Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-03-08

SPEECH OF HON. WIN. vANDEvER
,E OF IOWA, .,.,E
Delieered in tho House NJ WRepresestatees Feb. 49, 1861
Mr.. SPEAKER: 1t is with no small reluct
ance than obtrude myself upon tho attention
of the House at this time but the mpor
tant issues depending, and the large Interest
which the constituency that l represent IN
common with the whole American peopl,
have in these issues, impcl me to lay aside al
scruples and state some Of the considerations
which will control me in the vote that may
soon be called upon to cast. believe this i
the first time in our history when we have
been called upon to sanction the incorpora
ton Of new guarantees for slavery in the
Constitution. desire to say--and believe
express the opinion Of the people that rep.
resent when say, that am for maintaining
all the conditions in the bond as our forefath.
ers nominated it. But this demand for new
guarantees is made upon pain Of dissolution
Of the Union, il it shall be refused. This we
have heard in the discussions upon the floor,
and elsewhere. Now, sir, whatever might be
the dictates Of my own Judgment in ref.
ercncc to this matter, it seems to me that
compliance under the circumstances would
not be free act; it would at all events, to
some considerable extent, be regarded rs a
| concession under menaces and constraint ;
| and coercion understand is what gentlemen
on the other side very much deprecate.
But, sir, in addition to this, call attention
| to the declarations which have been recently
made in the public journals, and which be.
lieve have been repeated on the floor, that
unless these demands arc assented to, We may
reasonably expect that the incoming Admin
OF rot 1o ,lose4 4x,S -
to carry on the Government; that the mrn
who hold the purse.strings, those who control
capital. will Withhold supplies from the Gov.
ernment in the day Of its necessity. Sir, 7
believe speak the sentiments Of the people
Of the Northwest when say, calmly and de-
libcrately. that we are not to be intimidated
by threats nor influenced by bribes A pa
triotic constituency, in the State of Iowa,
tutional obligations: they will observe all the
guarantees in the Constitution as it exists to-
day but neither traitors nor Shylocks shall
exact from MS more. ...s...lf- '..f ss...ss.g,
Sir. the issue now presented in this de-
mand for new guarantees for slavery was,
bnt few short months since, settled by
verdict Of the American people. In May last.
nationa! Democratic conventiQp assembled
IN the city of Charleston, South Carolina,
and as We oil know, this demand was made
there, and rejected. We know that por-
ton OF the committee on resolutions in that
body reported favoring new guarantees and
protection for slavery in the Territories of the
United States. These resolutions were voted
down and thcreupon the advocates of new
guarantees and Of the protection of slavery
withdrew from that convention, and non,ina-
ted ticket of their own. The remaining
portion Of that convention, being majority
Of it, declined to indorse any such monstrous
doctrine. Afterwards. at Baltimore, they
nominated seperatc ticket, and the two fac
tons of the party went before the country
upon that issue. few months later, the
issue was settled by the people at the polls.
and the claim for new guaratecs repudiatcd
by them, as it had previously been in the
Charleston convention. -a
The revolutionary cabal, as it has since
turned out to be. thus foiled, received at the
polls, for its candidate and platform, in No
vember, less than nine hundred thousand
votes throughout the length and breadth of
this whole country, while that faction of the
Democratic party which remained in posses
sion ofthe convention, and which subsequent
ly nominated as its candidate for the Prcs-
dcncy the honrable Senator from Illinois. re-
ceived something less than ono million four
hundred thousand votes. Thus this claim
for new guarantees and protection was rejec-
ted by the Democratic party at the polls, as
well as in the convention. But this is not
all for if you add to that the vote of the SO
called Union men, the supporters Of the Bell
Everett ticket, who went to the country on
''the Constitution, the Union, and the en-
forcement Of the laws" declining to sanction
the demand made by the minority portion Of
the Democratic party, but resting themselves
upon an especial hostility to the claims OF
that faction, and charging it before the south.
ern people with design to break ND this
Union; when you add their vote to the vote
Of the controlling section of the Democratic
party, you will find that the men who claim
new constitutional guarantees were in minor
ity, even in the South itself. Their claim
was not only rejected in the Democratic con.
vention and in the country at large, but it
was repudiated by their own section. And
when you superadd to all this the whole vote
cast for Abraham Lincoln, it will be found
that, Of the four million votes cast. not one
fifth were in favor Of this claim Of faction
for new guarantees for slavery In the Tcr-
ritories of the United States.
Such is the verdict of the American pco.
pie; yet the issue is again presented to us on
the floor of this House, and in the other end
Of the Capitol, as though the perpctuity OIL
the Union now depended on our yielding to the
current, and granting the demand Of those
men who have failed to procure an indorse
mcnt Of the people.
Mr. Harris Of Virginia. Will the gentle.
man from Iowa permit INC to ask him ques.
ton?
Mr.. Vandevcr. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Harris, Of Virginia. ask the gentle.
man whether the doctrines Of the Chicago
platform have not been rcpudiated Ly nearly
a million majority Of the American people
Mr.. vandcver. The gentleman can him.
self enlighten the House on that particular
point If he desires to do SO but that is not
within the line Of my argument Mr.. Lin.
coin, like many other Presidents, has only . !
plurality of all the votes cast.
Mr.. Harris, Of Virginia. prefer that the
gentleman himself should answer the uues.
ton. The line Of his argument il, that nc
ought to adhere to the Chicago platform, be.
cause only minority Of the people were in |
favor Of the demand n v1rnfarf eievorv e, Ar