Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-02-20
SPEECH OF HON. e. HATTON.
OF TENNESSEE,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fe5TRary 8, 1861.

IN THE House OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
February 8, 1861.
The House having under consideration the
report from the select committee of thirty.
three
Mr. HATTON said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: The honorable gentleman
from New York, (Mr. SedgWick.) who ad.
dressed the House last upon yesterday, pre-
faced his speech with the remark, which has
constituted the opening Of almost every
speech during this session, that Eve are in
the midst of revolution"
Six States, Mr.. Speaker among them. two
of the original thiIteen-have, within the
last forty days. violently torn themselves
loose from the Federal Government, and pro-
claimed themselves separate and Independent
States. Others are preparing to follow their
example Our cOuntry-Qntil recently SO
peaceful and quiet-is being rapidly changed
into great camp of armed mel- War. civil
war, with all its train of attendant furies. Is
inlmile71t-
Can nothing be done to stay this revoIu-
ton? If not, it will sweep us all TO com
mon ruin. Can nothing be done TO save the
Government from utter destruction? l ad-
dress this question especially to the Republic
can party. Your leader upon this floor,
(Mr. Sherman,) in this debate remarked, a
few DAYS since, that if it was not done. and
''this Republic fell, liberty would die" Can
not the curse of civil war be averted? If not,
as that distinguished gentleman on the same
occasion said, ''the condition of our country,
North. South, East, and West, viii be worse
than that of Mexico:" our fair land scour-
ged and blighted as by the hand OF an angry
God, viii he divided into fragments. in which
military despOtisms viii be substituted for
the viii of the people"
Mr.. Speaker, that gentleman earnestly ap-
pealed TO members from the border slave
States, to arrest this storm, and give sstime
for peace and eOneiliation.H Sir, l appeal TO
him and to bis party upon this floor, tor the
means by which its arrest may be made pos
sible- You have the power Il Is in yO IT
hands Shall We have it, or will you refuse
it2 The struggle between those who would
hastily dissolve the Government and those
who would preserve II, Is going on before
you. Six engagements between these forces
the first in South Carolina and the last in
Louisiana, have been fought. In every in
stance our friends have been borne down.
Are you Indifferent as TO the result of those
still in progress2 If you are not, ask You
20 place in cur hands the weapons of concil-
iatiOn and concession, with which we may
cleaEe the armOr OF our adTersaries- Then.
ours Will be the certain and peaceful triumph
the triumph of the Union and the law
Give Us that which will enable Us certainly
to assure the people of cur State of YOUR pIr-
pose to deal fairly and justly with them
Then you may reasonably appeal to Us 10
stay the storm. Do that, aud We viii with
alaerity, buOyant with hope and confident of
victory, spring to the contest. Then. YOU
may expect, not Only that further efforts at
secession will be stopped, but that even those
States which have 50 abruptly Withdrawn
from Us may return TO the sisterhood of
States.
But, Mr. Speaker, am met here by Re-
publicans. with the oft-repeated question,
What do you want Us to do?' l answer
you, gentlemen of the North, we demand
nothing that it is unfair to ask. that would
be dishOnOrable in you to grant
desire, Mr.. Speaker, az the outset of what
have to say, in this connection, to express
my sincere qualification at the movement al
ready made in the Legislatures of number
of the northern States, to repeal what are
called their personal liberty laws; laws
which, without profit to North, are offensive
to the South, and are fruitful only of dis
cord and alienation between the two sec
tions.
Some of you have said, "would YOU have
our people repeal those laws under threats?"
/ say, no. gentlemen, 1 would not have you
do anything under threats. / would, how
ever, have you repeal them under your own
sense of what is right; under your own sense
of the sacredness of compacts; under your
own consciousness of the necessity of do
mestic peace and tranquility, which these
laws are so well calculated to disturb Let
these laws be speedily repealed, and it will
go very far in allaying the excitement of our
people. The adoption of the resolution upon
this subject, recommended in the report under
consideration, will facilitate this end.
There are other causes of disturbance be-
tween the North and the South 1t has been
alleged By men, high in position in the
South, and by large portion OF the southern
people il is believed--with what degree of
reason l will not stop to inquire-that the
ultimate purpose of the Republican party is
to destroy the institution of slavery in the
States.
am glad to know that it has been pro-
posed by that party, that, by an amendment
Of the Constitution, this source of apprehen-
sion and irritation shall be put forever at rest.
The proposition of the distinguished gentle
man from Massachusetts, mr.. Adams. re-
ported by the committee OF thirty-three
woald, if adopted, effectually do this 1t is
not pretended that, under the Constitution.
as it is, Congress has any right to disturb
slavery IN the States The proposed amend
ment TO the Constitution, is simply TO put IL
out OF the power of the North ever 10 acouire
such right. By an amendment by them OF the
Constitution.
The questions OF slavery in the Dist, ict IF
Columbia, in the dOek-yards and arsanaIS a,d
of the Interstate slave trade, have been snb-
jects of much discussion. It is confidantIr
asserted in the South that the Republican
party, so soon as IL shall have the power
will abolish slavery in this District. in the
dock-yards and arsenals, anu prohibit the
Interstate slave trade. The exercise of such
a power, il you had IL, much more its usur-
patton, would be regarded by the whole South
as naSrant wrong on that section. You say
You nave no intention Of exercising any such
power, II you have it. In the debate last
night, the gentleman from Pennsylvania MIR.
Junkln] disclaimed for his party any such
intention. This disclaimer has often been
made during this debate. The Committed NJ
thirty-three say. in the report before ms. that
sJoint resolution TO ameud the cousti,n,;o, or -.
nittee q thrty three. N eAe OoiI-
Be L yssoluef By the Senate rnd HON., of
a=es q tAe tited Sate Of Ansezica C5a1r,r 60
Died, two tnires OF both Houses cOlcurrnS 1rs..h
several States amendment to the Cousfit,,io :,
the United States, which, when ratified BY thres
fourtns q said legislatures, shall be valid 10 ali i'm.
tents and purposes, part % the said Constitution
= AEr1rLE1z No amendment OF this Constitution hav
ing for lis object any interference within the States
with the relation between their citizens and those de
scribed n secten second OF the first article Of the Con
s.aeoa - AN other persons " shall originate with
any state that does lot recognize that relation within
~ own limits, OF shall be valid without the assent OF
every one O the States composing the Unioa.