Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-02-04
sPEROH OF HON. rs. AsHLEY
LConfnu.il

over tWenty-Oue years OF agef MOI more
than ffty-fye thousand. 0f this number
less than ten thou and G,e planters; and not
more than twelve thousand in addition own
theiroWn homesteds. Almost two thirds Of fthe
entire white population aye tenants at will of
the planters. They are very poor, ignOrans
and destitute; aud, according to Senator
Hammond
"Obbdn a precarious subsistence by oc-
casional Jobs by hunting, by fishing, by
plundering fields and folds, and too often by
what is its effects far worse-lrading with
slaves, and seducing them to Plunder for
their benefit
With less than twenty-five thousand men
who have any property to be taxed, South
Carolina proposes 10 make war on the United
States. Has the world ever witnessed such
stupendous folly aud madness. From seven
to ten million dollars annually win be nee
essary, If she is involved in war, 10 main
tain her government and army. Where is
this vast sum Of money to come from; From
the other slave States, it may be answered !:
but the oiher slave States viii be in no better
condition than South Carolina, even if they
should unite. The proportionate cost Of
maintaining one OF ten governments, one or
ten armies, would be about the same,
Mr.. Boyce late member OF this House,
answered these questions, few years ago,
in an address to the people ofSOuth Carolina,
as follows;
South Carolina cannot become a nation.
God makes nations-not man. You cannot
extemporize a nation out Of South Carolina
It is simply impossible we have not the
resources. We could exist by tolerance and
what that tolerance would be- when we con-
slider the present hostile spirit of the age to
the institution OF slavery, all may readily
imagine. / trust we may never have to look
upon the painful and humiliating spectacle.
From the weakness of our national Govern
ment a feeling of insecurity would arise, and
capital would take the alarm and leave u.s.
But it may be said, "Let capital 60 To
this reply, that capital is the life-blOod of
a modern community; and, on losing It, you
lose the vitality of the State.
"Secession-separate nationality, with all
its burdens-is no remedy. It is no redress
for the past it is no secruity for the future
1t is only a magnificent sacrifice Of the
present, without iu anywise gaining in the
future Such is the intensity Of my convic-
ton on the subject, that if secession should
take place of winch have no idea, for
cannot believe in such sTUPENDoUs MADNESS
Il shall consider the institution Of sldUS7y
doomed, and that the great God, in our blind
ness has made Us the instrument of its des-
truction"
What Mr.. Boyce then said, is as true To-
day as when be uttered it. South Carolina
cannot long maintain her present position
With her commerce destroyed by blockade,
as it will be in case CT war, all her available
men in the army, an immense police force, at
great cost, to watch and prevent, if they can,
an outbreak among the slaves, every branch
of business prOstrated, and her cotton and
rice fields turned into desolate wastes. No
people will long submit to such an intoleTable
condition Already men Of means are NOV
| ing or sending their families North. 1t is =
step dictated by prudence. / should certainly
do so, were a resident ofthe South, and one
of her largest slave owners. I would have
no fears that ms family would be either
mobbed, OF insulted, or ordered out of the
country by some self-constituted vigilance
committee, or that my property would be
destroyed or stolen distributed among the
rabble, because happened TO be resident Of
a southern State No judicious man, who is
able will hazard the risk, at such time; OF
having his wife and family violated and
msssacred by the slaves in case Of a servile
/ iusurrection. The madness of the leaders in
this attempted revolution, is driving, and will
drive Thousands Of families and millions Of
wealth into the North. The bluster of 1882
drove some citizens of South Carolina, whom
| know, into Ohio, and l doubt not there
were others who settled in nearly all the free
States.
When the leading conspirators come 10 put
their hands into the pockets Of the people, to
take their last dollar, they viii rebel. If
the citizens of South Carolina, and of the
southern States, s,Iwere oppressed by the nation
al Government With burdens that honorable
and patriotic men could not bear, then
grant you they would, as would every brave
people, sacrifice life and property without
stint, if there was any hope Of bettering their
condition. They have not however, and
cannot point the people to list of intolerable
grievances, such as will justify their attemp-
ted revolution.
The address issued to the southern people,
which was prepared by order of the South
Carolina convention, declares, that
While constituting a portion Of the
United States, it has been the craftsmanship
of the South which has guided the nation in
its mighty strides to power and expansion
In the field, as in the Cabinet, it is they who
have led it to its renown and grandeur
For seventy-three years then, on her own
showing, southern statesmen have controlled
and given direction to the national Govern
ment un6e er which their section has grown
I from million and half to eight millions,
without including the slaves, and has ad-
yanced in prosperity and wealth, as no peo-
pie ever did before. Is there, then, taking
her own statement as true, any justification
for the course South Carolina and other south
ern States are attempting, and which nearly
all gre threatening?
No wrong or unconstitutional act has been
committed, OF is proposed to be committed,
i ~ the General Government. Is the mere
election by the people of President who
! joes not fayo~ the cherished policy of few
thousand slaveho.' 'deTs, sufficient cause for
destroying the Union, and involving the
astiol in civil war2 ned not answer this
question; there can be, and there will be, but
one response by the patriotic Gen OF all
parties. The judgments Of all thinkiEsI I'M
partial men in the entire nation, and in the
civilized world, viii condemn the leaders who,
without cause, are attempting the dissolution
Of this Union, and the destruction Of the best
form of government ever devised by man.
To this crime is added that Of duplicity.-
During the late campaign, every presidential
l candidate for whom the South or North
voted, distinctly denied that they were in
tavor Of disunion; but, on the contrary, they
all p. ofessed the most unqualified devotion
20 the Union.
The people of the United States, then, voted
but little over two months ago, unanimously
IN favor Of maintaining the Union. Why,
then, should it be destroyed now2 Wha
has been done since to Justify such gigantic
crime Can any one give a satisfactory
ansWer7 Men who have brought about the
present excitement may attempt to justify
themselves but they cannot justify their con-
duct to an intelligent people.
But we are told, Mr. Chairman, that unles
we vote for such new guarantees TO slavery
as the South shall demand, that ali thu