Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-13


feet by the Democratic or dominant party OF
the South. It has been forced upon the
country by them, and has heretofore met
their cordial appresal-s=H L had time could
demonstrate this by proof. And just here,
Mr. Speaker, as J viii not be able to say all |
wish to say within the hour allowed By the
rules Of the House. unless by unanimous con-
sent will pledge myself If the house Will
giant me an extension Of time, not to trou-
be it again with any extended remarks d1-
ring the remaining few days of the session
Intending to impose upon myself volun-
tary retirement from public lie at the
close of the presents Congress, hope may
have the permission of the House to be unre-
stric,ed as to time. CCries of Go on!" I'VE
will extend your timel"
Mr.. Speaker. when the Declaration of In,
dependence was proclaimed. when the Con-
stituiion was ratified our western boundary
was the Mississippi river. From that day to
this, at the Instance of southern statesmen,
the area of this country has been vastly en-
larged. At the period of independence,
slavery may be said to have existed In all The
States and Territories. Before this time
slavery had been sanctioned by law through
out the British possessions of North America.
and of course it remained after the war oil
the Revolution. Since that period, as have
already said, southern policy. has controlled
Whatever territory the men OF the South
have asked Congress to acquire. the same has
been acquired; whatever policy her Repre-
seutatives have advocated. whether financial
or commercial. has generally prevailed; and
in all these prOtracted struggles growing out
Of the slavery question, the just and reason
able demands aud guarantees required by us
have been given. Perhaps in some cases men
Of extreme views have not been gratiied; but
n. -,
what has been re garded as southern trlumphs,
or acquiesced in as fair legislative enact
ments. And this has occurred when the
northern States had large representative
majority. These facts should certainly be
considered by those who are told that the
Federal Government is curse, and disunien
a blessing. .....
The purchase of the Louisiana territory
a siavehoidiDg country-was made at the
instance of the people of the South! Three
slave and two free States have already been
formed within its limits. Its area was great.
1t now has vast resources and in a few brief
years It will have the wealth and population
of mighty empire Fifty years hence, it
will be more powerful in all that constitutes
a State than was France when Napoleon,
flushed with victory, first looked upon the
sun Of AIsterlitz." 1t was acquired, re-
peat, by the negotiations of southern Presi-
dent-northern Representatives generously
voting with those of the South to advise the
treaty and to contribute the purchase money.
Subsequently, in 1919, we purchased Florida,
in which slavery then and now exists. l
mention Florida with somewhat Of sorrow, L
will not say with shame. But few years
ago the statesmen of this country were
clamOrous that Florida should be purchased
by the Federal Government. For what pur-
pose? Because, said they, that peninsula be-
longs to foreign Power. 1t is part and par
Gel of this continent; it is geographically
part of the United States; it commands the
entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, and its hos
tile eye frowns upon our increasing commerce
it must be ours. And, sir, it a0ds purchased
purchased at cost of S5,O00,000. We
have expended nearly City million in sn6du-
ing and removing the saVages. Millions
more have been expended in erecting beacons
and Notifications along her reefs, to protect
the commerce of the whole country. Yet,
after all these large expenditures, Florida,
with but little over half the number of the
voting population of the district represent,
secedeS-goes out of the Union-carrylng with
her, not only our public lands, but the forts,
arsenals, and Notifications which were placed
there by this Government for the benefit of
the whole Union. And worse still she
breaks the unity of our Government, and
destroys the prestige which has attended her
glorious career. 1 can better pardon South
Carolina, for she was one of the glorious "Old
thirteen - but little Florida-which to-day
has barely population sufficient to protect her
self from the altigators within her borders
is wholly without apology. Florida, like
Louisiana, was purchased by the aid OF north
ern Representatives, and paid for by the
money of all our people; yet, without sim
gle grievance, she is to destroy the Union OF
these States, to which she owes her very ex-
iStence.
Gentlemen will pardon me if l speak
plainly, for l feel that plead the cause of my
whole country. Indeed 1 would deserve to
forfeit the good opinion of the people who
sent me here, were l to attempt to avoid the
responsibilities of the hour. They will be
best met by dealing with them in a frank and
candid spirit.
l begin next with the acquisition of Texas,
another slaveholding region. We admitted
her into the then happy family of States. and
welcomed her people to our embrace when
they sought the protection of our national
flag. And this reminds US OF her early trials,
and recalls the vicissitudes of her hero chief
tain. | allude, of course, to Gen. Houston.
whose old age is now devoted to the preser-
walton of the Federal Union. His life,
though protracted through two generations,
has been historic at every step; but its SUBJ
FINEST hour is now. History tells of reluc-
tant exiles who returned to their native land
with the avcnging torch and sword; but his
tory furnishes but one Houston. His exile
was voluntary He abandoned fame and
bonors, when rendered by his State; he re-
turned tottering with the weight of years,
and the load Of empire he laid down at your
feet. In his exile he still loved the flag of his
native land Distance and punishment had
impressed him with truer sense of its pro-
tecting power, and he clings to it still. The
taunt of g submissionist /" and hoary-head-
en- traitor " have not, trust it never will,
cause him to abandon it to its foes.
The annexation of Texas led, finally, to q
war with Mexico-a war against which, as
YOU know, many of the people of the North
protested. This is abundantly proved by ref
erence to the political history of that day
The people of the South, generally, demand
ed that this should be the occasion of annex
ing large part of Mexico, and it was DONE
The ratification of the treaty of Guadalupe
HidaIgo extended your area to the Pacific
ocean, Thus had the old thirteen States ex-
banded, until now we stretch from the torrid
zone of the south to the frozen regions of the
north, while on the east and west we are met
by the returning waves of the two great
oceans of the world. This is the country
which party madness would suspend upon
the passions of the hour. Behold it, with all
it's vast resources. its rivers and lakes, its
mountains and mineral wealth ! Though in
its infancy, it is greater in all the elements
of enduring powers and more advanced in a
high civilization than was the Roman EN-
pire, when her imperial eagles were hover
ing around the pillar of Hercules. The hand
of diSunion must be stayed. Our country must
not perish while its monuments are yet unfiu-
ished and the soldiers of the Revolution sur
vive.
Again: in 1893 the South demanded the
passage of awsby Congress for the return
of fugitive slaves. 1t was promptly passed
In 1850 you complained of its inefficieney,
and demanded more stringent one. 1t was
granted. 1t has been faithfully enforced by
the Federal Government, Even disunionists
admit this to be so. What more? In 1920,
m jority OF Representatives from the south
thern States voted for the Missouri compro.
H.