Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-08

earthly power could induce him to do L." ]
will read the extract In reply 70 Senator
Davis Of Mississippi be said
pI an extremely sorry 10 bear the Senator
from Mississippi say thst he requires, 6rst the
extension Of tho Missouri compromiss line to
the Pacific; and, also, that be is not satisfied
with that but requires, If understand him
correctly, q positive provision for the admis-
sion Of slavery south Of that line. And
now, sir, coming from 3 slave State, rs do
owe Il 70 myself owe It to truth, owe It
to the subject to say that no earthly power
could induce me 70 vote for q specific meas
ure for the introduction of slavery where Il
had not before existed, either soE.th or north
Of that line. Coming, as | do rom a slave
State, it Is my solemn, deliberate, and we'll
matured determination that no power-uo
earthly power-shau compel me to vote for
the positive introduction of slavery either
south or north of that line. While you re-
proach, and Justly, our British ancestors for
the introduction Of this institution upon the
continent Of Nor b Ameriea, | am, for one
unwilling that the posterity Of the present
iahabitants Of California and New Mexico
shall reproach Us for doing what we reproach
Great Britain for doing for US.
Need any Of the men Of to-day, in this
House, hesitate or fear te stand as firmly in
opposition to ths extension of slavery as the
great Kentucky statesman stood only ten
years ago
To the same eIect spoke the distinguished
Senator from the slave Stats of Delaware, the
late John NJ. Clayton. In a speech in the
Senate of the United States, August 3, ls4s,
be said:
"Does any man expect that, from this time
forth to the end of the RepHblic, the n orth
viii ever again consent to ex tend slavery, by
act of Congress, into any free territory, and
thls increase that alleged inequality Of rep
resentation in the House, arising ou, Of the
enumeration OF three-ffths Of slaves in the
apportionment OF its members, which has
ever been the foundation Of their most bitter
complaints Try that question when you
may in that House, an overwhelming major
ity viii ever appear against such an eXten-
sion. have never voted for such an act of
Congress, because, in my deliberate opinion,
i would be wrong, and never could be justi-
ied, except as a measure to be resor1ed to in
IN extreme case, involving the very existence
Of the Union.
81 am no advocate Of slavery, or its exten-
sion. Like my friend from Maryland, Mr..
Johnson) hold no slaves; and fully con-
cur in the opinion which he expressed a year
ago, ''that slavery Is a moral, social, and po-
litical evil-to be removed, however, only by
those who are Immediately interested in it.
These are the delibe-a ate opinions Of thous-
ands and tens of thousands in Maryland,
Virginia, Delaware, and Kentucky, ali slave
holding States.
"Opinions 20 far beyond ours in the non
slaveholding States. They view Slavery as
an eradicable curse, and will never consent,
in any event. to its extension, unless where the
Constitution carries it.
Sir, it is time the South understood her
true position. She can no longer coutrOl this
question. He who supposes that threat of
disunion will alarm the potent men Of the
North, lsbors under great mistake. To
them disuniou has no terrors"
Mr.. Chairman, every concession made by
the majority of any people in any Govern
ment 70 the N nOrity, under menaces and
threats, but emboldens and makes that mi
nority more exacting and imPeriOuS in their
demands. All past comPromises, as they
were called--cOncessions, Rs they were in
fact--to the slave interest, prove the truth Of
this declarations. So domineering has this
slave interest become, because Of these con
cessions, that they now threaten the utter
destruction of the Government, unless every
demand they make is Immediately complied
with. Indeed, it has been seriously intima-
ed, that the mau selected by the people as
their Chief Magistrate for ths ensuing four
years from the 4th OF March, will never be
inaugurated in this Capitol; that the City Of
Washington viii be in the hands of the
traitors before that time, and the seat Of gov
ernment Of the proposed Democratic slave
empire. In answer to this, sir, have Just
this To say; that n any evenings, sir, in
any event-Mr. Lincoln will be inaugurRted
President Of the United States in this city,
and that this capital, with all its magnificent
structures and its venerable traditions, will
remain the seat of Government Of this Re-
public; mean, sir, that it will remain the
seat Of Government Of those loyal States
who, come what may, with patriotic fidelity
will remain true 10 the old Constitution, and
faithfully adhere to the principles upon
which the Government was founded. The
eighteen million freemen in the North will
never allow it 10 be otherwise should the
conspirators, however, even succeed, which
is hardly within the range of human probs-
bility-in establishing their proposed slave
empire, Washington City will never be its
capital. So long, sir, as this shall remain a
capital at all, the banner Of liberty, with its
stars and stripes, shall float from its dome,
or none; the black banner Of slavery and
disunion, never ..
Mr.. Chairman, our duty, as the Repre-
sentatives of the people, is to meet like men
this oft-recurring and exciting question
which is again presented for our considera-
ton. Not selfshly, as maintaining eonsis-
teney; not hastily, through fear; not in an
ger, or red-hot wrath; but calmly, firmly,
courteously, in view Of the great response
- IsT.-
momentous consequences that may follow
the casting Of g single vote.
Sir, 1 would not knowingly or willingly
do or say one word that would have ten
dency 10 light up the torch Of civil or servile
war, for feel that the two will be insepara-
ble-that the one cannot come without the
other; and pray Heaven that such q ca
lamity may not only be spared my own
kindred, but the people of every Southern
State. am for peace; the great body ofthe
citizens with whom it is my pride and pleas
ure to act, are for peace; they are men of
peace. And no language that I can com
mand will more forcibly express the senti-
ments of the entire constituency whom
have the honor to represent than the follow
ing lines from our own Quaker poet, John
6. Whittier. They were written short time
after the John Brown raid at Harper's Ferry.
His execution was the occasion which called
them forth. indorse every line and every
thought, and apply them to-dsy-as he then
applied them to Virginia--to all the South
ern States, 50 far as interfering in any un-
lawful manner with their local affairs
nPerish with him the folly
That seeks. through evil, good
Loa7 lice dhs generous purpose
Unstained with human blood
Not the raid of midnight terror
But ne thought which undsr lies: