Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-07-19

tive of this conflict, were resolved that "the
cotton and rice fields Of South Carolina, and
the sugar plantations Of Louisiana, should al
timately be titled by free labor lad obtained
power and place in the common government Of
the States, the South, except one State, chose
first to demand solemn constitutional gUarsn-
tees for tbo protection against the abuse Of The
Tremendous power and patronage and Influence
Of ne fedora government, for the purpose Of
securing the great end of the sectional con-
iict, before Tssortlng 10 secession orrevolution
at all Did be nst knoW-bow cogld be be
ign0rant-ihst at the last session Of congress,
every substantive proposition sor adjustment
and compromise, except that offered BY the
gentleman from Iliin-is, Mr.. Kelog and
we all Know how that was Teceived-caDe
from the South +? Stop a nement and let US
see.
The committee Of thirty-three was moved
for in this house by a gentleman from Virginia
the secon dsV of The session, and received The
vote Of every southern representative present,
except only the membsrs from South Carolina,
who declined 10 vote In the senate The com
mittee Of thirteen was moved for BY senator
from Kentucky, Ar Powelb) and received
the silent acquiescence Of every southern SEN
ator present. The Critterdsn propositions.
too, were moved also By another senator from
Kentucky, Mr.. Crittsnden,) now member Of
this house; a man venerable for his years, low
ed for bis virtues, distinguished for his servi-
ceG, henored fer bis patriotism; for foTty-fouT
years senator, or in other public oflce; devo-
ted from the frat hour OF bis manhood to the
union Of these States; and who, though be him
self proved bis courage fifty years ago upon
the battle field against the foreign enemies CT
his country, is now, thank God, still for com
promise at home today. Fortunate in a long
and well spent life OF public services ard PTi-
vate worth, be is unfortunate only that be has
survived a uuion, and, fear, constitution
younger than himself
The border State propositions also were pro-
( iected by a gentleman from Maryland not now
a member OF this house, and presented By
! gentleman from Tennessee, { Mr. Etberidge)
now the clerk Of this house. And yet al these
! propositions, coming thus from The South,
were severally and repeatedly rejected by the
almost united vote OF the Republican party in
the senate and the house The CritteDden
! propositions, for which Mr.. Davis, now Presj-
dent Of tie Confederate States, and Mr..
Toombs, hls Secretary of State, both declared
in the senate that they would be satisfied, and
| for which every southern senstoT and repre-
sentative voted, never, on sny one occasion,
received one solitary vote from the RepUbA-
! can party in either house.
The Adams or C9rWin amendment, sO-called,
reported from the committee Of hiriY-thTee,
aud the only substantive amendment proposed
! promise Tat congress should never be author
/ lied to do what no zane man ever believed con-
/ Eress would undertake to dO-abOlish slavery
! in the States where it exists; and yet even this
/ proposition, moderate as it was, and for which
/ every southern member present voted, except
1 one, was carried through this house by but one
majority, after lcng and tedious DELAY, and
/ with the utmost difhcuty-sixty-fve Repnbli.
/ can members, with the Tesolute and determined
gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr.. Hickmsn)
/ at their hesd, having voted against it and
/ fought against It to the very last.
And rot this only, but, as 2 part of the his
/ tory Of the last session, let me remind YOU that
/ bills were introduced into this house proposing
! 20 abolish and close up certain southern ports
1 Of entry; TO authorize the president 10 bioCE-
I ade the southern coast and to call out the
MALTA and accept the services Of volantsers,
n0tfor three months merely, but without any
limit as to either numbers or time, for the very
1 purpose OF enforcing The laws, collecting the
revenue, and protecting the public property;
and were pressed vehementlv and earnestly in
this bouse, prior 70 the arrival OF the president
in this city, and were then, though seven
/ States bad seeded and set up a government Of
/ their own Vo' ed down. postponed, thrust aside,
1 OF IN some other way disposed Of, sometimes
/ By large maiorlies in this house, tin at last
| congress adjourned Withcut any action at all.
! Peace then seemed 10 be tie policy Of alI
parties.
Thus sir, .ha case stood at u o'clock on The
4th Of March last, when, Iom the eastern por-
Il Of the capitol, aad in the presence OF
/ twenty thousand Of bis countTymen, but en-
veloped IN q crowd Of soderY which 10 other
Amer can prssideRt ever saw, Abraham Lin
coin took the oath Of Office to support the
constitution; and ta.ivyTed his inaugural-a
message, I regret to say, not written in the
direct aid Straightforward language which
becomes an American president and an
American Statesman, and which was expected
from the plain, blum honest man of the North
west, but with the lorked tongue and crooked
/ counsel OF the New York politician, leaving
thirty million people in doubt whether it mrant
peace or war. Bot whatever may have been
he secret purpose and meaning Of the in-
susuTal, prscticsllv fer SIX weeks 'he policy of
peace prevailed; and trey were weeks of hap
piness 10 the Tgtriot, and prosperity to the c0un-
try. Business revived; trade returned; com-
merce iourished. Never was there e faireT
, prospect before any people. Secession in the
7 past lsnguished and vas spiritiess and barn.
less; secession in The future was arrested, sRd
, persisted. By overwhelming maj0rties, Vir-
MA. Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee
and Missouri, all declared for the old Unisn.
and every heart beat high with rope that in
due course Of time, and through faith aud pa
tisBce and ps.ce, and by ultimate and ade-
quate compromise, every State would be re-
, s'ored 10 it. It is true, indeed, sir, that the
Republican party, with great unsnimitY and
great esTnestness and determination, bad re-
solved against all compromise and c0nclia-
tisn. But, On the other hand. the whole Dem
: ocTatic party, and the whole constitutional
! Union party, were equally resolved that there
should be no civil war upon any pTetext; and
, both sides prepared for an appeal to bat great
! and fnsl srbitsr Of all disputes in a free
couDtry-the Becrle.
Sir, do not propose to inquire now whether
I the president snd his cabinet were sincere and
! in earnest, and meant really TO persevsre 10 thJ
end il the policy Of peace; OF whether from
the first they meant civil war, and only waited
, TO gain time till they we're fairly seated il
power, and had disposed, too, Of that prodlg
ious horde of spOilsmen and ofice seekers
which came down at first like an avalanche
b upon them But I do know that the people
believed them sincere, md cordially ratified
, and approved OF The pslicV Of peace; notas thsI
subsequently, respOnsed to the policy &C war
in a WhiriwiDd Of passion snd r.s1nezs, bal
/, calmly and sobeyly, and as the result OF thei
deliberate and most solemn Judgment; snd be-
lieVing ttat civil war was absolute and eterna
disunion, while secession was but partial an'
, temporary, they cordially indOTsei also tht
proposed evacuation Of Sumter and the othel
forte and public property within the seeded
States. Nor, sir, will I stop now o txplor,
a the several causes which either led to CbsBgt
2 In the apparent policy or an early develop
a meut Of the original and real purposes Of
q the administration. But there are tw,
which | cannot pass by And ;he frs
! / Of these wss parry necessity, or tb'
4 clamors OF politicians, and especially q
4 certain wicked, reckless and ulpTincipiel
+ conductors Of a partisan press. The Peact
, policy was crushing ont the RaEubiicau party
= Under that policy, sir, it WIS melting away
a ike snow before the sun. The 0aral elsr
: | ti0ns in Rhode Island and C0unslticut, an,
: municipal elections Ia New York and in thJ
: Western States, gave abundant evidence tbs
: The people were resolved uDon the most ampl
> / and satisfactory constitutional gu rantees {,
4 the South a. the price Of q Testora sion Of To-
Union. And tbenit was, sir, that tie lang
and agonizipg howl Of defeated and disa >
pointed politicians came up before tde admin
istration. The newspaper press tstmed viii
! appesls and threats to the president. III
mails groaned under be weight oF Is tiers de-
/ manding change Of policy; while secTe
ronclave Of The governors Of Massachusetts
New York, Ohio, and other States assemble,
here. promised men and money to support to-
president in the irrepTessibie conflict whici
thev now invoked. And thus IL was, sir. tha
, the necessities Of party in the pangs Of dis
, solution, in the very hour and article Of death
+ demanding vigorous measures, which could re-
, suit in nothing bat civil war, renewed recession
absolute and eternal disunioB, were tgefeTret
/ and hearkened 10 before the peace ard harmony
and prosperity Of the whole country.
E But there was aao.her and yet stronger i'm
? peliDg cause without which his hoTTd eslam
( itv OF civil war might have been postponed
J and, perhaps, finally sverted. Oae Of las
and worst acts Of congress, which, born il
bitterness and nurtured in eonvulsion, literally
did those thinps which II .ouphf nat ~ bav,