The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1861-04-04

ing the formation Of that Constitution, ,un.
less it is done in secret session. ] move.
therefore, Mr.. President, that when the
Constitution is taken up it be taken up
in secret session,
There was a good deal Of difference Of
opinion as 10 whether the Convention
should discuss the Constitution secretly
or 10 daylight Mr.. MANY GREGG said:
am utterly opposed to further secresy
in our proceedings, so far as regards the
government We are TO establish over the
Confederate States. The reasons which
induced this Convention, at its first ses'
sion % set the example Of & ing into Sc
cret session, no longer exist. At that time
the disclosures made on this floor would
have been used by our enemies 10 our
disadvantage, aud therefore to strengthen
our position against them we made the
most Of our proceedings secret That
reason no longer exists. We are masters
Of our soil, with the exception of Our a.
cres 10 this hartor, Of which | hope we
shall not long be deprived. We are no
longer in fear Of an overpowering force
hope at least that such is tile feeling o
this body. We are standing here as
freemen; anl are ready TO maintain it.
think it unworthy Of lreemen in such a
position 20 cover their discussions With
tie veil Of sccresy. ! think the citizens
Of South Carolina who elected US as their
delegates here, ought to know what we
have to say. ] think that we, as their
lrlegattS here, ought TO have "n oppor-
tuuiLy OF hearing what may be said by
our constituents. think that We ought
TO have the opportunity Of a full and tres
conference Of our Constituents in deciding
upon tho most important matter that tho
Convention il South Carolina has had TO
decide upon since 1890. r..H
The Constitution adopted by the Con-
gress at Montgomery has been published
10 the world. That documcat is one which
10 me is in the highest degree objection
able. Icanno! consent 10 Me adoption 0,
that Constitution withOm fesii1g Mat I'm
false 10 Tie taiM Wtich 1 hare protessel
eUer since l had u pOiaic0t JaiM. The
first and the greatest error in the opinion
which ] had long held, ever since / held
an opinion on political subjects, the fist
aud the greatest error which our ances
tors committed was in consenliug to lha
compromise with the Northern States
by which two iiihs Of tho slaves in til;
5 uthrrn States We're excluded in the nu
merical btsis Of presentation. That, il
my opinion has been the great source .
all the mischief that has taken place sinco
That origina' ed the assumption. on TIN
part of tho Northern Staes, OF the supe
rioIily Of a non-shvholdins state Of socI
oly over u Slayeholding state Of society
Our ancestors, by oonseutihg 10 that com
promise, yielded the advantage; they
! yielded the numerical power which they
ought to have possessed; and they yield
cd what was much more. the moral pow
, er which they would have possessed
they had asserted then our equality o
rights. That was the original g,eht er
ror Of the South. thought that, af!e
that tyranoical and corrupt Government
: had been shaken OIL we should at leas
behold the principles o! States Rights AM
: Free Trade triumphant, but as the irs
Act Of tho rev ConIedcracy | ind tn
/ very worst point Of tho Of Constitution
? is to be perpetuaol. If our Con(ederAc.
= vera to be confined to the seven State
. which have seeded. .Le inequality wouli
no. be very great, Sill 1t would be con
siderable; aud as a matter of prin:iple,
should be unwilling to give that advan
, lage lo,,our confodeIats, | should bo un
{ willing 10 give lu Georgia and Alabama
which have q smaller slave population ii
proportion 10 the whites than VIZ have
that Advantage over Us. But if the 9th
tr Southern States secede, if Virginia
, North Carolina. Tennessee, Kentucky
! Missouri aud Arkpnsas come in then {
, very great inequality will exist, Tvnno
l ssoc. Kentucky, and Missouri, Missouri
, especially, are almost non'slavehodina
, States. Missouri has scarcely one slav,
to ten whites. Missouri, ii admitted in
| to our Confederation, would have Hll thu
advantages over us that the Norlherl
= States had over us formerly under hi,
9 basis Of representation. Blu, this Mont
. gomery scheme contemplated something
0 more than the admission Of all the slave
. holding States iuto our Conlederacy. |
I contemplated tho grand aud magui6cen
Y idea, llltis true, Of securing the allianc
+. OF tho Northwest, of bringing into th
4 Conlederary Indiana and Illinois, an
i also Pennsylvania. New York. and dnall
perhaps New England itself That ma
4 have been matter Of mere conjecture
,. Very liuls of the proceedings olthe Mont
y gomery Congress were allowed to b
!. mad, public. but | find an Nvowal re
d Gently made by the highest authority, die
tinctly showing the fact. find in an al
d dress made by Mr., Stephens u few day
d Sincein the city Of Savannah, the ioilowin
ID language, ... ......-.. ....... -
T. Mr.. GREGG quoted Stephens speech G
i. the subject Of the extension cf the Coz
o; iedeIale States Northward. Mr., GREl
ps mentioned that many OF the delegates
u the ) q, Convention hal been elect,
es uoder express plOdges TO oppose all id
DO of 81 reconstructiOg lhe Government
n to admit non slOvchollins Sta'es into Il
lie Southern Conicdolacy.
ho After the suhjec, Of secret sessions h,
- been fully discussed, it was dotormin
by vote of 1870 to 90, that the Oonve
ZION should consider tho Constitution
.-n...L /. .... -,