The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1861-03-30
SUBSTANCE OF THE SPEECH OF
HON. JAS. III. THOMAS.


After returning to his ueighbors, friends
and constituents his grateful thanks for
their generous confidence and support, Dir.
7. proceeded 10 give review Of the efforts
that hsd been made during the last Con-
sress to settle the questions eFecting the
Union. lie said that. having been taugh,
from childhood to veucra,e the Union, and
having ever been devoted to it with the
knowledge that tn. ardent desire Of his con-
sti;uents was that it should be preserved, he
went to Washington hoping that something
might BE- done, and with the determination
to labor, to avert the calamity Of its de.
s:ruction.
When Congress met, il was manifest that
some important adjustment must be effect
ed, and that at an early day, or the South
ern States would sccede This was known
to all, and all felt that secession or reyolu-
ton, and probably war. was imminent. The
Black Republicans had a majority in the
House, they had elected their President,
and all the evils threatening the country,
resulted from the odious and destructive
principles which they avowed. They had
raised the storm, they only could abatc it !:
they had aroused the country, they alone
could quiet it. This was so apparent that
the friends Of the Union hoped and waited
for them TO prepare something that might,
at least, allay the fears Of the South, and
that might lead to settlement, but the
hope was not to be gratifed. No one of that
party in either House could be aroused to
propose a consideration Of this important
subject.
After Whiting for some days, and finding
no one Of that party willing even to suggest
the consideration Of the subject in any way,
and seeing the continued growing discon-
tent of the South, Col Boteler. of Virginia,
introduced a resolution to raise a commit.
tee to consider and report what could OF
should be done to save this Union. Upon
motion Of Senator Powell, OF Kentucky, &
committee of like character was raised in
the Senate. These several committees wen
to work, but it soon became known thai
their labors were to result in nothing favor
able; and the Committee of the Senate
(that heretofore conservative branch of tn,
Government soon found that they could no
agree upon any proposition for an amicabl
settlement, aud gave up all further effort
The House Committee of thirty three still
continued its labors. In the meantime
proposition for Peace Congress from tn
Border States, to meet at Washington il
the month Of February, had been made ant
agreed to. This Congress met, and wa
composed of many prominent men, dstin
guished not only for their talents and patri
otism, but also for their eminent publ
services. These were from all the politica
parties Of the country, old and new, and tn
country was anxiously looking to these com
mittecs and this Peace Congress, one or al
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peaceful solution of our difficulties. Willis
thesa movements were iii progress, Stat
after State had seeded, until six State
had severally declared themselves no longe
in the Union. and Texas was rapidly ad
vancing to the same position. The new
President was on his way to the Fedora
city, to take charge of the Government
Federal troops were ordered to Washington
to protect the Government from imaginar
dangers; they were coming in by hundreds
the city was fast becoming a military en-
campmcnt; and armed soldery were met i
every street in the city. Lincoln was NOV
ing on through the Northern cities, with
grand ovation at every stopping place, com
ing in strict accordance, in all his move
ments, with his programme, until he reach
8 ed Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. The mex
day he was to stop in Baltimore, the frs
Southern city in his programme, where
reception was prepared for him. But t
the surprise of everybody, but probably
very few of his intimate friends, he mad
r his appearance in Washington the mornin
> of the day he was to come to Baltimore
He came before day, disguised in a militar
cloak and Scotch cap, and came to the II
Z tel unannoanced and unexpected to Il
] public; but not unexpected to Mr. Sew
f ard, who was there to receive an
, welcome the President of the natic
at that unseemly hour, and in TIL
most unseemly disguise, to the Capitol
: the nation. garrisoned by the United Stat
:, Army, under the command of Lieut.. Ge
a Scott. Mr. 7. said that he supposed TIL
Y his associations with Southern men were ,
y such character, that if there had been al
4 violence meditated against the Goyernmel
$ or Mr.. Lincoln, he would have known
4: heard something Of it, but that he was un
s BILE to discover anything to justify the
. military preparations, or this military figh
and that Black Republican committe
: with powers to send for persons and paper
and to examamine witnesses on oath, h:
] also failed to End anything to alarm Il
4 fears of even the most sensitive. Yet
= these things had occurred-those reconnoi
erings, reinforcements and runnings, disa
pointments and djSguisings, all, and nothir
"