Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1863-06-13
Speech of Henry CLAY,

formation Of our Constitution, and after
wards, Our patriotic ancestors apprehend
danger to the Union from two causes
One was the Allegheny mountains, divid-
ing the waters which flow into the Atlantic
Ocean from those which find their outlet
in the Cult of Mexico. They seemed to
present natural separation. That dan
ger has vanished be- fore the noble achieve.
ments of the spirit ofinternal improvement
and the immortal genius Of Fulton, Aud
now no where is found a more loyal at.
atchment 10 the Union, than among those
very Western people, who, it was appre-
hended, would be tho first to burst its ties
The other cause, domestic slavery, hap
lily the sole remaining cause whoh is
likely to disturb our harmony, continues
to exist. It was this which created the
greatest obstacle, and the most anxious
solicitude, i'll the deliberations of the Con-
venton that adopted the Federal Constitu-
ton. And it is this subject that has ever
been regarded with the deepest anxiety
by all who are sincerely desirous of the
permanency of our Union. The Father Of
his Country, in his last affecting and SOL
emn appeal to his fellow citizens, depreca-
ted, as most calamitous event, the geo.
graphical divisions which it might produce
The Convention wisely left to the sever
al States the power over the institution of
slavery, as power net necessary to the
plan Of the Union, and which contained
the seeds of certain destruction. There
let it remain, uudisturbed by any unhal-
lowed hand.
Sir, am not in the habit of speaking
lightly of the possibility of dssolvng this
happy Union. The Senate knows that l
have deprecated alusicns, on ordinary
occasions, to that direIul event. The
country will testify, that ii there be any
thing in history Ofmy public career worthy
of recollection, it is the truth and .inceri-
ty OF my ardent devotion to its lasting pre-
servatlon. Bat we should be false in our
allegiance to it, if we did not discriminate
between the imaginary and real dangers
by which it may be assailed. ABoLITIoN-
ISM should be no longer regarded a4 an
imaginary danger. The AboIitionists, let
me suppose, succeed in their present aim of
uniting the inhabitants of the free States
as one man, against the Inhabitants of The
slave States. Union OH the one side will
beget union on the other. And this pro-
cess of reciprocal consolidation will be at
tended with all the violent prciudices, en-
bittcred passions, and implacable animos-
iiies,, which are possible to degrade or de-
form human nature. virtual dissolution
of the Union will have taken place, whilst
the forms of its existence remain The
most valuable element Of union, mutual
kindness, the feelings Of sympathy, the
fratornal bonds, which now happily unite
US, will have been cxtinguished forever
One section will stand in meuacins and
hostile array against the other. The COL
lislon of opinion will be quickly followed
by the clash of arms. l will not attempt
to describe scenes which now happily lie
concealed from our view. Abolitionists
themselves would shrink back in dsmay
and horror at the contemplation of desc
lated fields, conhagrated cities, murdered
inhabitants, and the overthrow of the fair
est fabric Of human government that ever
rose to animate the hopes Of civilized
man.
Nor should these Aboitionists fatter
themselves that if they can succeed in
their object of uniting the people Of the
free States, they will enter the contest with
a numerical superiority that must insure
victory. All history and experience prove
the hazard and uncertainty of war. And
We are admonished by Holy Writ that the
race is not 10 the swift, nor the battle to
the strong,
But if they "cre to conquer, whom
would they conquer? A fo' cign for No,
sir; no, sir. IL ,cOuld be a conquest ,oah-
out IauIelS, ,cittOW glory A SELF, A SUI,
cIDAL Conquest; conquest of brothers
oUer brothers, achieved by one over another
portion Of the desc cndants Of common an
cestors, who, nobly pledging their lives
their fortunes, and their sacred honors, had
fought and bled, side by side, in many
hard battle on land and ocean severed our
country from the British crown, and es-
tablisbed our national independence.
am, Mr. President, no friend of sla-
very. The soarcher Of all hearsts knows
that every pulsation of mine beats high
Al. I'll la