suits the country. loud applause.)