The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1861-03-15
WHOLE NO., 5S3.


States say to Us, that iboy shall be com.
PEELED to join those hostile States, II wc do
not yiold TO the demands Of those States
They assure us, that unless we do oil which
the insufforable arrogance of the Gulf States.
demands of us,that they shall be constrained
10 allure the Union, and unite with tho
Gulf States, in compelling us TO yield to
these outrages on our acknowledged rights.
! Such is the language of tho border States.--
/ They put forward their demand sometimes
as if asking a favor, but quite often in the
way of monaco, while some of their Ropre-
sentatives, Doble.spirited men as ever irod
Gods footstool, contend bravoly for what
they know to be right, in the face of an op-
position that might daunt tho bravest, how.
over eSeat bis pluck or courage. To those
men extend my most cordial sympathy
| But, sir, we cannot yield to such plea. u
Is ruin to US. II invites aggression.
| Thus, We are shut up between the scce-
ding Gulf States and the menacing border
States. Why, sir,he that is not for the free.
dom, the independence and tho integrity Of
tho Confedoracy, is against II; and he that
ga,hercth not with us, who arc for tho en-.
tire Confederacy," ,"scattereth abroad" Gen.
tlemen Of tho border States stand up here,
and tell us fatty, that f we do not yield to
the demands of the Gulf States, they shall
be compelled to assist them to coerce us,
while We may not coerce any one, even 10
obey the Constitution and laws! Yes, sir,
they can aid in coorcing us; and any man
who has boen horo through any of these
struggles knows exactly how the influences
of this atmosphere operate in these matters.
On the approach of the day for suspending
tho rules of the House, there is opened
tremendous cannoDade of words, If ! may 80
designate it, from the other side, uttered in
the most menacIng spirit and language; and
then, as an accompaniment, in step these
Border State friends Of ours, and tell US We
must yiold, or, in case of refusal, they will
be compelled to go with the nullifers and
secessionists. Why, sir, such language 10 g
menace to us, as far as it goes, and (and
think do Dot.depct it 10 too deep q color,l
places tho border States as allies With tie
secessionists against the free States. They
menace US with a secession which will dis
solve the Confederacy in spite of any anti
dote which human wisdom can devise.
What do tho combined border and Gulf.
States demand: They demand, sir, that we
shall acknowledges a constitutional amend.
mont,the right of property in slaves. They
insist that the Constitution recognizes such
right of property now; but If it does, we
might we'll ask why duplicate the rigbt by .
COhotllutlUUdl bHeuuUOnIE NOW. bWo
Constitution does no such thing. 1t doesn't
treat slaves as property. If it had, our fa-
theirs would mover have signed that Consti-
tuition, nor sworn to support it, nor would
the people have adopted it as the supreme
law of the land; and they have told us in
the record that they would not admit that
slavery existed anywhere under the Gov.
ernment Of the United States. And now,
NO must cast aside, as q worn out and WORTH
less thing, the Constitution which our fa.
theirs made, and make new Constitution
containing new guarantees for human bond
age; such amendments as these, what are
they but revolution? Nothing! It is tho
Constitution as ii was made by our fathers,
that we are willing to stand by forever
There ID hardly a son of the South--not o
Representative Of a southern constituency,
on this floor, who would not tell US frankly
that he is for an amendment of the Con-
stitutior, and for such an amendment %
would clearly and in express terms mako
slaves property, with all the incidents at.
taching to personal property; nay, that wo'd
make them more than personal property,
even TO the extent that no law or constitu-
iion could ever divest them of the cbarac-
ter of property. by restoring them to the
condition of men.
Slaves arc property now, they say; but
they want US to amend the Constitution as
to mako it say that slaves are absolute prop
erty, just as horse or an OK 10 propeity.--
They contend that VIC are bound 10 do that
Well now, l think we ought not to submit;.
aud want to warn my free State friends
that each one of them that yield to these
; demands of these border State mon, or TO
their imprecations or entreaties in their be.
half, is doomed politically,in tho free States.
No man can stand up, under the pressure
/ upon him from the North TO make no more
concessions TO siavery,to givo it no new guar
antecs. They say that we have not dealt
with thom justly; that we do not abide by
our constitutional obligations. Then, why,
in Gods name, do they demand more obli-
cations for US to violate, when they deny
that VIC have obeyed those imposed upon us
by our fathers:
Sir, every man who has had any cx.
| perience in this House knows that, when
, a day comes round in which the rules can
be suspended, little before the opening
Of the session for the day, menaces are
whispering from the border States of un-
seer and undreamed.of dangers TO the
|, Union; Of new secession, and all ito
crimes and follies: OF civil war and insuf-
} rections; that those horrors cannot DO
averted but by concessions 10 slavery
from the free States. This kind of ter
rorism seems 10 have been reduced
almost 10 science, and is sure 10 be put
in operation on days when the rules ofthe
House can be suspended. If the timid
are frightened, or The faithless teEpted.
so as 10 vote 10 suspend the rules, whick
requires two thirds OF a quorum, then q
compromise which can only command q
naked majority is let loose upon the Houss
with impuniIy, and goes through under
the whip and spur Of the previous question.
But these gentlemen who only voted 10
suspend The rules can vote Moo the pas-
sage in voice OF thunder. and say TO
their constituents 81 am all right on The
record" He can say all that TO those
who do not know; but 10 those who
do know, il is the meanest kind OF
treachery TO truth and justice. Now, sir,
as TO these compromises in favor OF sls.
very contained in the Constitution oi the
United States, | am willing 10 abide; but
have no concessions to make beyond
what the Fathers made; know Of moth