Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-01-10
Mr.. Wade was not going to be catechise

Mr.. Wade was not going to be catechiset
| in question of law. ~
!, Mr.. Powell said he despaired Of gettin,
: on answer. He wanted to know If the Sen
r ator was in favor of rigid enforcement o
: the Fugitive Slave Law. ..,
! Mr.. Wade said he did not know as he wa
witness in this case.
Mr.. Powell said he had a resolution to Of
fer.
j Mr. Wade declined to give way to bt
catechised any longer.
i Mr.. Powell said he should not have called
4 for specifications If he didn't want to be ca
techised. ''..7' .-
Mr.. Wade-I have sworn that the domin
ant party have nothing to complain Of IN
point of legislation The Republican psrb
in the North and IN Df.ss "a particular, hold
the same opinion 50 farss L know, with re-
gard to this peculiar institution, that is held
by all civilized nations of the world. We
don't differ in public sentiment from Eng.
land, France, Germany, or Italy, or any 9TH
er civilized nation on Gods earth. tell you
frankly you will never find community who
are in love with your peculiar institution
Now, the Senator from Texas told us that
Cotton was King, and could overrule, by il
influence, II do but use his words) and COM
pei men to come down-that it had subjects
in Europe. l will say to that Senator that
they are rebellious subjects, and are talking
very disrespectfully Of their King. They
tell you they sympathize with those you call
Black Republicans. Therefore, ] hope We
shall hear no more Of the toast that ''Cotton
is King" and is going to overrule all nations
and bring them under its footstool. 1t never
will be done. But have our Southern friends
any complaints to make of the platform?
tell you frankly that we did lay down the
principle that we would prohibit, if we had
the power, Slavery from invading another
inch Of free-soil territory Of this Government.
l stand there to-day. have argued it to
half a million of people, probably, and they
stand there-and they have commissioned
me to stand there forever, and, so help me
God? l will. l say to you, while we hold
this doctrine to the end, there is no Repub-
lican, or Convention of Republicans, or pa
per, that pretends we have any right in your
States to interfere with your peculiar insti-
tutions. On the other hand, our platform
repudiates the idea that We have any right,
or intention even, toinvadeyo institutions
in your own States. Now, what do you CON-
plain Off You are going to break up this
\ f-eesovernmcnts fouurcgoing TO involve -us
in war and blood out of mere suspicion that
we shall transcend that which we stand here
to vindicate. How would you be justified in
the eyes of the civilized world to take 50
monstrous position, and predicate it on q
mere suspicion? We don't love Slavery
Didn't you know it before to-day? Every
thing remains as it did year ago. But all
at once, when we meet here, find all gloom
and gentlemen rise up to say we are on the
eve Of breaking up this Government Seven
or eight States are going to set up hostile
government-and they look 'imploringly over
to us, and say ''you can't prevent it,
What can we do2 You have condescended
to tell us what you want done. If we would
give up the verdict of the people and take
up your platform, I don't know but you
would be satisfied, and think the Senator
from Texas, Mr.. Wigfan, rather intimated,
and the Senator from Georgia, Mr.. Iverson.
rather more, than intimated thatif we would
take what is exactly the Charleston platform,
on which Mr.. Breckenridge was placed, and
give up that on which we won our victory,
you would grudgingly and hesitatingly be
satisfied
Mr.. Iverson said he wished the Senator
would read his speech before he quoted SC
much from it. He had not said they would
be satisfied with any such thing.
Mr.. Wade read from Mr.. Iverson' speech,
reported in the Globe, that he supposed that
there would be no overt act on the part Of
Mr.. Lincoln, but the power of the Govern
ment would be SO executed against Slavery
that it would not last ten years, and contin,
ued: Then you are not going to wait 70,
any overt act, but are going to proceed up
on the suspicion that probably he might. ]
have disavowed any intention on the part Of
the Republican party to harm hair of YOU
heads. We hold to no doctrine that cal
possibly work you any inconvenience. w
have been faithful to all the laws 1t is not
then, that Mr.. Lincoln isexpected to do an!
overt acts by which you may be injured
You won't wait for any. But, anticipatin,
q that the Government may work you an in
jury, you will put an end to it, which mean
simply this-that we intend to rule or ruiz
, the Government: There is where it comes
, We do not like your institutions, you say
But we never liked them any better, and yo1
might as well have dissolved the Union a
any other time as now. We stand precisel
$ where we stood, repudiating your institution
) as matter of morals, but, admitting tina
. when it is out of our jurisdiction. we hav
: no hold upon it and no design upon it.
: there anything in the character of the Pres
dent elect of which you. complaint Has b
not lived a blameless life, never violated an
80 II A IL