Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-15
SPEECH OF
SPEECH OF
NHr. wIGFAI.I.,
In REPLY re GOVERNOR JoHNsoN'
the u. 3. senate, Feb- Is 1861.

nr. "agl.l .;sr.e ar line Of che Senate; but
-h.r ali other Senators are through Win the ousl-
ness hoh IA before tRem, WITH reverence either 70
rrscteal legislation saving the unlc. propose,
az hrieAy as can, TO discuss not me question
81 ~ II. hesn before the Senate for the last two
davs. hut the comments MADE ~ Inc senator from
tennessee, Mr. johnson
rIe~a was much that was said during the two
Avs 81 rambling and dseursivs harangue which
II viii be necessary TO notice; but / promise tho
Senators who may give me their attention that
Iii dispatch the work before me as briefly as Dos
sible, and l think it will not require very much
time The matter that seemed to weigh most on
the mind Of the Senator from Tennessee was that
he had been special object Of persecution since
the 18th Gay Of December, when he made the ak
traordinary speech to which he alluded
am one OF those who in the ordinary discharge
Of my duties have generally been in the Senate,
and yet have not seen here any exhibition Of
any such disposition on the psrt Of Senators. Il
is true that some particular portions Of The speech
have been occasionally animadverted upon and
alluded 10; but when that was the case, it came
up in the ordinary course Of discussion. There
was, IS well es can recoliect, bat one Senator
who replied to him directly, ard that was the
Senator from Oregon. Mr.. Lane.1 After six weeks
consideration, the Senator from Tennessee now
complains that he was misreprssentsd. BE denies
that on the 18th of December he advocated coercion
as to the States. 1t is very strange. sir, knowing
the courtesy Of the Senator from Oregon If he was
misrepresented, and il he did not desire tins to
write, revise. add 10, and strike out frem what he
said that when his speech was fresh in the memory
OF every Senator upon this floor, he did not rise
and then correct the misrepresentation Six
weeks have elapsed. can say for myself that /
have never read what he published. suppose
there are buffer Senators who have. knew only
the impressions, the strong impressions, which
we're made upon my mind at the time, and those
were, that he was in favor Of eoercion-War to the
knife and the knife to the hiit 1t was charged
upon him. He aequiesced in the CHARGE and it is
now too late for him to attempt to object to the
conclusions which were drawn and charged at the
time his speech was delivered
Things have occurred in his own 6taie-so say
the newspspers-which have caused him possibly
to take sober second thought It is said that he
has been shot, hanged, burned from enc end of the
State Of Tennessee to the other, in efgy. he must
before many weeks return tsthat State. What will
be done with him in prrpria persona is matter that
may more concern him than it does me. He was
understood, an sure, by the entire Black Repub-
iosn party, certainly by their press, to have taken
| that position. leading paper advocating the
doctrine took that speech as reported BY the letter
writer's, published it in its editorial columns, and
kept it stersotyped containing the doctrines Of
the party. 1 al!ude to the paper edited by Coene
/ James Watson Webb, of the regular army formerly
| daughter.
| The Senator seemed to take especial offense tha
/ a northern Senator should have replied 10 him TIT
great Carolinisn once said that those living North
Of Mason and Dxon's line, who were neareststo US
/ we're from us than those living South Of that line
who were furthest. 1t is, believe, the only sent
ment or opinion that he ever uttered in which d.
| not entirely concur. / have too long seen auc
known and felt the fsthfulness of men living NORTH
of Mason and Dixns line in their gallant defense o.
the principles Of the Constitution Of ths country
/ I hova tao of nd affndf IL
son of Southern men, who, knowing that the non
| slsxeholding States either had now, or soon wou
have, if this Union we're preserved, the entire cen
troll Of both Houses Of Congress, and the electors
college, aud would therefore have the disposition
all the public patronage Of the couatry-I have 10,
| often seen southern men, to use common phrase
| "Weak in the knees, when our rights have beer
assaulted, sHd northern men have stood by u.s. be
cause we claimed nothing that vas not ours accord
ing TO the plain and fair construction of the Consi
tuition of tie United States, and southern men Law
expressed their willingness to yield. and the resul
generally has been that they have received their re
| ward.
Matters have reached that point In which it 4
necessary for our own safety to dissolve the tie
| which bind US to the North. We could trust tn
northern men who stand by the Constitution; bu
with the dominant party in the northern States
aided by southern treason, we feel that neithe
our liberties nor our property are lenger secur
/
tends that this is movement on the part of poll
ticisns. Politicians / would be glad if he would
| inform me what he is, if not politicians states
man, he would hardly say. Politicians hsve don,
this thing States have seeded from the Union
and it is the act of politicians And he hazsrdes
the assertion that if the ordinance Of secession il
South Carolina even, had been submitted to th
popular vote, it would not have passed. Why, sir
it is extraordinary that men reckless Of thei
reputation as TO hazard expressions Of this sort
| which they knov will become public. Did not tn
Legislature Of soHth Carolina appoint day OF
| which the people were to Votes We're not csndi
dates brought out in every district and every par
ish? We're not the opinions Of every candidate fo
! that convention known! Did not the people yot
for those who were in favor Of immediate secession
and against these who were opposed TO IL? Did the
not elect their representatives in order that an or
dinsnce Of secession might be passed? Is this fac
not kHown to the Senator from Tennessee? Did no
thOse desgates EhO we're elepied after discussion
Of all these questions betore tia people, meet il
| convention, and with entire unsnimity vote tina
South Carolina should cease to be one of the State
| of this Union? Has not the press of that State
since that time been far ahead Of the action of tn,
State authorities; and does he not know this! Ha
not the Charleston Nereury-to which he has allud
| ed-been urging the Governor to attack Fort Sum
ter aud bring on the crisis? Has not the position
that paper been supported by the entire press O
the country? Have not the psoPle rissn In sSass
and cried out for blood because they believe it il
a reproseh upon their honor that fort within
their territory still remains in the possession Of
| Government that theyiregsrd IS not only foreign
but hostile-a fort held in derogston eff their SOW
sreignty and In denial Of their right Of sef-gov-
eminent? Are these facts not known TO the Sen.
ator? Yet he has the recklessness to rise here and
say that the people Of South Carolina living I'M
der tyranny, and that tn, politicians are tram
| ping them in the ground; and that if they were
| permitted to speak through the ballot-box, that
| State would yet be in the Union
Is not what have said Of South Carolina true of
Georgia, Of Alabama, of Florida, Of Mississippi, OF
! Louisiana, Is it not true Of my own State? Is it
not trpe of Arkansas? Will it not be true Of his
State, and of every other State in which the ques.
| ton Of secession hes been msde On issue ip the
coming elections3 The psople foFsooth, sFs not al
loved the right Of self-gOvernmenrt He says :
when he and thu Senator from Illinois Mr.. Doug
lasl get through their private conference will 90
on; want his attenton-the people not permit
ted to govern themselves Oh, mol Dogs be not
know-he shoulj have known before he made the
assertiou-thst the people Of South Carolina are al
lowed to vote? And yet he boldly, recklessly and
confidently asserted. yesterday that the people of
that State were denied the elective franchise Whom
does he mean by the ''peope?" Negroes? Women
and children? Persons under twenty-one years Of
sge, and Iudisns2 If he means that class Of the
community, I acknowledge his statement was true;
out III ne HeFns ny keVPte,' nen bWSniy-ohr {gsrt
DID, piissns of the stat,, his statement is Wholly
and utterly without Foundation, 1t hes been
charge that has been made in this body for the last
twenty years, aud been corrected time and again
by the constitution of South Carolina being brought
here and read that every man twenty-one years old
and white and citizen of the Stale, is EMIT ed to
to VOTE and allowed TO vote. There is ne prope rty
qualification required in that State, and there has
not been for the last half century. These facts
thst known; and yet to excite prejudice against
that particular State he ipdHlges agsinia this stale
SANDER which, like fSlse cpiR, has been so aftsn
nailed to the eouBtar.
I was grstifed to hear Senator from the North
rise and repudiste the doctrines which be advocated
was glad THAI 1t CANA from that quarter 1t came
appropriately from thst quarter spd the Senator
who advocated the doctrines for which We contend,
may With propriety advocate them. and do it With
out exciting prejudice; for NO fair, right-minded
man can doubt his patriotism or his devotion to
the Union. His fealty has been written rpon the
battlefield, under the stars and stripes, and With
his ewn red blood; and hen he was recording his
deyotiop to the country, where wss the Senator