Daily national Democrat., 1861-05-18

Southern States refused to become parties to
the Constitution unless there was an express
provision in the Constitution prohibiting
/ Congress to levy an export duty on any pro-
| duct OF the earth No sooner have these
! Cotton States seeded than an export duty is
levied; and if they will lew it on their cot
/ ton do you not think they will levy it on our
/ pork, and our beef, and our corn, and our
/ wheat, and cur manufactured articles, and all
we have to sell Then what is the proposi-
/ ton? 1t is to enable the tier OF states bor-
dering on the Atlantic and the Pacific, aud on
the CUFF surrounding us on all sides, to with
draw from our Union; form allegiances among
themselves and then levy taxes on us without
our consent, and collect revenue without Civ
ing us any just proportion or part at all Of
the amount collected? Can we submit to
taxation without representation e? Several
voices, mo. Can we permit nations for
eign to us to collect revenues off our products
the fruits of our industry? l ask the citi-
zens of Illinois, | ask every citizen in the
great basin between the Rocky Mountains
and the Alleghanies, in the valleys Of the
Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri, to tell me
whether lie is willing to sanction u line of
policy that may isolate us from the markets
OF the world and make Us dependent provin-
ces upon powers that thus choose to isolate
us Many voices, No. and "never"
warn you, my countrymen whenevery you
permit this to be done in the Southern States,
New York will very soon follow their eX,
ample. New York-that great port, where
two-thirds of all our revenue is collected,
and whence two-thirds of our goods are ex
ported, will not long be able to resist the
temptation of taxing fifteen millions of peo-
pie in the great W est when she can monopo-
lize the resources and release her own people
thereby from any taxation whatever Hence
| say to you, my coantrymen, from the best
consideration l have been able to give this
sul ject after the most mature reflection and
thorough investigation, | have arrived at the
conclusion that, come what may, war, lift
must be, although | deplore it as great
calamity, yet, come what may, the people of
the Mississippi valley can never consent to
be excluded from free access to all ports of
the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Gulf Of
Mexico. Great applause
Hence repeat that am not prepared to
take up arms or to sanction a policy of our
Government to take up arms to make any
war upon the rights of the Southern States;
upon their domestic institutions upon their
rights of person or property, but, on the,con-
trary, would rush to their defense and pro-
tect them from assault; but while that is the
case | will never cease to urge my country
men to take up arms to fight to the death in
defense OF our ndeieasible rights Long con-
tinued applause Hence ifa war does come
it is q war of self-defense on our part. 1t is
a war in defense of our own ust rights; in
defense of the Government which we have in
heiited as precious legacy from our patriotic
fathers in defense of the great rights of the |
freedom of trade, commerce, trasit and inter
course from the center to the circumference
of our great continent. Those are rights we
must struggle for and never surrender.
| have struggled almost against hope to
avert the calamtios Of war and TO effect a re-
union and reconciliation with our brethren Of
the South. | yet hope it may be done bat |
am not able to point out to You how it may
be. Nothing short of Providence can reveal
to US the issue of this great struggle. Bloody
-calanitous-I fear it will be- May we So
conduct it if a collision must come, that we
will stand justified in the eyes of Him who
knows our hearts, and who will Judge our
every act. We must not yield to resentmcnts, I
nor to the spirit of vengeance, much less to 4
the desire for conquest or ambition.
see no path of ambition open in a bloody
struggle for triumph over my own country
men. There is no path for ambition open f,r
ne in divided country, after having so long
served a united and glorious country. Hence,
whatev.r we may do must be the result of
duty, of conviction, Of patriotic duty-the
duty that we owe tc ourselves TO our pos
tcrity and to the friends of constitutional
libcry and lf-government. .tmou gh,uL the
world, Loud applause,
My friends, | can say no more. To discuss
these topics is the most painful duty Of my
life. 1t is with a sad hcart-with grief that
| have never before experienced, that | have
to contemplate this fearful struggle but
believe in my conscience, that it is a duty we
owe to ourselves and our children, and our
God to protect this Government, and that
flag from every assaiant, be he whom he
may. Tremendous and prolonged applause.