The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1861-03-01

the report of thosolce, COMMITTEES oftbir.
ty-threc-
Mr.. CAREY said:
Mr.. STEAMER: In this great and i'm
nortaut crisis Of our coUntgy's history, I
have felt it my duty 90 make few re-
marks, in order that my constituents
may understand precisely where | stand
upon this important question. l have
thought | could commuuicats with them
Ia this way more conveniently and more
fully, than | could by writing to them in
diyidually.
II is natural, Mr. Speaker, on nll great
questions, for men 20 differ. Admit that
all men are equally honest and intclli-
gent there appears 20 boa kind Of fatal
ly in mankind, and in the most impor.
tant questions where the interests ct the
whole country are involved, n great ma
ny different opinions prevail as to the
mode and manner in which the disease
should be treated. / am precisely Ike
other men In some respects; and, whore
| differ from others, do not claim that
| am positively right. am willing to
give every man the right 20 think and act
Tor HIMSELF and he must be responsible
for bis acts, Bs expect to be responsible
not only TO my constituents and to my
couatry but to my God, for my acts here
and elsewhere.
There is not man here, or in the
country, who feels the Importance Of the
t'm1s more than do There is no man
in the country that has greater reason
for attachment 90 this country than have.
am ono of the oldest men in the House
OF Representatives. went into the will
dorncss when | was q boy-lcss than six
years of age; aud in that Territory,
whero there were then but twenty-five or
thirty thousand inhabitants, thoro arc now
more than nine million people. | have
probably witnessed as great physical im-
provemouts in the country as any man
will ever live 20 sce--I mean in tho phvs-
zeal developments and resources Of the
country Z was brought mp from the cra-
die 70 look upon the Government Of the
United States, aud the Union of the
states, As of the utmost importance u
the people under il. have believed,
until within few months, that il was
strong, and that there was no party or
set Of mon thUt would be able 10 break IL
down in this age; and | no remarked
more than year ago in this Capitol; but
to my Rs'onishment, | see now what
supposed would require centuries to bring
about in this G oyerument. | have seer
species and degree of wickedness unt
corruption growing up Ia this new onl
mighty country, which few Government,
have over before Witnessed; and intend
IN my remarks, to endeavor to trace the
causes which have produced tho present
state OF things in our country. | shall
to nim--to depict these causes with any.
thing like eloquence. Public speaking
has not been the habit ofmy life. have
been accustomed to look with interest
upon the constructions which have been
put upon the administration Of the Gov
eminent Of my country. l was raised
to believe that an honest administration
.of this Government was Of moro impor-
tance to tho people than any other thing.
There never was n difficulty between
private individuals, and there never was
n neighborhood, county, State, or nation
al quarrel in whidh the true causes
which produced Il were not almost alwuys
kept out Of sight. You will find that
when the feelings get enlisted, aud be-
come alienated, that every protcxt Ia seiz-
ed upon to heighten, 70 extend, TO intou-
silly the interest Of the people. That is
precisely the case now in this country
but there is not question of difference
now between the North and the Soutl
which could not be settled without dilh
Guilty, if you would take the ordinary
course you pursue 10 settle difficulties be-
tween individuals when they come il
conflict. You have a constitutional Gov
ernment which, as | have told you, have
learned 90 admire so much. But has the
constitutional power Of this Government
ever yet been resorted to TO settle an,
question Of difficulty which has arisen ii
this country The Constitution ha
been kept out OF sight, and, instead, yo,
have made now compromises and conces
sions' What has been tho consequence
Of that course Now, this slavery ques
| ton, which is called so almighty in thl
country, would be found to have nothinl
in II, TO any extent you can push il, ifyol
would only pursue in relation TO it, th,
course you pursue in reference 10 settle
ing ordinary individual differences. But
unfortunately for this country, il has be
come a political element, and the atnos
phere Of the politics Of this country ia
at this time, as corrupt as corruption cSi
make t.
viii now, sir, say few words in ref
crence 10 this delicate question of tn
/ admission Of Territories as States
There is not, under unybody's eonstruc
ton Of the Constitution, a single dinieul
" that can arise between those VIII
wish TO bring q Territory into the Uniol
in any part Of the country, If you vii
take proper view Of H. / was tnugh
to believe that Congress had no right t,
dictate to a State seeking admission int,
che Union what should be the provision
Of her constitution; and even if Con
gross had such power, no man Genie
that the State would have the right, a
soon as u became a State, 20 form IL
own Institutions. All our difficulties up
on this question have grown out Of tb'
TACT that we have not relied upon th'
Constitution Of our country. recol
leot the controversy that commenced il
1919 as well as IL il were but yesterday
| know all about the feeling then.
have passed through many Of the erisi
growing out Of this slavery question
and have never seen the necessity fo
the inteuse excitement which has pre-
vailed. / believe that In the organza
tion Of this Government, it was distinct
lyundeTEtood that tho extension Of sla
very was 70 be suppressed. That wa
the rule adopted in the early history o
the country; and we never had any diff
Guilty on the subject until 1920. No ono
over doubted the right Of Congress I,
govern the territory northwest Of the Ohio
river. It is the departure from tho prae
tico Of our ancestors, the intermeddlinl