St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-02-14
NUMBER 7.

: for the Union.
SESaTE.-Mr Seward presented q
monster petition from the citizens of
New York for the passage of peace
rcsolutions-snbstantially the border
resolutions. The petition is signed
by $4,000 people, and is l 200 feet
long.
Mr.. Seward, in the course Of his re-
marks, said he had been asked to sup
port this petition. You and every
body who shall oppose, resist, or stand
in the way of the preservation of this
Union, will appear like moths on q
summer eve when the whirlwind Of
popular Indignation arises, that shall
be excited at it's full discovery that
this Union is in danger through fac
tlons, or through the impracticability
of one part
Abiding to the question of slavery
in the Territories, which had been Il
vital one for twelve years ut least, he
said the admission of Kansas settled
all that was vital or important in il,
leaving behind nothing but passions
which contest engendcrcd Kansas
is in the Union. California and Orc
gon are in the Union Now this same
contest dstracts this Union as before.
The extent Of the Territories after the
admission of Kansas is l,063, 500
| square miles area--twenty-four times
that of the State of New York.
Twenty-fom such States as New
York are yet to be organized No
wonder what is accepted BY the adj
ministration as judicial should decree
every inch of that Territory slave
Territory How many slaves are
there in it? Twcnty-four African
slaves. He had followed this thing in
good faith, with zeal and energy, but
confessed he had no fear of slavery
where, in the peculiar condition Of
things which has existed, slavery has
succeeded in planting only one slave
upon every $4,000 square miles Of
territory. This then ceased to be the
practical question. In lieu comes up
the great vital question, union or dis
solution of the country or no coun-
try ; the question Of hope the ques-
ton Of sinking forever under the con-
tempt of mankind. Why then should
he despair that a great people, thirty
millions, will be unable to meet the
crisis.
He had no fear. This is q Confed-
eracy-not an imperial government,
or government Of a single State. 1t
is a Confedcracy, dependent upon the
imperial consent of all members and
subject TO dissolution by their own ac-
ton but that consent is to be al.
ways taken by virtue of original as
sent, and held under the form pres
crib"d by the Constitution itself, and
in time and manner, and with all con-
diti0ns which the Constitution pres
cribcd, those who constitute the Union
shall declare that it shall be no lon
ger Thirty days, sixty days, ninety
days, given us hy the disunionists,
may not be enough for their policy
| and purposes. He trusted there NAV
be time enough for the aim and pur-
poses of the lovers Of the Union. God
grant there may. This controversy will
be settled just as our fathers did for
merly, when they were amending tho
Constitution, by submission to the
people of the United States, by a con-
venton called according to the forms
of the Constitution and manner pres.
cribed by law
Mr.. Mason said After all else, the
recommendation of the Senator is bat
tie. Blood, then, is to save the Union.
The Union is broken. There is no
Union in the country
Senator Seward said that he was
not surprised that the Senator from
| Virginia differed. The Senator sees
a discovered country. He saw re-
turning reason, Judgment and harmo-
ny in the Union, and the Senator from
Virginia cares not If he is in the
Union or out. Seats arc here, States
here, Union is here. He had contem-
plated fighting because he knew trca-
son, North and South, might arm
against the Union.
Mr.. Mason said he wanted to place
before the American people the fact
that the Senator proposes as q rene
dy, war. lie has presented the argu-
ment Of a tyrant force, compulsion, as
the only resort. He takes no notice
of conventions claiming to have re-
sumcd sovereignty, and are now com.
pletcly out of the Union. He wanted
Virginia not to be hoodwinked by tho
cry of peace when there was no peace.
He trusted to the good sense of the
people, North and South, to repudiate
the counsels of this Senator.
Seward was amazed ut the delusion
of the Senator from Virginia. He
had made a speech pacific and fra.
tcrnal +; the Senator makes it a dec.
laration of war He could see moth
ing was in the speech which simply
proposed speaking for the Union, vo.
ting for the Union, giving money for
the Union, and convention in con-
stitutional form and after all these
were exhausted, then stand by the old
flag, and if it must fall, to be wrapped
: in its folds.
Mr.. Mason said he was speaking
for Virginia. She could never re.
main in the contedcracy unless guar
antees were effectively made for tho
, preservation of her rights. He was
, not willing to submit the question to
| the mass OF the American people, but
, the Constitution recognizes the people
, as people of the States.
: Mr.. Douglas desired peace and main
tenancc of the Union, but failed to
see anything in the action cf the Sem
ator from Virginia to encourage the
idea. He was panied when the Sena-
tor from Pennsylvania (Cameron)
. made large advance toward concilia.
. ton. lie seemed to be repelled by
the Senator from Virginia.
Mr.. Douglas said he never ceased
: to hope while there was hope, and
: thought he saw indications to-day
: Why not adopt the amendment that
t Congress has no power to legislate on