M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1861-04-11
SAVE THE UNION.
SenutOr CrIttenden's Great
speech Before the Kentucky
Legislature. .H.'if3

fore the General Assembly of Ken.
lucky on Tuesday, and which we find
reported at length in the Louisville
Journal Of yesterday. We have
only room Tor so much Of ii as relates
particularly to his resolutions of com.
prOmise which we give in full. On
that point he says:
What iS our condition now, and
how has It been brought aboutl
need MT state very particularly the
causes which have produced these ef.
lects, npr, need recur to the present
condition Of our nation with a view
Of telling you what it is. 1t is a sad
story-so sad that it is impressed up.
on every heart-known to every citi.
zen. Ishall not detain you idly by
any particular details Of causoS Q. It
is enough to say that it has all grown
our national calamity-Our national
mistortuie-has all grown out of a
CONTROVERSY between the slave hold.
ing and non .slaveholding States.
furnishing questions OF slavery and
questions OF anti.slavery--ques ITEMS
about tie Territories Of the United
States.
These agitations have long exas.
perated, On the one side and on the
other, q Hast portion of the United
States. It has resulted in the forna
tion Of sectional parties-a sectional
party in tue North and sectional
party in the South. The sectional
party Of the North has finally cue.
ceeded in electing President for the
United States, aud installing their
party in all branches Of the Govern.
ment. Tlis has excited increased ap.
prehensions in parts OF the South as
to the safety OF their peculiar institu
tions. They dread that the Northern
power will employ itself in destroy.
ing one OF these institutions, and de
priving them OF their property.
Under this apprehension, what
have they donel They have sought
a most violent remedy against this
apprehended evil by seeding as they
term it, from the Union of these
States, aud forming for themselves a
seperate, distinct and independent
government ont of the seven States
that have seceded-South Carolina
Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana
and Texas, These States have, in 90
far as they possessed the power,
broken our Union, and established, OF
attempted to establish, for themselves
an independent government into ope-
ration. This is the present attitude
IL which our country stands. While
these revolutionary movements were
in progress, attempts were made in
the Congress oil tho United States,
then in session, fur the adoption oi
such measures as might check them.
1t was hoped that il these measures
could not recall to the Union the
States that had already seeded, they
might secure the allegiance and adhe.
renee to the Union Of the remaining
States. rf- t...... :
Among many other gentlemen who
proposed measures for adjustment
and reconciliation, | submitted a Sc.
ries of i resolutions, believing that their
adoption might pacify our country,
pat stop to revolution, and preserve
aud restore our Union. / need not
undertake to occupy your time by re-
citing those resolutions. They are
known to you all and had the honor
Of being approved by you. This OBJ.
ject was mainly to satisfy the claims
of the South to remove with their
slaves to the Territories Of the United
States.
On the other hand. this right was
denied, upon the ground that the ter.
ritories belonged to the United States;
that no individual State, nor any OF
the States separately, had an interest
in the territories, but that they be-
longed to and were under the absolute
control and government of the Gen
eral Government, Sir, let that be
admitted. Admit that the territory
is under the absolute control Of the
General Government; but, sir, does it
not follow that that General Govern
mens ought so to administer this great
property, so to exercise ito great fnnc-
tions, that every class Of States, and
every State. shall equally participate
in and equally enjoy that which be.
longs to all21ss5'pIl "o.UJ si''taI
No matter whether You consider il
a property held in trust for the indi.
yidnal States, or as a property held
absolutely for. the General Govern
ment, to be controlled or disposed of
BY the General Government, itequally
follows that the, General Government.
Q be Just and to act upon the princi.
nles oil the Constitution, ougltso to
administer the operty that each and !
'yery State--every portion OF the uni
ouf-may have an, equal participation