Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-04-10

Jhs efanoaro. -
sPEEcH Or Hon. John ). cRIrTENDEs,
49, 3, ON TUESDAY, xARcH 26rn, IN, ;ts5ss,
e Before the Legislature Of Kentucky. s3s
$50 .i.=.A lsrr sfl.---h yik ,d5>,r as s4Fs,
Mr. Speaksrand gentlemen Of the Senate and Hou.s
Of REPRESENTATIVES: " 9sr' ~ Fta.J s9
It's my great honor on this occasion to appear
before you upon your joint invitation to address you
upon the subject OF our national affairs I thank
you, gentlemen, for the great honor you have thus
seen 1T 70 confer upon me-, I have been long, very
long. in the service Of my country, The time has
come when! am to retire from it; do it cheerfuly
and willingly. You, and your predecessors have
conferred many hohors upon me-; you have given
me your confidence. Repeatedly have had the
honor Of being elected to the Senate of the United
States; am now private citizen, and, after all my
trials and my attempts in the service of my country,
you are pleased to receive me with appreciation;
am grateful to you, gentlemen. By these honors
and this exhibition Of your confidence, you endeavor
to make the repose Of my old days, after life spent
in Your service agreeable, happy, and humble; you
eau confer greater reward upon me, can receive
none greater. I know that / am indebted rs much
to your Partially as am to the value of any SER
vice have rendered for these tokens of regard and
confidence. -'2-' '-s'' $50 f.'''''-- 49,,
lam invited, Mr.. Speaker, to address you and
the honored Assembly, the subject Of our nation
Never in the long history of our country has any
thing like or at all parallel to the present condition
of country presented itself for consideration.
Buta little while ago We were . great, united peo
ple-our name was known only to be respected
throughout the land Our power, our greatness
was everywhere recognized, and our flag was every
where considered as the emblem of great and
growing nation. Now, sir, what is the condition to
which we are reduced2 Where is that glorious
Union that we promised ourselves should be perpet-
uated? Where are those ten thousand sentiments Of
fered in toasts and oratons that the Union was to
be perpetuated? "Let it be perpetuated-esto per-
petuG'-was the sentiment expressed on thousands
and thousands of public occasions.
What is oGr condition now, and how has it been
brought about? l need not state very particularly
the causes which have produced these effects nor
need recur to the present condition of our nation
with view of telling you what it is 1t is sad
story-so sad that it is impressed upon every heart
known to every citizen. shall not detain you idly
by any particular details of causes 1t is enough to
say that it has all grown-our national calamity
our national msfortune-has all grown out of a con-
troversy between the slaveholding and nonslaves
holding States; furnishing questions of slavery and
9ueSstOiS VI y-YucstiohS ooouS ZIG
tories of the United States These agitations have
long exasperated on the side and on the other
vast portion Of the United States 1t has resulted
in the formation Of sectional parties sectional par
ty in the North and sectional party in the South
The sectional party Of the North has finally succeed
ed in electing President for the United States anG
installing their party in all branches of the govern
ment This has excited increased apprehensions in
parts of the South to the safety of their peculiar
institutions. They dread that the Northern power
will employ itself in destroying of these insttu.
tons and depriving them Of their property. Under
this apprehension what have they done? They
have sought most violent remedy against this ap-
pretended evil, by seeding, as they term it. from
the Union of these States, and forming for them
selves separate, distinct and Independent: govern
ment out of the seven States that have seeded
South Carolina, Florida, Alabama Georgia, Louis
lana, Mississippi and Texas. These States have, in
far they possessed the power broken our Union
and established or attempted to establish for them
selves an independent government and to pdt that
government into operation. This is the present at
titude in which country stands. While these
revolutionary movements were in progress attempts
were made in the Congress of the United States then
in session for the adoption of such measures as might
check them. 1t was hoped that If these measures
could not recall to the Union the States that had al
ready seeded, they might secure the allegiance to
the Union of the remaining States. Among many
other gentlemen who proposed measures for adjust:
ment and Cancellation submitted series of resolu-
TONS believing that their adoption might pacfy our
country, put stop to revolution, and preserve and
restore our Union. need not undertake to occupy
your time by reciting those resolutions. They are
known to you all, and had the honor of being ex-
pressly approved by you. This object was mainly
to satisfy the claim of the South to remove with
their slaves to the territories of the United States
On the other hand, this right was denied upon
the ground thai the territories belonged to the Uni
ted States; that no individual State any of the
States separately had an interest in the territories
but that they belonged to and were under the abso
lutte control and government of the General Gov
eminent Sir, let that be admitted. Admit that
the territory is under the absolute control of the
General Government but sir, does it not follow that
the General Government ought so to administer this
great property so as to exercise its great functions
that every class of States, and every State shall
equally participate in and equally enjoy that which
belongs to all? No matter whether you consider it
property held in trust for the individual States or
as property held absolutely for the General Govern
ment to be controlled or disposed Of by the Gener-
al Government, it equally follows that the Govern
ment, to be just and to act upon the principles Of
the Constitution, ought to SO administer the prop
erty that each and every StateAevery portion Of
the Union-may have an equal participation in and
an sgua enjoyment OF that which belongs equally
W AEsHc VI uip OhiIcu OtdteSa-
It seems to me, therefore, that there h Injustice
in excluding from that equal and full enjoyment aI,y
class Of States because Of any institufon that mar
exist in them The s;es 3 lie o,heT
States no right g sSnopolixe that terrtory, and to
"a s1e entire ownership AMI enjoyment of it
The Constitution, accepted thsm at its foundation
It accepted them as ilayeiIoldfng States It accept
cd them at the time Of it's adoption as entitled to
equal rights, Notwithstanding they held slaves. It
accepted slaveholding and non-saveholding States
as standingin equal favor with the Constitution,
and entitled to equal rights and equal justice from
that it would be unjust for the free States to assume
and usurp to themselves the entire control of these
territories, and control them as in effect to ex-
elude from them portions of the citizens of GER
tain class Of States. thought therefore, sir, that
the Nerth was in the wrong and that the South was
in the right in respect to this question Of property