The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1861-02-13
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN A. GILMER,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,
In the House Of Representatives.
January 26lh, 1861.

report from the select committee Of thirty
three
Mr.. GIMER said:
Mr.. Speaker: The storm that now RACES in
the South threatened before left my home.
II has increased, and still is increasing. 1t
is near at hand, and is all around us. 1t has
been my hope that some action Of the two
Houses Of Congress would, ere this, have all
laycd this threatening tempest. regret thar
it has not been done. do not think, trust,
that it is not too late for something 10 be done
by this Congress by which this Government
may yet be preserved, and peace and harmo-
ny restore to the greatest nation and the
greatest people upon the earth. must con-
Tess ] feel discouraged by the fact that our
northern friends have, up TO this hour, made
no demonstration. Whether they intend 10
do so or not, am rot assured; but appear
ances indicate cold, icy. stoical, ndIiTer-
ence to this raging storm in the sou lhern
States. A final effort, desperate struggle,
is now being made in all The southern States
to consummate that which South Carolina
now avows she has had at heart for the last
thirty or forty years. When was a bay, in
that gallant State the doctrine of mil ifcatlon
was preached. Ii was said to be peaceful
remedy. 1t was said TO be the only consti,
tutional remedy by which differences between
State and the General Government, in re-
lation TO power, could be safely settled. But
when that heresy was crushed ou, during the
administration Of General jackson, the next
resort was to secession. In order to give
that some plausibility, il was said 10 be nust
peaceful in its character. Modification new
er could have had many frends--secessio
never could have had many friends, were it
not that their advocates gave the most sul-
emn assurances that they were constitutional
Union men, and excelled all others in attach.
ment to the Constitution and the Union !;
and that the direction which they led was the
better for the preservation of both These
pills were made acceptable with the most Sc
dnctive assurances Of good designs and peace.
lul purposes.
pass, sir, over many points Of history in
relation TO this matter, which go TO show that
this conspiring for disunion has been at work
for many years, to come down to day within
the last twelve months. When the Demo
cratic party permitted itself 70 be disrupted
by the nullifers and the seceders at Charles
ton and Baltimore, and our nulifying and
seeding friends rallied under nomination
Of Union men, they held up that nomination
Of Union candidates to the southern people
as reason why they were not fer disruptng
this Government, in case Lincoln was elect
ed. They insisted yociferously that they
had made Union nominations; that they hal
put al the head Of their ticket men who were
Union men, as showing thcy had no design
ol disrupting the Government, in case they
were defeated and Lincoln was elected.
When they we're accused Of locking 10 dis
union in case Of defeat, they uniinImly, in
the South-almost without exception in the
border southern States-denied il most man-
fully. What was the RESULT The men whu
regulated and controlled that disruption oi
the Democratic party the men who enlisted
under the Breckinridge ticket; The men Who
have maintained notification as being pcsce-
iul in its character-who have advocated te-
cession as peaceful remedy; where are
theyf Doing all they can, everywhere, so
destroy this Union.
Mr.. BURNETT. Will the gentleman permit
me 10 interrupt him.
Mr.. GILMER. decline 10 yield. What
is said nowf What is the course pursued
by them nowf To give the country time
for reflectionf To give the country time %
slider what they shall do; When Georgia
was calling her convention, when Alabama
was calling her convention. when Mississp-
pi was calling her convention, what did We
seef We found telegram after telegram 20
ing from this place; not for pcace, not iur
reason, not for reflection, bit still iurthsr 10
infiame the southern mind; still further ii
fire the southern heart; still further 10 run
into madness; into inconsideTate action, tie
whole southern people. North Carolina aud
Virginia are now calling conventions; and
what is the course pursued BY men profess.
ing to want TO preserve this Unionf will
only call attention TO what was published in
yesterdays Globe. Here il is:
"A dispatch from Richmond sa,s. Ten yiiFinil
Congaessmen have scui out an address 10 ihs pcop
Virginia. giving review Of the congressional prorecd.
nss in reference 10 the great question Of the dig. snd
the probable action oi Congress. saying that Il vain
10 hope for any Of eonciliai1n aijasimrnl
from Congress which the people of the South roulj
accept They also say that they are satisfied Thai the
Republican party designs BY civil alone 70 eoercs
he southern States under The pisieat d fntrcng the
laws. unless Il shall become speedily apparent that Tho
Ted. 70 mako such altempt hopeless. The lddiess
concludes Ny expressing The solemn conviction that
prompt and decided action BY the people Of Virginia,
IN convention will Afford the r1fesl means, under the
providence Of Col IN ayefiing the impending civil war
and preserving hope Of reronsifeelins Union al.
ready dissolved"
Here are two ideas. particularly danger
Gus In their character. prominent IN this adj
dress. The first is, that Nirginia's only safe.
~ is In leaving this Union. Aud the second
| is equally iallseious. equally dangerous; and
! il is, that that is the only way TO reconstruct
this Government. notiSe also the follow.
ing in the North Carolina Standard. Dem.
ocfatic paper. but with Union standard. re
ierring to letter sent from here by a Sena.
tor from North Carolina in the other House
"Amons other things, Mr. Clingman charges tbs
The hesitation % division Ia lie South, and ihs' Je