The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-02-26
SPEECH CT ~ n. vANDEvE1,
In TnR HOUSE, or REPRESENTATIVES,,
Februaru. Is, 1861.

February, Is, 1861.
The House having under consideration tie
report from the select committee of thirty
/ three
MIR. Vadever said:
1 Mr.. Speaker. IL il with no small relue.
| tancs tina. obtrude myself upon the atten-
ton OF the House at this time; but the i'm
| portant issues, and the large interest which
the constituency that represent in common
with the whole American people have in these
issues, impel me to lay aside all scruples and
state some OF the considerations which will
control me in the vote that may soon be
called upon to cast. believe this is the first
time in our history when we have been called
upon to sanction the incorporation OF new
guarantees for slavery in the Constitute n.--
| desire to aay-and believe express the
opinion of the people that represent wh0
saw. that am for maintaining oil the cO0
ditions in the bond as our fathers nominated
it. But this demand for new guarantees 10
made upon pain OF dissolution OF the Union,
IL It shall be refused. This We have beard
in the discussion upon this floor, and else.
where. Now, sir, whatever might be the
dictates OF my own judgment 10 reference to
this matter. il seems to me that compliance
under the circumstances would not be free
act il would at all events, to some consid-
cradle extent, be regarded as concession
under mcnaces and constraipt; and coercion
Understand is what gentlemen on the other
side very much deprecate.
Rut. sir. in addition to this, call atten.
t;on TO the declarations which have been re-
Gently made in the public Journals, and which
| | believe have been repeated upon this floor,
I - AAv and a n IN
we NAV reasonably expect that the incoming
Administration will be crippled for want OF
money TO carry on the Government; that the
men who hold the purse-ssrings, those who
control capital, will withhold supplies from
the Government IN this the day OF IT'S neces
s;tv. Sir. believe speak the sentiment OF
the people Of the Northwest when | say,
calmly and deliberately, that we are not TO
be inundated by threHts nor influenced ~
hI;bes. A patriotic constituency, in the
state Of Iowa, will faithfully fElfll and OBJ
| serve MI their constitutional obligations |;
thew will observe oil the guarantees in the
| Constitution as it exists to-day; but neither
traitora nor Shylocks shall exact from u
more.
Sir. the issue now presented in this de-
mana for new guarantees for slavery was,
verdict OF the American people. In May
last q National Democratic Convention as.
semh,ed ia tho CITY Of Charleston, South Car
dina. and. as we all know, this demand was
made there. and rejected. We know that a
norton 81 the committee on resolutions in
Ina, body reported favoripg new guarantees
ard nrotection for slavery in the Territories
az the United States. These resolutions
thnp ha NVn
cates ~ new guarantees and OF the protec-
lion 81 slavery withdrew from that conven-
,;on. and nominated ticket OF their own
The remaining portion OF that convention,
heing 4 majority OF it, declined TO indorse
any such monstrous doctrine. AFTERWARDS,
At Baltimore, they nominated separate
| ticket, and the two factions OF tneparty went
| before the country upon that issue. lev
months later, the issue Was settled BY the
people Vt the polls, and the claim Tor new
guarantees repudlated by them, rs ~ mad
previously been in the Charleston ConVen'
ton.
Tho revolutionary cahal, as it has since
turned out to be, thus foiled, received at IN
nol,s. for it's candidate and platform, in No
vember, less than nine hundred THOUSAND
votes throughout the length and breadth o
] this whole country; while the faction OF th
Democratic party which remained in posses
sion If the convention, and winch suhse
onently nominated ns its candidate for Pres
0 ,dent the honorable Senator from Illinois
yeceiyed something less than one million fou
Q hundred thousand votes. thus this calf
o far nav guarantees and protection was re
: iected by the Democrats rrrty ut the poll,
q a. ~ell IA in convention. But this is not al
hat hn n hn aa
il called Union men, tho supporters OF the Bel
I, Everett ticket, who went TO the country 0
=, osthe Constitution, the Union, and the er
70 forcement Of the laws" declining to san,
81 lion the demand made BY the minority POI
u ton OF the Democratic party, but restir
be themselves upon aD especial hostility to VI
III claims Of that faction. and charging il befo
D. the Southern people with a design to bres
90 this Union; when you add their vote
Cd the vote OF the controlling section Of Il
D. Democratic party, you will find that the m,
p who claim new constitutional guarantee
is we're in minority, even in the South itsel
ID Their claim was not only rejected in Il
u Democratic Convention and in the country
TO large, but il wa. repudiated by their ov
ID, section. And when you superacd to oil til
the whole vote cast for Abraham Lincoln,
p will be found that, Of the four million vot
Gil cast, not one 9Th were in favor OF this clsi
~ of a faction for new guarantees for slave
rm in the Territories OF the u. S.
On Such il the verdict Of the American poop
be vet the issue 10 again presented TO Us on !
om foor OF this House, and in the other end
the Capitol. a. through the perpe.uity Of
'de Union now depended on Our yielding to
ise current and granting the demand Of tho
men whs have failed to procure an indors
Oh, meut OF the people.
re- >
Of This minority, | say, has succeeded
IN breaking up the Democratic Consention, u
Q SCATTERING into fragments tho Democra
party, now turn their attention to breaki
up the Government. BY their most insl
Gus wies and misrepresentation, they b.
succeeded in firing the Southern heart Y
enmisy 20 the people Of the North, and b.
tility TO the Government. And now vi