The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-03-29

s.n.,or ,rder,ook 10 deny Il. i DID no. menu
-, .,nnoss f,r n single instant. Una. NC IN
NOT Iaborinr under mistake ABOUT Ior H,a
intimate anything else ,nsn nc s,ss.nJ me- NJ
um g. snpposcd Il TO be an error; but IN
all ~ accepting that, the Senator proceeds
sai,s ,snguage such as he dill use, to make an
s,,aek upon me personally sitting quietly
~ nv chair, about the matter. and talk about
,hs Senator ffom Maine in the language OF
condensation that he was "a gentleman OF
respectable talent " and Respectable de-
batter" and he sometimes listened 10 MN
with great pleasure" He spoke with innnMe
condseension. looking down-although orli-
narily the Senator perhaps, might look upon
me, humble rs am and called the attention
of the country to my humble State compared
with his own. Well, sir, as 1 said before,
make no pretensions even to anything more
than responsibility. am content with that.
I do not put myself before the country as enti-
tied 10 anything more. or to compare myself
with the magnificent Senator from Illinois. L
admit him TO be just as great as he wishes to
consider himself and to be considered. can
not admit him to be q gentleman, because he
has used language here unbecoming gentle
man, without any proyocation whatever. That
is what have to say on that subject.
Now. sir, did not regard II as necessary,
and such was my view of the subject, to reply
TO the laborcd and prepared speech OF the SEN
ator. understand its object perfectly well |;
and every Senator on this side Of the chamber
understood il. We did not mean to be drawn
into a controversy about II. We are willing
that the Senator should take his own view OF
things; but we did not mean that he should
draw US into position that we did not mean 10
occupy. What is the simple truth about II
What Is the fact Since ain forced upon my
feet in this way, let me allude to II lew min
utes. What is the fact. The Senator, from
Massachusetts has said, with perfect clearness,
that the senator from Illinois assumed, before
the President had fairly got warm in his sea, Z,
To be an exponent Of him and his policy. lie
male his speech. lie said II was peace in
augural that had been delivered that ne so
construed Il; and he got up n controversy upon
his own side Of the chamber upon that subject.
Sir, we agreed in our opinions with the Senator
from Illinois; but we did not think u was nee
essary that we should enter into the contest
in any shape or form. We let pass. not
content with that he comes forward here lew
DAYS afterwards, TO make another speech.
lie assumes that there was combination on
this side of the chamber 10 prevent him from
speaking. Why, sir, we have been here long
enough 20 know that we cannot prevent his
speaking; and since the Almighty has given
him the power Of speech, doubt II anything
short of Divine power could prevent his speak
ing, and saying what he liked, when he liked.
His power of lungs and expression everybody
knew in this country are beyond that OF any
other man that has trayersed from one emu 0,
il 10 the other 10 enlighten the people; and
further than all that he never omits an oppor-
tunity to do il, whether people want to hear
him or not.
Now, sir, what Is the object Of this move
ment OF the Senator from Illinois As my
friend from Massachusetts, has said, but few
DAYS had elapsed since the President came into
power. lie made peace address to the peo-
pie, as the Senator admits; and, as the Senator
repeats again this morning, he CONSTITUTES II as
adeclaratiou ofpeace. The President says dis
tinctly in that inaugural, mean peace to the
country. will make war upon no portion OF
Il; and IL war is 10 follow, II must be made by
others upon the administration OF the Govern
ment' That Is the declaration. Why not be
content with Il, Why not, especially II the
Senator believes Il is true-why not let It rest
there' But does the senator believe iH so,
why does he follow up that declaration with
speech, the tendency Of which is, II he will per-
nit me 10 say it-or whether he permits me to
say il or not, will say 1.-THE tendency and
design Of which is to make the country believe
that il is about to be plunged into a war oy the
acts ofthe Administration 7 Why does ne TAX
calculations OF how many men II VIII take
10 subiugate the Southern States Why does
he talk of three hundred thousand men being
about TO be raised-I believe that is the amount
-or two hundred and hfty thousand to attack
these Southern states, and OF the $500 200 ,OOO
being necessary To arm and equip them
Where does he get that information Has
there been any such communicated TO Con-
gress Has the country been told from any
authoritative source in any direction from any
quarter, that there was design on the Ad-
ministration of the Government now, or on the
mart of those who represented il anywhere, to
plunge the country into a war; There has
been no such declaration; there can be no such
intimation. is absolutely nothing on
which 10 found the declaration in any shape,
or to any extent whatever, and the senator
knows IL well.
Task again, what is the object of this speech.
Of all these limitations running through 1t; OF
those declarations OF patriotism, OF love OF
country, and attachment 10 the Union; OF IN
situations, and more than insinuations OF
charges, that ON this side Of the chamber there
are men who desire and design the dissolution
Of the Unionl Why does he take the position
he does with regard 10 these seeded States, ana
compare them to the barOns VI England, when
they wrestcl llagna Charta from John TO
the reyoltsd English, who attempted and who
succeeded in protecting the liberties OF their
country against Charles and James aye. and
10 our ancestors who fought the battles VI the
Revolution Is he prepared to defend the Sc
cession Of those Statesl Is that the battle they
are fightingl Does he justify these seeding
Statesl Else, why does he place them IN that
category, and the rest of the people OF the
country who are standing by the Constitution
and endeayoring tn protect the Union. as those
who are trying to wrest the liberties otthe peo-
pie under the constitution from them What
Is the object but to iniame the suspicious OF
the people; 60 arouse their spirit, anu the anx.
ieties which are now being lulled asleep, and
which would soon be utterly destroyed anu ex-
terminated by the peaceful, yet hrm, course OF
the Administration which they nave chosen
Why seek 10 uilame all these slumberinC AMI
mOsities nj moment when there is prospect
that we shall hear no more of them, and before
the administration which we have inauSurated
has hal time 10 tell the country, by single
Act, what IL meant TO dot Why is II To be
brought forward here In the shape in which 1t
Is, sir, there upon your table, In this resolution,
at mere executive session OF the Senate, when
we have no power of legislation whatever;
when nothing that we can do, nothing that we
can say, nothing that is in our power, can have
any potency for any purpose or for any object!
Why does the Senator come here with this res
olution, placing himself aud standing upon the
rumors which he picks up abont the STREETS.
upon communications in newspapers, upon
nothing which the Administration has said,
nothing which any Senator has said-assuming
ALTO charge. in fact, that there is danger OF
this country being plunged into war when,
In the very same breath. he says that the Pres
iient has said he means peace. and he believes
himl
The great argument, or one great argument,
Is, that we stand precisely In this condition /;
We do not answer; we choose TO be silent. Why
sir, are We necessarily drawn into a flame by
rawlings Of any politician who wishes to get up
an excitement in this Chamber or out Of IL :
Are we necessarily, because the Senator from
Illinois chooses 10 defy US TO speak, 10 think
that his words are 50 potential, are 50 exceed
ingly important, that IL we do not speak, in
ferances will he drawn TO our disiayorI Why,
sir, we do not attach the consequence to the
senator's speech that he attaches to IL himself
That Is the simple truth oft. Wedo not think
that the country hangs upon his words. We
have not the Impression that everybody Is
L Il l.