Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-02-28
NO COMPROMISE WITH REBELS.
Speech o. the Hon. Mr. Conklin in the
House of REPRESENTATIVE, Jan. 80.

The House resumed the reconsideration of
the report of the Committee of Thirty-three.
Mr.. CONKLIN, (Rep., N. Y in opening
his remarks, said that from the first advent
I of this secession movement be had po hope
that any concessions they might Offer would
stem the current of the revolt, knowing that
it had been long smolderng sr q fostering in
the Gulf States. The people of these States
ware the dupes Of wicked and designing
men. 1t was said that the leading mission
of the Republican party was to subvert the
constitutional rights Of portion of the peo-
pie of the country, and tkat Republicanism
was only another name for Aboitionism. and
that upon the first accession Of power on
their part they would liberate the slaves by
an armed Intervention of the Federal Gov
ernment. These charges were sown broad
cast Throughout the land, and were sent forth.
like snow storms, or clouds of locusts, to COW
er the entire South. These charges were
founded upon the sayings of Republican pol
iticians, tern from their context, and which
were as near the original as shred rent
from the canvas of the picture would present
the conceptions of the painter. But they
abounded in another thing, infinitely more
detrimental. They abounded in scraps cut
from Northern newspapers, which assailed
throughout the political contests the motives
and principles of the Republican party. Ten
thousand springs of falsehood and perverslon
had opened and filled the very atmosphere
of the South with noxious vapors, which
were turned persistently fer years by South
ern politicians into current SO mighty that
it had broken over the safe props Of order, so
that the South believed the great party of
patriots in the North, the lovers of constitu-
tional law, were reduced to minority SO
hopeless as to be utterly extinct. He was
constrained to believe that every avenue was
closed to everything except what was calcu-
lated to lash the public mind througout the
South into fury. If the avenues of compro-
mise were still open, he did not believe, so
far as the Union as concerned, that any
compromise they could offer would have any
perceptible effect. Dupes were never lead
ers, and the men of the South who were de-
ceived with regard to the sentiments Of the
North, were not the men who would head re-
bellion or instigate revolt. Those who sow
ed the whirlwind would direct the Storm
Those men. however, who had succeeded Old
Boreas. and 1ho had let cut in this South
wind, were not deceived, for they knew well
that the party which had recently prevailed
in the country had no idea of an invasion up
on constitutional right, or intended any now
ell application of its doctrines with regard to
Slavery or any other subject. They knew
we'll that the mission of that party was to re-
store the ancient policy of the Republic-a
policy which began with Washington and
carried the Government successfully down
the stream of time for seventy years-seven>
ty pure, prosperous, and peaceful years
These men well understood the needlessness
Of all these schemes of compromise. They
knew what harmless things the Personal
Liberty bills were if they conficted with
the Constitution OF with the law. They had
an example of this in South Carolina, where
they had already learned how harmless a
thing was legislative usurpation in the States
before the beak and claws of Federal power.
That none prets nded to invade the relation
ship of master and slave these Southern lead
ers well knew. They knew that tbs decla>
rations of all political parties were against
it, and they knew also that if any party de.
sired any amendment TO the Constitution to
give them this power, it could not be effected
in any period ftime which human prophecy
could f,resee. They knew that, whatever
his intention might be, the President elect
would be harmless to injurs them, as harms
less as child, with majority against him
in both Houses of Congress, had the repre-
ssntatives Of the South been but true to
themselves and remained faithful at their
posts. They cry out against Territorial in
justice and usurpation, and yet they knew
that they bad more Slave Territory than they
could ever hope to people, not by the law of
Mexico, as it was said, but by the Territori-
al law. vi hich they would have been unable
to pass under the organic law but for the
votes of Northern people as well as South
ern. He understood the list of grievances.
but yet considering, while apostate Ameri-
cans were plotting the ruin of this country,
tor such was their aYcwed reason. While
this was going on, the great mission of liber-
ty, which filled Christendom with light and
hope, was shriveled like parched scroll.-
These apologists we're attempting to throw on
the wave of revolution over our free institu-
tions, warning the nations of the earth to
keep aloof from the mighty ruin
Mr. HINDMAN, (Dem., Ark. appealed to
the chair to know whether the gentleman
was in order in using and applying such
language as "apostate Americans" He
would inquire of the gentleman if he inten-
ted to apply that language to any member of
that House or to their constituents? If such |
language could be used there, then the time
had come for the dissolution of the Union,
and for the secession of the Southern States
from it, He would ask the Chair to decide :