M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1864-05-12
GREAT SPEECH
OF
HON. ALEXANDER long,
OF OHIO,
DELIVERED
In the House OF Representatives
April y, 1854.
GREAT SPEECH
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK |

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
Andrew jackson in his farewell
address to the American people ha;
soIcmnly warned them that the citi-
2ens OF one section Of the country ar
Imycd in arms against the other would
be the end Of The Union and aa emo
Of the hope of freedom. He says
That, "ii such a struggle is once he
gun, and the citizens Of one section
of the country arc NrrNyed in arms
against those Of the other, in doubtful
cOuhct, let the battle resuI; as it NAV
there will he an end Of the Union and
with it "p end Of the hope oflrcedom
The victory OF tho injured would not
5ocureto them the blessings liberty;
| it would aytnge their wrongs, but
I they woHld themselves share in the
common ruin. The Constitution can
not be maintained nor the Union pre-
served, in opposition to public feel e
ing, by tie mere eXerlion Of the Coer
Give powers c0nfIed to the govern
mcnt.
But THIS opinion, tl,at the Union
canno! be preserved BY HE corrcivu
powers ofthe government, was not
confined to the departed statesmen ot
the couTtry.
William II. Seward in his letter OF
April II, 1861, to Mr.. Adams, our
Minister 10 England, said:
For these reasons, the President
would not be disposed to reject n
cardinal doctrine Of theirs Ohe rebuls)
namely ; that the Federal Govern
ment could not reduce tho soccding
States to obedience by conqucst, even
though he were disposed 10 question:
that proposition But in TACT Hlc
President willingly accepts il as true.
Only az impcrial or despotic govern
mcnt could subjngato thoroughly dis
affected and insurrectionary members
.o' the State. This Federal Rcpub
Iicah system Of ours is Of all forms Of
government TIC very one which is
'm'st uuiittcd for such labor"
Such was the language Of 'ha Sc
crrtary OF State in April, 1861, three
days before the Sunday on Which the
President wrote his proclamation cal
ling out sevcnIy.tivr thousand roupa,
but alter seven States had seeded
lhe Secretary shared in the fears OF
the President, that the ATTEMPT to
suGju5ato the South woud DESTROY
the government. Three Years Of civil
war in q vain and lruiIless cE,rt at
Snhngalon attest ahd prove to-day
the correctness of tho opinion then
held by the President. "Ouly an i'm.
pariaI or dcspOtic government could
subinaatc thoroughly disatccsri and
IrsurectiUnary members OF the State.
This Federal Republic of ours is oil
all forms 0! government the most un
fitted for sNch labor" Who does MT
believe it' II there is truth in the
Declaration Of Independence, and the
gentlemen Oh the opposite side ol the
lloHSe will certainly rot dispute it,
since they incorporated it in :he Chi
cago platform which became a law
unto the President; who, ask, eau
deny the conclusion Of the Secretary
Of State, having in view always, as
he and the President undoubtedly had
the great caldipal truth underlying
all repNblican governments which dc.
rive their just powers from the CON
cent Of the governed = II the Pres
idcnt and his Secretary OF State gave
utterance to truth IN 1861, is ii any
less a truth to-day Z Has not rather
the experience OF three years of war
confirmed i'll | believed it then. |
believe it now.
But, sir, have st;ll another wit
ness tV call. The honorable Senator
from Ohio, tMr. WadeO as reported
in tho Congressional Globe, third
session Thirty Fosrth Congress, page
%, said:
"You cannot fOreibly hold men in
this Uniou, for the attempt to do so,
it seems to me, would subvert tie first
principles Of the Government under
which we live"
On the 10th of June, 1916, Con-
gressional Globe, page o., the present
Chief Magistrate OF the nation said /:
"Any people, anywhere, being in.
clned and having the power, have a
right to rise up and shake off tile &c
isting Government and loinl q ne,C
one that suits Mcm better"
"Nor is this right confined to cases
in which the people OF an existing
Government may choose to exercise
! 1t. Any po,tipn Of such people that