Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-12
Speech of Hon. E. Etheridge.
OF TENNESSEE,
In TIE House Of R<presenlative.. jan. %. 1861

In the House Of Representatives. Jan. %. 1861.
report from the Select Committee of Thirty
Three, Mr.. Etheridge said:
Mr. Speaker have frequently had ocea-
sion to express my opinion in regard to mat.
lers of grave public concern and l have
often done so at the risk of imputations upon
my political integrity. have too frequently
found that many of those with whom I diff
fered have INDUCED in censures of nv acts.
and imputed even treason to nv motives.
10 q contest Ike this. involving as it does
the existence of the Government and the pre-
servaticu of popular freedom, arou.iug as it
does the 6ercest passions of rival and con-
tending parties, msn mast be at once for
or against bis whole country. II matters not
under what banner he arrays himself. those
upon the opposite side will attach to him the
most selfish and reasonable aims. | saw
therefore, in advance, that in whatever /
may now say upon the subject under conside-
ration, shall not seek to evade any respon-
sibilitiss OF that kind. | shall not attempt
to speak merely to avoid censure, or, by af-
fectaticn or hypocrisy, to court commpnda-
ton. In what l say / shall be bound by
strict regard for truth. The opinions shall
avow are those sanctioned by observation
and experience; they have the approval of
my heart. And the facts to which / shall
refer will, am sure. be sustained by the
unquesti0ned truths of history.
Sir, if 1 had a jury of twelve honest and
unpretending men, sworn well and truly to
try the issues joined between the cOBtending
facti9ns-a jury belonging 10 no political
party, and without other motive than de-
sire to subserve the best interests Of their
eOuntry-I could. by submitting a plain
statement of undispGted facts, have prompt
and unanimous verdict in favor OF preserving
the Union of these States. Unfortunately,
sir, we cannot here, and now, get disinte-
rested Jury; but it is cOnsOling to know that
time will soon adjourn all these difficult
questions to the abitrament OF all the people,
who. with no other weapon than the ballot
box. will be able to arrest revolution and
save the country. If, for the last year or
two. the men and women of this country
could have observed the deliberations of this
10 Is; could have seen each member as he il;
and witnessed your daily proceedings; they
would instantly rise up all over the country
aud arrest the tide of revolution which is
threatening to involve US all in one common
ruin. There are thirty million people whose
peace and happiness, whose very existence.
Is involved in these grave issues. This House
Is composed of but two hundred and thirty
six members. some of whom. doubtless, have
reached their present positions by the merest
accidents 1t may be safely assumed that
each member of this body represents, among
his immediate constituents, more than that
number of statesmen statesmen, perhaps our
superiors in wisdom and m0deration-yet we
are To be told, in this day of fearful precipi
tation, that because. forsooth, Congress,
elected as il has been without reference to
the issues now before us, cannot or will not
Instantly do something to stay the tide of
revelation, therefore there is 80 hope for the
country l say again. could the people be-
hold those who are now around me. could
they see them when. under their alternate
hopes and fears-the hopes inspired by the
Tribune, or the fears aroused by the thunder
ings Of the R.raLd-Ilau ghter1 could they
see and kHoW all these things as they really
are. their good sense would cause them to
reject with scOFn the idea of haZarding, finally
and forever, the peace Of the country, alone
upon the deliberations of such body.
Can il be possible that are hold the final
destinies of such people aud such country
in our hands alone? l answer, no. Such an
imputalion is a libel upon the good sense OF
the millions who are resolved to preserve the
institutions our ancestors 80 wisely ordained.
As well might SO many hackmen, gathered
promizcunusly from the streets of New York,
get t. gether and constitute themselves sole
arbiteTs of a country which will endure so
long as we are fit to be free. In what spirit
was our Government conceived? 1t was in
jealousy, and not in confidence. Why. sir.
by the very Constitution which you and |
have sworn 10 suppOrt-and | mean to keep
nv oaih--your Government alone was formed;
aud throughout every line of that Constitu-
ton is a manifest diStrust of mans ability to
resis; the temptations of power. Hence.
short terms in Cfice were prescribed. aud
every officer of the Government was required
to swear fealty to that Constitution. Even
the Father of his Country was not allowed TO
assume the executive authority until he had
first invoked the vengeance of Heaven should
he fail faithfully to support and defend the
Constitution he had assisted to ordain. This
body Is wisely so constituted that, at the eX-
piration of every two years. We are COM
PEELED by the Constitution to return our au-
thOTiiy to the people. If dissatisfied with our
conduct they are sure to dispense with our
services Oar Government contemplated
Just such emergencies as we are now COM
PEELED to meet, and however contumaciOus |
the politicians may be- IN despite of them |
every issue ncE before US will soon be adj |
jOurGed Dy the Constitution itself TO the de- |
cision OF the whole people. They have the |
good sense and patriotism to work out safe |
solution of all real or pretended difficulties.
If error prevails now. their sound judgment
will combat il successfully, and all will
finally be- well again.
Mr. Speaker, although we are to-day delib- |
Grating upon questions which when we were
respectiyely elected were not before the
American people. yet the hasty precipitators
of this revoSutiOn tell us, if we do not decide |
at oncr, aud so deciding come up to their re-
uuirements, we must accept the alternative |
of ACKNOWLEDGMENT with all its attendant hor- |
rorsl | protest against it. l demand, to- |
day, for the Innocent millions whose peace, |
prosperity. civilization, whose very existence |
is so fearlully involved, an adjournment of |
-. Ill.
maddened, unrelenting politicians TO all the |
people, to those whose servants we are, and |
who will not fail in this great emergency, TO |
save the priceless heritage which you have |
no rightful power to destroy. And, sir, |
if you do not so adjourn all these questions |
to the people-to those whose peace and hap
piness are so fearlully imperiled-they will |
speedily adjourn you to dark oblivion, and |
write shame and infamy upon your graves |
What right have you or l, or any enc of us,
to assume that we alone will pass, finally, |
upon the questions of peace and war, among |
our own people, when they themselves, with |
the ballot box in their hands, are impatient,
as believe, to pass their judgment upon
these measures, which, however, abstract /
they may be, will, if adopted, disarm The en-
emfes of the Union of their reasonable pre-
texts, and leave them without further power
to mislead their too coufiding victims? / yet |
trust this House will do something yes. sir,
do much to allay this alarm and apprehen-
sion land while shall continue to vote for
every proposition to disarm those irhoss aim
IS dis,1lion, and whose grievances are mainly
pretexts, l do not hesitate to announce in
my place. that if this Congress shall finally
fail to meet the public expectation in patri
Dtic quarters, 1 will not then be willing to
abandon my interest in almost the only gov
ernment in the world which is worth pre-
serving This House cannot by any indiffer-
enee it may manifest to the various PROPOSE
tons before it, force me to join those who,
aiming at disunion as an end, expect by your
Indifference 10 gather strength for their revo-
utiouary designs. Before 1 consent to aid
n the overthrow of my country, and to ex-
inguish its nationality, will counsel with
-FOUR masters-ihe people-those in whose