The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-02-09
SPEECH OF HENRY WINTER D.vys
DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, FEBRU
AIRY 7, 1861.

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are at the end of this insane and rabd system which
for thirty years has in the United States worn the
querade with the dance of Whether the people will
tread that measure Of their will remains vet to be
seen We are actually in the early youth of the nations
life, and yet already has been marked bv
mature e%cesseS The perpetuatiOn political max
inns has utterly demoralized all the springs OF pyern
menC corruption, punder the desire of Office and the
power Of AMBITION have usurped the source of
tse maXlms have sunk deep into the popular and
have passed more than once into the administration of
public affairs, and have a natural consequence almost
eiaced the very idea of government.
The Government, under theBe disastrous influences
has gradually abandoned like dried stream all the
he!dS OF home Domestic useful legislation to concen
rate itself on barren bitter fields party and sectional
strife The Government has been shon Of every preroga
1--WE that mad saVored OF dignity and and the Pres
dent of the United States has ceased to be
by the fasce and the the embIems authority and
the successor of George Washington is eynectnd H nat
every popular demand with wreathed smiles of racjons
condescenSion and the halls of the nation are open for
the distribution of spois among squabbng parsans to
provide the means of partisan warfare to perpeate
partisan power at the expense of the public peace
The original ideas of the Constitution have faded from
mems minds, that the United States Government is A
Government that is entitled to respect and that the Con
stitution furnishes remedy for every grievance and
mode of redress for every wrong and that the States are
limited within their spheres, and bear common rela-
ton in their existence through Government Of the
United States that those in authority are those to com
pose the public dssensons and the iavy-nvers arc s,
to regulate the mind and conduct of the popular
These sautay principles have been fyrgotten-thcv
completely faded from the popular mind, with greater
Interests which the Government charged to protect
but which it has gradually allowed to drop from its
grasp And the greatness Of this Generalization is that
the States, without regard to the Federal Government
seem to stand face to face events to adjust
differences, and to impute others every wron and tn
way ad'i m m2 @ fmS4E Cd in hsr
ing any grievance as cause Of civil between the
various States of the C0nfederacv.
These the that lie the bottom of our nrp
ent dScontents These may be removed but can
they be permanently cured? These causes have produced
me disastrous scenes which We are here discuss
1t because the operations of the Government been
Withdrawn from the great public interests in order that
competing parties should not be embarrassed in their
struggle for party power with diversity OF interests on
questions of policy, that the public mind in the same
struggle has been on the slavery Question
which responds to no interest which not require to
be touched by department of the Government but
which marks diverses of ne ests in the different mr.
tons Of the Conederacy. The unfortunate aspect
of these times is that in this struggle for party power
the two great regions OF the country brought face
face this most dangerous subject of agitation upon
%hch the GoVerhheht mas been demoralized the people
demoraizcd, and popular passions inlamed.
These are the only that be assigned for the ex
traordinary phenomenon that we are. Within month
after the formal peaceful and regular election of Chief
Magistrate of the United States and without any new
grievance having been alleged, without any
having been used we have SEEN in the short course of
MONTH six States sustained it is true by only small por-
ton of their people usurD the executive rreropatv Of
repeating the supreme laws of the land and decIaring
themselves enancpatcd from all those OBLIGATIONS which
Constitution declares to he supreme over them and
over their State laws, and usurping themselves all
the prerogatives Of supreme and Independent power
They have seized the forrssSes Of the United States
10 tic GO0u 1llth OF their people
they were out and for whose protection they in
tended They have seized the public arms
IN their midst for the general protection of the United
States They have seized upon the public Offices pub
lie property and actually vessel of the United
States charged to bear reinforcement of their own
otS ms was only one OF the symptoms of the great
decentralization which had taken possession of the govern
ment and the pubic mind Wehave seen also Cabinet Min
lister, deliberately for months preparing for this great
change We have him distributing the public arms to
be placed in the hands those who were ready to seize the
public property thus providing them with the means of
CT Tho limit al
tom of the same decentralization that have seen COM
mssiOners in fragrant violation of the Constitution of the
rebellion.
\ Cabinet Minister still holding a commission under
the authority of the United States and s bound by his
oath 10 support the Constitution, hmsefa Commissioner
from his State another State of this Conederacy
for the purpose of organizing there this portion
OF the great scheme of REBEL ion. This is but part this
great decentralization. Another part Of ii is that we have
the President of the United States neglect the solemn
warning Of the first military officer OF the age and allow
the forts to be taken pc osseSson Of and have seen
If not formally eXacting, yet substantially making bar
gains for peace till he should be removed from the
sbites of Office. lts part of the decentralization
that has allowed him to fail in every instance to defend
the public property and 10 vndicate the honor of the
nation; without blOOdShed-nay, without remonstrance
we have seen him standing in his Cabinet muttering
Not in my time not in my time. He has demonstrated
his incaacity for the high charge and honor which the
people have showered on him
Mr. Speaker we have this day, in great measure
to deal with the of the Presidents ncapa
city And it is to these desire to call your attention
six States have thrown off their allegiance the
United States it was fondly hoped only temporarily
proper partisan contvance to restore the chief actors
power But We are now Informed by response the
kindly message of Virginia from South Carolina that
their present pos ton is permanent and that they desire
TO have and will have, further political connection
with the United States. And they were told by man
who month ago was Cabinet Minister, and who was
recently elected President of the Convention Mont
gomery-that man has informed us, in his inaugural
speech that their purpose finally to their rela
tions with the United States, and to take all the
quences OF organizing Independent Southern Republic
We therefore driven of two alternatives
must recognize what We have been than once told
was an accomplished tact not to be recalled, mus
refuse to acknowledge it, and accept all the responsible
ties that attach to that refusal. Recognize what?
Southern Republic And abandon them the gufcoas
of Mexico surrender the forts of the United States
change the policy have mantsined for forty years
abandon the privilege of free and free inter
course strike down the guarantees of the Constitution
destroy the prospects of fellowcizens engaged
commerce in all the wide regions of our country COW
erng thousands Of miles of internal frontier to be KEEP
and protected by internal fortresses to
ize standing army in order to be ready at a rnoment
warning to resist aggresson to guard the Southern
frontier from becoming foothod for foreign power when
ever or wherever caprice ambition hostility may Sc
fit to invadewhether the yrant of France the aggres
sve power of England should fit attack our unde
Tended frontier that which have spent million
to gain and gone through three generations create
establish; pull down the flag of the United States and
low it TO take lower station among the nations Of tn
world abandon the high prerogative of leading the
on the march to freedom the hope of struggling nations
the terror frowning yrants the boast of the world,
| the light Of liberty.
All this We must abandon to recognize Southern usur
patton Refuse recognize it, and we are told we mus
not coerce State engaged in the peaceful process
breaking up the Union and seiZing the public proper
and money of the United States. We must not coerc
States who declare South Carolina Georgia. Mis-
sssippi Alabama Louisiana have done. We must not &C
any OF these States; cJerce State whc
has robbed the United States Treasury secession must
/ perpetual.
Sir. Speaker, do not want to quarrel about words;
do not wish to say word calculated eXasperae tn
already too much inaamed state of the public mnd bu
here that the Constitution of the United States
the laws made in pursuance thereof must enforced
and those who stand the path Of that enforcement
must either destroy the power of the United States
| will destroy them. applause and slight hisses)
trust IN God that no such collision is that it is
turies aye, thousands of centuries off. gee
for it. The laws of the United States provide their
method of enforcement and when enforced, those VIII
resist them must take the consequence l think, sir
that the of the country be collected at al
hazards. II resistance should be made land, why
then let them be collected shipboaTd The laws oI
this head be enforced by allowing vessels to clea
out of the ports and harbors without the paper
| of the United States board.
The posallsw arrangements may be continued or
pended, the interests of the government the dis
turbed condition of localities may render fit and eXpedi
ent The courts of the country if need be- may be sepa
rated as they were in Utah The United States may
move enlarge the jurisdiction of the courts, eXpan
the districts several States hold courts in State
which not disturbed. These the regular peaceful
methods of enforcing the laws of the United States Thes
methods il pursued will allow time for reflection to hos
who have been hurried on under sudden impulse, an
who were taken unprepared for so momentouS step b.
the contrvance of those who mad for revolution
| The Government of the United States is vested wit
adequate Constitutional powers to meet every emergency
1.-THE loyal citizens of any State or portion of State VIII
have been unthinkingly preciPitated into revolution
shall see ft to withdraw themselves from their posito