The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-01-14

C0MpaCIs. II HaVe OnIy CONSTRUCTION, only
one tribunal to pronounce that construction of every
treaty. Local and temporal interests and passions,
personal cupidty and ambition drive small Confed
eracles or States more easily than great Republic into
ndiscreet violations of treaties
The United States, being great and formidable power,
always favorable and satisfactory
Indeed, every treaty we have was voluntarily made
Small COnfederaceS States take such treaties
they get, and give whatever treaties exacted
humiliatng. even unsatisfactory treaty, ChrO
mic cause of foreign The chapter Of resulting
from unjustifable causes would in OF dsunon,
pity itself in proportion to the number of confedera
cies and their irrtability Our disputes with Great Brit
ain about Oregon, the boundary of Maine the patriot
instruction in Canada and the Island of San JUAN the
border ries between Texas and Mexco the nuursionS
of the late VIM Walker into Mexico and Central America
all these were cases in which war prevented only by
the imperturbability of the Federal Government
This Government not only gives fewer causes of war
whether just unjust than smaller Confederaces would
but it always greater ability to accomm them
by the exercise OF more coolness and courage the
use of more various and liberal means and the dis
play If need be, greater force Every knows how
pacabe we ourselves are in controversies with Great
britain, france ana SPAN; and vet how exciting we
have been in our intercourse with New Granada Para
quay and San Juan de Nicaragua.
Mr.. President, one will dispute forefathers
maxms that the common safety of all is the safety Of
each of the States While they remain united the Fed
eral Government combines all the materials and all the
forces of the several Saes organizes their defences
one general principles harmonizes and assimlates them
with system; watches for them with a single eve
which it turns in all directions and all agents
der the control of one executive head nation
stituted is safe against assault insult.
war produces always speedy exhaustion of money
and severe strain upon credit The treasures and cred
its of Small confederaces would often prove inadequate
Those of the Union are always ample.
have thus far kept out of view the relations which
must arise between the conederacies themselves They
would be small and inconsderable nations bordering
each other and therefore, according all political phil
osophy natural enemies In addition to the many
les which each must make with foreign powers, and the
causes of which they would give by violating them
each of the conederacies must also maintain treaties with
ali the others, and be liable give frequent
fence They would necessarily have different interests
esnue F2 n mgr a & adhsFfga o i'm
migration, and perhaps the slave trade. Each would
stipuate with foreign nations for advantages peculiar
itself and injurious to its rivals.
IT, indeed it necessary that the Union should be
broken up it would be in the last degree important that
the confederacie to be formed should be nearly
possible equal in strength and power that mutual fear
and mutual respect might inspire them with caution
against mutual offence. But such equality could not
long be maintained; ccnfederacy would rise in the
scale of political Importance and the others would view
thenceforward with envy and apprehension. Jealous
les would bring frequent and retaiatory wars and all
these wars from the peculiar circumstances of the
federaces, would have the nature and character Of civil
Dissolution, therefore, is, for the people of this
country, perpetual civil war.
To mitigate it. and obtain occasional rest, what else
could they accept but the system of adjusting the balance
OF power which has obtained in Europe in which the few
strong nations dictate the very terms which all the
others shall be live When this hateful
should fail at least foreign nations would intervene
favor of one and then in aid another thus our
country having expelled all European powers from the
continent would relapse into aggregated form of its
colonial experience, and like Italy, Turkey, India and
and rapacity. If, however, grant to the
federacies exemption from complications among each
other and with foreign States still there is too much
to believe that not of them could long main
tain republican form Of government. Universal sutf
rage and the absence of standing army essential to
the republican system. The world has yet to single
Sustaining State of that kind, any conedera
ton of such States, except our own Canada leans on
Great Britain not unwillingy, and Switzerland is
guaranteed by interested monarchical States.
Our experiment has thus far been successful; be
cause by the continual addition of new States the nu
pf tha 0f n0T lI
restrained and reduced. No one, of forete
the way and of travel; but history indicates
with unerrng certainty the end which the several
federacies would reach. Licentousness would render
life intoerable and they would later purchase
tranquility and domestic safety by the surrender OF
liberty, and yield themselves up to the protection of
military despotism.
Indulge me, sir in two details under this head
First it is only sixty days since this dsunon movement
began; already those who engaged in it have
vassed with portentous freedom the possible recombna
tons of the States when discovered and the feasible al
ances of those recombnatons with European nations
alliances unnatural and which would prove ultimate
pestentia to society here that Of the Tlascalan
with the Spaniard, who promised them revenge upon
their ancient enemies, the AZtecs.
Secondly. The dsunon movement arises partly out
of dispute the common domain of theUntedStates
Hitherto the Union has confined this controversy with
in the bounds opolitcal debate by referring it, with all
other national ones to the abrament of the ballot box
Does any suppose that disunion would transfer the
whole domain to either party that any other umpire
than war would after dissolution, be invoked.
Thirdly This movement arises in another view, out
ton of the country. Freedom is to them to all
kind, the chief object of desire. Hitherto under the op
Grafton of the Union they have practically remained
norant of the controversy, especially of its bearing
themselves. Can hope that fragrant civil war shall
ourselves in their very presence, and yes
that they will remain stupid and idle spectators? Does
history furnish any satisfactory instruction the
horrors of civil among people so brave, so skilled
in arms in conviction and intent in pur-
pose we are? Isit mere chimera which suggests an
aggravon of those horrors beyond endurance when
either side there shall occur the intervention of an upr
inc Of
hapS twenty millions.
The opinions of mankind change, and with them the
policies nations. One hundred years ago all the
mercal European States engaged in transferring
negro slaves from Africa to this hemisphere. To-day all
those States firmly set in hostility to the extension
and the practice of slavery Opposition to it takes
two FORMS European which simple direct aboli-
lean which African slave trade and re-
sist the entrance of domestic slavery into Territories
where is yet unknown, while it leaves the disposition
Of existing slavery to the consierae action of the States
by which is retained. is the Union that restricts the
opposition to slavery in this country within these limits
If dissolution prevail what guarantee shall there be
against the full development here of the fearful and
compromising hostility to slavery which elsewhere per
vades the world and of which the invasion of E
gina illustration.
Mr. President l have desgnedly dwet so long on the
probable effects of dsunOn upon the safety of the Amer
people to leave little time to consider the other
evils which must follow in its train. But practically the
loss of safety involves other form of public cala
ty. When the guardian angel has taken flight
erythng is lost Dissolution would not only arrest bu
exnguish the greatness Of our country Even if sepa
rate confederaces could exist and endure they could
etly preserve share of the prestige of the
Union If the constellation to be broken up the
whether scattered widely apart grouped in smaller
clusters will thenceforh shedforh feeble glimmerng
lurd lights
Nor will great achievements be possible for the new
confyde aces. Dissolution would sgnalize its triumph
by acts Of wantonness which would shock and asound
the world. 1t would proyncialize Mount Vernon ant
give this Capitol to desolaon at the very
when the dome is rising heads that was bt
crowned with the statue of Liberty After this there woult
dSunOn acts OF StuDendOuS lnfamy to D(
committed. No petty conederacy that shall follow tht
United States can prolong even renew, the majestic
because its sublimty is incapable OF continuance. Let
be if we have indeed become degenerate After Wash
ngton and the niexble Adams Henry, and the peerless
Hamilton Jefferson and the majestic Clay, Webster and
the acute Calhoun Jackson the modest Taylor and Scott
who rises in greatness under the burden of years. anC
Franklin and Fulton, and Whitney, and Morse have al
performed their parts, let the curtain fall.
While listening to these debates have sometimes for
gotten myself in marking their contrased efforts upor
the page who cusomary stands the dais before me
and the venerable Secretary who sits behind him Tn,
youth exhibits intense but pleased emotion in the excite
ment while at every rreverent word that is uttered
against the Union the eyes of the aged suused
with tears Let him weep more. Rather rejoice, fol-
yours has been lot of felicity You have and
been part of all the greatness of your country tn,
towering national greatness of all the world Weep only
you and weep with all the bitterness of anguish who are
just stepping the threshold of life for that greatness
perishes premaurely and exists not for you me
| for any that shall come after
The public prosperity how could it survive the storm
Its clements industry in the culture of every fruit
mining OF all the metals at home and every
material improvement that knows obstacle ant
has end invention that ranges throughout the domain
of nature; increase Of knowledge broad human
mind can explore; perfection of art high human
genius can reach; and social refinement working thu
renovation of the world.
How could prosecute these noble object
in the midst of brutazing civil conflict What guaran
tees will capital invested for such purposes have that will
outweigh the premium offered by political and military
ambition? What leisure will the citizen find for study
invention, art under the reign OF conscrpon nay
what interest in them will society feel when hat
shall have taken possession of the national mind? lie
the miner in California take heed for its golden weatl
will become the prize of the nation that command tn
ron let the borderer take care for the Indian will
again lurk round his dwelling. Let the pioneer
back into denser settlements; for the railroad h
post road and the telegraph advance not furlonl
| further into the wilderness.
With standing armies consuming the substance of ou
people on the land and our and postal steamer
Withdrawn from the ocean, who will protect respect
who will even know by name petty confederaciesH-
The American of.war is a noble spectacle hay
it enter an ancient port in the Mediterranean Al
the world wondered at it and talked Of it. Salvo of
llery from forts and shipping in the hsrbor aluted it
flag Princes and Princesses and merchants paid it he
mage and all the people blessed it harbinger of hop
for their ultimate freedom. imagine the sam
noble vessel again entering the same haven The flag
stars and thirteen stripes has been haule
down. and in its place signal is up which Haunt
the device of lone star or palmetto tree Men ask
who Is the stranger that thus steals into waers
The answer contempuoCSly given is, "She comes fror
Of the obscure republics of North America Let he
| pass on.n
Lastly, public liberty own peculiar liberty mus
languish for time, and then to live. And such
liberty! free movement everywhere through our owl
land and throughout the world free speech free press
free suffrage; the freedom Of every subject to
every law and for against agent who expounds
administers or executes Unstable and jealous Confede
| races, constantly apprehendng assaults without an
reasons within formidable only to each other and con
empble to all beside; how long Will it be BEFORE tn
plea of public safety they will surrender all this nes
mable and unequaed liberty and accept the hateful an
intolerable espionage OF military despotism?
And now Mr. President what the cause for this sud
mr. of