M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1862-02-13
4 VOICE FROM NEW vIRGINIG
sPEECH OF HON. JOHN {
CARLISLE.
His Opinion of slavery Agitatsrs.

> In the Srnsie Of the United States
on the 17rh Of December, Hon, John
s. Carlisle, one OF the Senators from
Western Virginia, spoke as follows:
Mr. PREsIDENT:-l imagine that
the Senate is convissced and the eoall,
IpyWill - when the 8pessli of tIe
Senator from Kansas goes before 4.
that the President Of the United
States las committed one grand mia.
nike. Blythe Constitution ofthe U.
.hiied States he is male the Comman.
der in chief Of onr armies, and Ne Sc
lects the individual wno is 10 condncl
their movements in the field. The
mistake he hps committed has 5 en-
IN not selecting the Senator from
Kansas as that comma ndu.
Sir. it IS easy Tor gentlemen in THEN
rooms and upon the carpeted floors Of
Congress to criticse military move.
ments; Int ! think, at a time liPe
this, when the maintenance Of the
Constitution aud the integrity OF the
Uninn depend upon the manner in
which our military operations are to
be conducted it IL enough to know
that these operations are confled by
the Constitution Of the country, aud
by Congress, TO the hands OF men in
whom we have confidence.
Sir. ! have no military experience,
b. there is one view that does press
heavily dp"n my mind in opposition
to the theory advanced by the Senator
from Kansas and thlnb it will be &C
knowledgrd to be common sense, II
not military sense; where tho advan.
tages OF victory would not he equal
to the disastrous consequences result.
ing from a defeat, We should hesitate
long before we give battle. do mol
believe that we are in q condition 4
stand another defeat on the Potomac;
and believe that j we be defeated
there again, the consequences or that
defeat will bo more disastrous to tlle
country than any benefits that are
likely 10 result from victory that
we might obtain by an impatient on,
ward movement. am willing, and
| believe the great body Of the loyal
people OF the country. not only in the
seeded States but throughout the
Uuion, are willing to rely confidently
upon the wisdom and discretion o.
the executive power. aud to wait un-
til they are ready to move.
But. sir, | was surp; ised to hear
from the senator that twenty mil
lions OF loyal people are unable to
contend with Eve millions in rebellion
: counting all whites that are in the
rebellious States--withOnt libel ating
the tour million slaves that are in
the slaveholding States. Sir, this is
q confession Of weakness, that | am
unwilling TO make. We have been
accustomed to language like this
Ii now comes from the same gentle.
man who told us a year or two ago
that the four millions of slaves were
an element Of weakness to the slave.
holding Statee, the same gentleman
who laughed at u threated dissolution
OF the Union; the same gentl man who
hold mp to their people that il was
hug. g.bear and q scarecrow, ahi who
announced to the country that "the
South could not be kicked out OF the
Union." Sir, | distrusted them then;
] distrust them now when they tell
me o different stcry. | trust there
will he wisdom and patriotism enough
not alone in the Congress Of the ma.
ton, bat throughout The country, to
know that, constitutiona'ly speaking
this is not q war in which we are en-.
gagged. When you make war upon
a people, you make war upon ,he
whole oftlat people, and do not pre-
tend to discriminate between the in
uoceni and the gnilty. This is an Ell
Tort on the part otthe Federal Govern
ment 10 suppress insurrvction, to put
down 'ebcllioD; and while il is your
duty to pn. down the rebels, it is
/, qually your duty to protect the limo.
cent and unoffending citizrns, and you
cannot wage an inGiscriminate war
against the people Of these States
without trampling under foot the sol.
emn obligations 0f that Constitution
which binds this Union together.
Sir. have no prepared speech to
deliver to the Senate. ] have sat here
and nave been mortified. aud my
heart has sunk within me at seeing
HE precious moments consumed in
.,lavery agitation in this body, May
We not reasonably charge to this un-
warranted agitation Of subject which
is beyond the jurisdiction OF the Con.
gress of the United States, ii il regards
lie constitutional Obligations, the very
trouble that now stsres 10 in the fsce'