The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1862-02-06
C.rr@,, D..s. On the nesellien.

1 Senator Davis, IN his speech in the
Senate he other day, while abusing thl
Republicans without stint and wishing hs
had the power to hang some of the most
earnest and efficient of their number, con,
demned the rebellion IS utterly withou,
cause or provocation. And, moreover,
he most emphatically declared that he
would prefer to see the Confederate States
sunk to the bottom OF the ocean rather
than that the Union should be dismem.
bered. We give the following extract,
He says:
This revolt took place; this war was
made and for what cause, or upon what
provocation Only word OF two upon
that point. admit the indeslructiblc
right of revolution. admit that when.
ever people are oppressed beyond en-
durancc they have right to revolt and
to eFerturn their Government but I ut
tcrly deny that there was any cause of
grievance or oppression existing on the
part Of the General Government against
the seeded States at that time which an-
thoriEed or which began to authorize or
to create even pretext for their revolt.
Where is the State that had suffered any
wrong or any oppression by the act Of the
General Government Where was the
Shareholder, where was the citizen Of the
Southern States that had suffered any
wrong or any oppression from the Gov
eminent of the United States I Why,
Mr.. President, in the Convention ofSouth
Carolina some time afterwards they made
an attempt to draw up an Indictment
against the General Government, such as
is embraced in the Declaration of INDIE
pendence against the Government Of Eng
land. Mr.. Rhett and some Of the grent-
est and most fertile minds of that State
attempted this work, and what did they
do2 They abandoned it in despair be-
cause there were no grievances in exist
ence that they could charge against the
Government Of the United States and
many of them, including Mr.. Rhett HIM
self, had the manliness to AVON TO the
country that this scheme Of secession and
of disruption they had entertained ever
since the year 1882.
Mr.. President, / never worshipped amy
man, but believe that the feeling ap-
preaching nearest to it that / have felt
for any man ever knew, was for the H.
lustrious Clay. It was not often that ]
dissented from his opinions or his great
measures Of policy; but when he inter
posed to shelter Calhoun, and McDuf6e
and Hayne, and the other traitors Of South
Carolina, from the inst punishment which
Old Hickory was ready to inAict upon
them for their treason, / thought then.
and still think, that he committed an e..
ror. 1t would have been better-oh !!
how much bstter--that the issue had been
met under that great chief, who Ind the
hearts and the confidence Of the Ameri-
can people to an extent and degree Of in
tensity that no man, not even Washing
ton himself. has ever had, when he had
the assistance of the grcat military emp
tain Of the age, and his own popularity
with the people Of the United States, was
all conquering. How unfortunate for the
country. in my judgment, was 1t. and has
it been since, that this issue then was not
squarely made and settled under the aus
pieces OF the hero Of New Orleans? / know
what his secret counsels were, and / know
upon testimony that is entitled to the full
est credit, that he had directed warrants
for treason to be issued in this city against
the three principal conspirators, and that
when the first gun Of rebellion rsyerber-
ated from the shores Of Charleston har-
Dor, he would have hung them under the
second or some other section Of the force
bill. as they deserved.
But this is depression, Mr.. Presi-
dent. Here was this long-cherished,
well-matured conspiracy of South Caro-
lima extending through generation.--
She had often made attempts.to bring it
to eliminating and successful point
She had year or two before invited Vir-.
ginia aud other Southern States to unite
with her in the movement; hut Ill her
solicitations and oil her establishments
proved abortiye One Of the Representa-
tiyes from Virginia in the other end Of
the Capitol Mr.. Pryor. was at Charles
ton before the bombardment Of IT. Sum-
tor opened He made speech there to
the conspirators and their chiefs and
what was his declaration to them? "You
want to get Virginia into this conspiracy;
you can never do it until yen strike .
blow" and the next day the blow was
struck, and the bombardment Of Fl. Sum-
ter opened.
The gentleman knew all this history
he knew many more niaatia and details
connected with it. oil tending TO prove the
guilt, the deep guilt Of the conspirators.
and their determined and unalterable pur-
pose to effect the dissolution Of the Union.
What have they said again and again p
"The United States Government'--I be-
lievc they do not call it that; they call it