The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-03-05
STATE OF THE UNION.
SPEECH OF HON. w. VANDEVER
OF IOWA,
Delivered int the House Of Representatives., Feb. Is.

luctance that L obtrude myself upon the
attention Of the House at this time; but
the important issues depending, and the
large interest which the constituency that
l represent in common with the whole
American people have in these issues,
impel me to lay aside all scruples and
state some of the considerations which
will control me in the vote that / may
soon be called upon to cast. I believe
this is the first time in our history when
we have been called upon to sanction the
incorporation of new guarantees for slay
cry in the Constitution. / desire to say
and | believe express the opinion of
the people that represent, when say,
that | am for maintaining all the condi-
tions in the bond as our forefathers nom
mated it. But this demand for new guar
antees is made upon pain of dissolution
of dissolution of the Union, if it shall
be refused. This we have heard in the
discussions upon this floor, and elsewhere.
Now, sir, whatever might be the dictates
of my own Judgment in reference to this
matter, 1T seems to me that compliance
under the circumstances would not be a
free act; ; it would at all events, to some
considerable extent, be regarded as con-
cession under menaces and constraint );
and coercion understand is what gentle
men on the other side very much depre-
cate.
But, sir, in addition TO this, | call at
tention 10 the declarations which have
been recently made in the public journals,
and which | believe have been repeated
on this floor, that unless these demands
are assented to, we may reasonably ex-
pect that the incoming administration
will be crippled by want of money to
carry on the government that the men
who hold the purse strings. those who
control capital, will withhold supplies
from the Government in this the day of
its necessity. Sir, believe | speak the
sentiments of the people of the North
west when | say, calmly and deliberate
ly, that we are not to be intimidated by
threats nor influenced by bribes. A pa
triotic constituency, in the State of Iowa,
will faithfully fulfill and observe all their
constitutional obligations they will OBJ
serve all the guarantees in the Constilu.
ton as it exists to-day but neither trail
tors nor Shylocks shall exact from us
more.
Sir, the issue now presented in this de-
mand for new guarantees for slavery was,
but a few short months since, settled by
a verdict of the American people. In
May last, national Democratic conven-
tion assembled in the city Of Charleston,
South Carolina, and as we all know, this
demand was made there. and rejected
We know that portion of the commit
tee on resolutions in that body reported,
tavoring new guarantees and protection
for slavery in the Territories of the Uni
ted States. These resolutions were voted
down, and thereupon the advocates of
new guarantees and Of the protection of
slavery withdrew from that convention,
and nominated ticket OF their own. The
remaining portion of that convention. be-
ing a majority of it, declined TO indorse
any such monstrous doctrine. After
wards, at Baltimore. they nominated a
separate ticket, and the two factions OF
the party went before the country on that
issue. A few months later, the issue was
settled by the people at the polls. and the
claim for new guarantees repudiated by
them, as it had previously been in the
Charleston convention.
The revolutionary cabal, as il has
since turned out to be, thus foiled, re-
ceived at the polls, for its candidate and
platform, in November, less than nine
hundred thousand votes throughout the
length and breadth of this whole coun-
try, while that faction of the Democratic
party which remained in possession Of the
convention. and which subsequently, nom.
mated as its candidate for the Presidency
the honorable Senator of Illinois. receiv-
ed something less than one million four
hundred thousand votes. Thus this
claim for new guarantees and protection
was rejected by the Democratic party al
the polls. as well as in convention. But
this is not all for if you add to that t.le
vote Of the so-called Union men, the sup
porters of the Bell Everett ticket, who
went TO the country OH the /" Constitu-
ton. the Union, and the enforcement oil
the laws" declining to sanction the de.
mand made by the minority portion oi
the Democratic party, but resting them
selves upon an especial hostility to the
claims OF that faction, and charging il
before the southern people with design
to break up 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 mi
nority, even in the South itself Theil
claim was not only rejected in the Demo
cratic convention, and in the country a
large. but it was repudiated by their owl
section. And when you superadd to al
this the whole vote east for Abraham
Lincoln, 1t will be found that, of the fou
million votes cast. not one-ffth were il
favor of this claim of faction for new
guarantees for slavery in the Territories
Of the United States.
i Such is the verdict Of the America,
people !; yet the issue is again presente,
TO US On the foor OF this House, and il
the other end Of the Capitol, as lhougl
AL Il. n 4