St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1861-01-03
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SENATOR WADE'S GREAT
From tho Chicago Press and Tribune.

From tho Chicago Press and Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Dec Up. NJ.
The topic of most interest in all Re.
publican circles is the splendid, patriotic,
manly speech Of Old Ben Wade Of Ohio
delivered before the Senate yesterday aft
ernoon, and in the presence of crowded
and deeply interested audience in the, OK
tensive galleries. It was the speech of
the session thus far, in matter, tone and
manner.
|, Wade took ground against all further
compromises, or concession of principle
and rights. If the North has done the
South any wrong, it is her duty to undo
it, and make due PREPARATION. IF he held
any principles that we've unconstitutional,
no ueed not be approached with compro-
mise, as he was read y to give up such
principles wholly and freely. Neither
need any one make threat to compel him
to surrender, for whatever was wrong he
was DESTROYS to set right without price.
Since tho violation Of the Missouri Com
promise the North had firmly resolved
never to make another, which, would again
be broken whenever it became the inter-
ests Of the south to disregard it, What
was all the complaint of grievances since
the close Of the last session that could fur
nish reasonable cause for the trouble he
had been appraised of no encroachm cnts
on the rights Of States or individuals,
and was therefore led to expect harmon
ious session. 1t is true that the Republi-
can party, which had existed ever since
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise,
had succeeded at the late election in elect
ing their candidates for President and
Vice President, but this should have ia
ken no one by surprise, for the warning
OF that occurrence was given four years
ago, and any man of common sense might
have been sure that matters would result
as they have done. This, thea, is sim
gular state of things. Who is complain
ing? Is it they who are in the minority !;
they who have been kept down; they
who have suffered from an oppress-
i've government? Who then complains !?
Is it you who have had the Government
for the last eight years; have yost been
aggrieved by the very Government you
have directed yourselves? The Govern
ment of the United States has had two
thirds Of this Senate for years past, and
almost that now, that two thirds repre-
senting only about onc-fourth of the free
people of this country. Yet you have
ruled for nearly ten years in the Cabinet,
in the Senate, in the Supreme Court, and,
IN word, have dictated all the policy of
this Government. Is it not strange that
party such as this should complain that
their liabilities have been stricken down
by the action Of this Government?
You, said Mr.. w., (speaking to the
other side, o,cn the Cabinet and the Sen-
ate. and yo~ o~n the President Of the
United States, as much as any one Of you
owns servant on your own plantation.
What DO Southern men complain Of? You
cannot point out any act of the Republi-
can party of which you can complain
Are you going to break up this Govern
ment into its original elements on the mere
suspicion that the Republican party may
hereafter do something unfriendly? Are
we the settlers forth Of any new doctrines
The Republican party sets forth no doc
trine to day that has not the sanction of
this Government in every department of
1t tor the last seventy years. You have
changed; zoe stand where we used to stand.
The place we occupy is that occupied by
the most distinguished statesmen of this
nation. We stand where Washington,
Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Jackson
did, and the doctrines which Henry Clay,
that Statesman of blessed memory, held
up to his last moments, we hold to day.
Why do you accuse us of holding up these
opinions? What doctrine injurious to
you do we hold? You point out none.
You do not complain of the personal lib
erty bills, nor Of Mr.. Lincoln. The Sen
ator from Georgia ( Mr. Iverson) saio
that Mr.. Lincoln would do the South no
harm. The party now about coming into
power have never held Office a single hour,
and therefore they have committed no act
Of which Senators on the opposite side
can complain. If the difficulty arises
from what it is supposed that party might
do, then the opposition were under the in
Auence Of mere apprehensions; unwarrant-
able apprehensions growing out Of their
prejudices.
What is the cause of all this commotion
among the people? If the newspapers
are to be credited there is abroad in the
land a reign of terror, like the reign Of
terror that ruled in the city of Paris in
the French Revolution. Acts are commit
ted in which the rights of tho citizens are
stricken down, and we daily hear Of &C
counts of men abused, tarred, feathered
and murdered, and no inquiry whatever is
made as to the cause. Why, if any for
eign government aoere to act toaoords our
citizens-yes; a single one Of ttem,-t7tus,
zoe qcouM declare aoor against her az ono