The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-06-22

der, and confronting my accuSerS
, be!urc some one OF our accustomed
tribunals of criminal justice.
In foruer. aud harper>days, Mr..
President, had the honor Of serving
with yvu in the Na.iona: Congress, voa
being then y Representative and ! q.
Senator. We were never upon in,;
mate terms, nor indeed ever held
familiar Intercourse, either soeiaily or
politically, which l sHrposo~I muss
now recognize as 90 some extent, on
my part a circumstance Of personal
i'll fortune. Lam Srat;;ied to re,ne'n-
be-, though, tha: there was at the
period referred to much similit,,de in
our general political opinions, and Ill
our votes upon the floor of Congress.
We both supported President Folks
administration. We both sustained
his Mexican war policy, the famous
Monroe loc;4;ue, as a5Iv cxpounded
IN Mr.. FoIh's messages, and presented
the sternesl opposition to villa. was
known as the Wimot Proviso We
both warmly advocated MIR. CLAWS
celebrated compromise 'mcasurcs of
1880.
When, afterwards, the Kansas.-Ne-
5ra>k;, bill was brought forward, and
then again th4 Lecomp,oa Constitution
En-, though not then in Congress,
opposed theal both, on the ground
that they We're likely to lead to re-
neweI Sectional agitation. How YOU
voted on these qicSlio'.S ] am not pres
cisc.y informed. When. in 1860, a
sectional 'ac'ion in the South, abctted
an sustained by certain slippery and
intriguing politicians Of the North,
succeeded III modifying the Democratic:
l''e>ldenflal platform, giving thereby
TO that platform, for ;he first l.ne in
our history, "n aggressive aspect in
regard to slavery, did not mite witt.
them, believing aud openly predicting
THAI ei,is movement would be fatal to
the unity OF tile Democratic party =
would separate the South most unpro.
pitiously from ncr natural political
allies, bring about the election Of a
sectional President from tAe North,
and lhus supply TO the secession lead
erS oi' the South the opportunity, for
which they had been 50 long CHING,
o! withdrawing the SlayeIold;nr States
from the I'c..:al Union, ut The hazard
ui one OF, the ,Ioo,iiest wars which has
ever occurred. ! am painc,i to re-
member, Mr.. President. that you
advocated The modified Democratic
platform, and both spoke and voted for
Grcclinrdg re and Lane, which | did
not to for the reasons st1tel. + DID
not suspect y"u q; doing these things
with a view 10 ai>union. md have
never so charged. W hen Mr.. Lincoln
was aSccrral"c,i 10 have b en- elected
to the Presidency You and concurrcd
AGAIN in asserting that: being elected
accors sliHy to tie forms Of the Consti-
tuition. lhat event could not justify the
Withdrawal OF the Southern States
from the Union. You did not, as a
Southern Senator, withdraw from Con
grcss, rs others did; ana am sure
You ac;ed wise Y in not doing so.
" When, afterwards, the State of South
Carolina, as | thought most inliscree,-
l,y, adopted IN ordinance o. secession,
openly coH1c..ncd her contact; YOU
did likewise. Wnen the people Of
Georgia called y convention lor the
purpose Of deciding whether they |
would scce&e, in imitation Of the OK
ample Of South Carolina, L earnestly
urged my citizens of Tennessee
to send commissioners to the place |
where that convention was expected to
assemble, for the purpose Of solemnly
-.