The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1861-02-14


In bis recen, Union speech. the patriot
f.naroi from Tennessee dealt some OF th
severest blows yet given to treason. and ,
individual traitors. We sutjo;n some ol Il
most important passages:
Hoac his .former Speech ,ros rec. ired.
But. Mr.. President, since I made thi
speech on the 18th Of December. l ha,
been the peculiar object Of attack. I hs,
been denounced because | happened TO
the first man south of Mason and Dixon
line who entered q protest or made an n
Rumsnt in the Senate against this politics
heresy. From what l saw here on til
evening when concluded my speech-al
thodxh some may have thought that It in
timida.ed and discouraged mel was in
spired with confidence; l felt that hat
struck treason . blow. l thought then
and know now, that men who were Ell
gagged in treason felt the blows that l deal
out on that occasion. As have been made
the peculiar object OF attack. not only in ths
Senate bu, ou, Of the Senate, my object or
this occasion is to meet some Of these at
tacks. and to say some things in addition
to what then said against this movement
Poor Benjamin and the Louisiana Pur-
chase. :
Yesterday the last Of the Senators who
represent what are called the seeding
States. retired and drama was enacted
The piece was we'll performed the actors
were perfect in their parts; it was got up to
order; l will not say that the mon ming aux
i!aries had been selected in advance. One
Of the retiring Senators. in justifyinS the
~ "a x.La
specious and piausible argument in refer
ence to the doc,rine Of seces ion. al!udc
to the Senator from Louisiana, + Mr. Benz =.
min He argued that the sovereignty OF
that state had never passed to the United
States: that the Government held it in trust:
that no conveyance was made. that sover-
eighty could not be transferred: that out Of
the gracious pleasure and good will which
the First Consul OF France entertained to.
wards the American people. the transfer
was made OF the property without conside-
ration. and the sovereignty was in abey-
ance or trust. and therefore his State had
violated no faith. aud had right to do pre-
cisely what she had done. With elaborate
prep tration and seeming sincerity, with
sweet tones. euphoneOus uttersnces. mel
lifluous voice anl great earnestness, he
called our attention tp the treaty to sustain
his assumption. But when We examine the
subj.ct. Mr.. President. how do the facts
stand?
And what does the first article say? l.
says expressly:
gage to ray To tho French Government. in the man
spceiAci ia the follc wing article tho of .ix
.s. b. col bx aoo,hss eenysn ion .or tn. D.vm"os
Of debts due by France to the citsens Of the nted
States
What becomes Of the specious plea, what
becomes Of the excuse rendered here, that
we tork il simply in trust, and that no con-
sideratiou was paid. Turn over 20 the
American State Papers; look a, Mr.. Liv.
ing.ton's letters up IN which these treaties
were predcaed read his correspondence
with Mr. Madison. who was Secretary Of
State. aud you will find that France de
msnded OF this government the sum Of
100. 200. .OOOf. independent Of what they
owed the citizens of the United States: but
after long negotiations. the First Consul Of
the French concluded TO take 6O.OOO. OOOf
and the two first articles Of the treaty which
l have read are based upon the 60uOO. 600
francs paid by this government in conside
ration OF tho sovereignty AMI territory. all
of which was TO be held in trust by the
This was given to US out OF the pure
good will that Napoleon at that time had
towards the United States. Sir. he had
great hate for Great Britain. and by the
prompting Of that hate he was disposed TO
c-de this territory 10 some other Power. -
He feared that Great Britain. whose navy
was superior to his own. would take it. He
desired to obtain money to carry on his
,l
consideration and not love. Or PARTIAL >.
or friendship for the United States. led him
to make the cession. Then what becomes
Of the Senator'S special pleading! From
the Senator's remarks it may have been con
cluded that We got it as gratulty. But
after examining the State papers and the
and labored negotiations previous to the
making Of the treaty. it is clear that at the
time the first treaty was made. on the very
same day. the consideration was fixed: and
yettie Senators tell us that at some other
time treaty was made. no, referring to any
amount Of money agreed to be paid At this
particular time. and therefore they are ex
cusable and justi6able in going out Of the
contederacy OF these States.
After sll these things were enumerated.
en appeal was made. I; VAS . very affec
ting scene. Louisiana WAS gone. and what
WAS the reason? Great oppression aud
great wrong. She could not get her rights
iu the Union. anil consequently she has
sought them out of it, What are the wrongs
OF Louisianas What was the cause Of all
the symp thy expressed on the one hand
and the tears shed on the other? Louisia.
m was substantially presented to the coun
try in = most pathetic and sympathetic ait,
tuie. Her wrongs were without numb r:-
their enormity VAS almost without estimate
they could scarcely be tathomed by human
sympathy. II was not unlike the ORATOR
Of Mark Antony over the dead body o
eSs,r. Weeping friends grouped pctur
esquely in the foreground; the bloody robe
the ghastly wounds. were conjared to th'
imagination, and who was there that dit
not expect TO hear the exclamation: ''lf y
have tears. prepare to shed them now?"-
Laughter.
Loaisiano's ",crongs."