, 1861-02-06

a great many partisan interests are to be
suppressed, such u the partisan interests er-
prested BY the Charleston Platform, the Balti-
moreFlatform and the Chicago Platform. II
1he Union Is In danger and Il to b saved,
body standing on them, or connected with
them, are to pass away before the Union can
be saved. But it will require very short time,
II this Union Is In danger and does require to
be saved, for all these interests, and all these
platforms, md these men to disappear. You
ana eveIybody who shall oppose, resist, Or
stand In the way Of the preservation Of this
Union, will appear as moths on summer eve,
when the whirlwind Of popular indignation
arises that shall be excited 1t the full discovery
that the Union Is endangered.
have hope and confidence that this is to
come around Just as have said, and quite
soon enough, because perceive that although
we may shut our eyes to 1t, that the country
and mankind can't shut their eyes to the true
nature Of this crisis There has been = Ques-
tton Of Slavery In the Territories of real, q
vital nature, IN this country Tor twelve years.
Il vas the strongest in its Development in
lS50, when Ill the Pacific coast, and alt the
territory Intervening between It and the Lou
lslana Purchase, vas thrown upon our hands
all OF sudden, for the PURPOSE Of organizing
i Into a:frce and independent republican
Governments, as basis OF future States. :.
: 1t has 3een an earnest, and I regret,to eay,,
az angry controversy, but the admission Of
least all that was vital or important in the
question, leaving behind nothing but the pas
sIoas hlch the contest had engendered. Kan.
sas Is in the Union, California and Oregon are
IN the Union, and now the eame contest d.
rides and distrncts this Union for freedom and
slavery In the Territories Of the United States,
What ls the extent Of the Territories which
remain after the admission Of Minnesota, Orc
.gon, California and Kansas One million
slZty-threc thousand and five hundred square
mlfes-an area twenty-four times that OF the
state Of New York, the: largest Of the old and
fully developed States. Iwenty-four such
States rs that Of New York arc vet to be orran-
lZsd within the reminding Territories OF the
United States. Now. under what is accepted
BY the Administration as . judicial decree, up
held BY it, and put in practical ope,ation hy
it, every inch Of that Territory Is s1ave Terri
l speak Of thst decision, not rs accept it,
hut Us It Is accepted and enforced by the exist.
ing Administration. Every foot Of it ia s,aye
Territory rs much as South Carolina. Over a
considerable portion Of it slave code has
been made by . government created by the
Congress Of the United States, and is enforced,
50 that according to the claims Of those who
insist upon their right in the Territory OF tLt,
United States for slavery, The whole Of this
one million, ixty-three thousand miles Is slave
Territory. How many slaves are there in it ?
How many have been brought into It during
those twelve yearh in which it has not only
Court and Legislature, and the Administration
have maintained, protected, defended and
guaranteed slnvery there?
TWenfy-iour African slaves ono s!aye for
every forty-1onr thousand square milestone
slave Tor every one Of the twenty-fonr States,
which is-supposing them each to be Of tue
dimensions ct New York, or Pennsylvania, or
Indi:aua-to cover that portion Of he area OF
our Republic. See, have followed this thing
in good fifth, with zeal and energy, but con,
iess that have no fears Of slavery now. when
in the peculiar condition Of things which has
existed, slavery has succeeded in planting only
one slave in every forty-fodr thousand square
be practical question. In lieu Of it comes
up great and vital aud fearful questionable
question ofthe union-the question of coun-
try or no countTy-thc question Of hope-,he
question ofgreatness, or the question Of sink
Ing forever under the contempt Of mankind,
Why. then, should despair that great peo-
pie OF thirty millions will be able to meet the
crisis? hare no fear; this is Contederacy
1t is not an Imperial Government or the guv-
Grnment Of single State It is q Confcderu-
cy, and 1t Is Us it ought to be, dependent gu
the continued assent Of all the members Of the
tonfederacy TO Its existence, and subject to
dissolution by their action. But that aseent
must, always ba taken By virtue Of the
original assent, and held until, in the form,
pres ecribcd by she Constitution itself, and in
the manner and with all the conditions which
the Constitution preseribes, those who consti-
tute the Union sha1l declare that it shall be no
longer. The thirty daye, and sixty days, and
ninety days, given Us BY the Disunionists, may
not he enough for their policy and their pur-
poses. I hope aud trust that it may be time
enough for the policy and purposes Of the low
era Of the Union. God grant that 1t may be
SO. But if they shall turn out not to he
enough, then see how and when all these
great contrivances will be settled, just as the
iore!athers foEcsaw when they framed the Con
stitution.
They promised eeveuty years ago that this
present controversy-this whole controversy
should be submitted to the people Of the
United States in Convention, called according
to the forms OF the Constitution, and acting liz
the manner prescribed by it. Then, sir, Ills
country will find sudden relief in the prom nj
and unanimous adoption OF the measures Et-
cessary for its salvation; and the world will
sec how we'll and hoW wisely great, enlIe lit
ened and educated Christian people, cor fist
ing Of ,hirsy-four sovereign States, can ad Just
the difficulties which seemed even to til I'm.
selves, Us well is to mankind, to be insur-
1nOuntable.