Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-02-28
SPEECH OF RoBr. P. p1cx.

Ss"'to PFOteS1thg against TIE 6fn1tnQ 01lI
PatFng Of Slaces By the Confsderats sd ||5nk
Mr.. SPEAKER:-The resolutions now i "a, ne
Senate are of very important characteF " tof.
my oil our most careful and serious con; 'loh
1hey are upon a subject of great delfctf \ ~.
VoiVe consequences OF the gravest mon,,N z, NE
are now about to give expression to the II \ u 81
Norh-Carolina upon question which IS &
turolng element for nearly half cent? 81 he
| political affairs Of the United States .,h
| oy frequent agitation finally disrupted "a e . ION
OF those States, and involved them ii y 81. ...t
fearful and gigantic struggie-the ef1 Ind
6loodiest in tho history Of man. Th lion
mas also occupied much Of the attentioa t|-
iized nations of Europe, and has in st Ise
| influenced them in the positions whic,I &ro
assumed towards the belligerent parties Fat
American war
1t is all important, therefore, that we Ike
true position on this question; on an
\ be maintained with reason and areunat He
intelligent tribunal of Christehdom |..1
| VIII be consistent with our previous Nd
l opinionsj and one which alone can n a. '.ra
disagreement and disturbances betgt
iederate States.s That true position 81
rs. That slavery domestic ms .1bIecf
only so the municipal laws of the ssssss3 states
wherein 1t exists. This question has been hus fire.
/ quently adjudicated by the highest judicial tribunals
OF the land, and there have been but few any, dis
senting opinions five now concede to bur gen
eral government the power to control the tdtus of
| ~ Sho oS'0i1l OIalSe VIC al OuCo 10 tuTLuCl
than the Republican party went before tho war and
FULLY as far as they go That party insisted that
the general governmentmgh control the question of
slavery in the territories but they always discaim-
ed the power to interfere with it in the States
This was substantially the doctrine of the eeeSra-
ted Chicago platform upon which Mr.. Lincoln was
hrstelected aAd the precpitat0rs of the South pre-
tended to be so sensitive upon this question: that
| they broke up the Union upon the bare assertion
OF political principle before any effort bad been
made to carry it into practical operation. The gov
eminent OF the United States never did q wrong 10
slavery, but always endeavored to uphold and pro-
tectit; and even the Republican party, after the
election OF Lincoln, offered to provide constitu-
uonal guarantee for its perpetuity in the slave
States. This proposition was indignantly rejected
by the leading secession spirits of the South, and
the government was destroyed-a government which
had so long made US prosperous and happy-at home,
and great among the nations. The only Justi6ca-
ton for this work Of ruin was the assertion by
political party of the abstract right to control the
question OF slavery in the territories. call it
abstract right because it could never have been of
any practical Importance. The territories were not
adapted to slave labor, and from the creation of the
| world God had decreed by the interchangeable laws of
climate and production that African slavery should
never exist in them. If the United States govern
ment had been the most earnest propagandist of
slavery, it could not have forced negroes into its
bleak territories unless it could have assumed ON
nipotent power and caused the summer sun to lin
ger longer upon the cold bosom Of the northwest
EN- prairies. African slavery cannot long exist
der any system Of laws where it is not profitable,
and the people of the States the best judges of
| their interests
The narrow limits Of State will not admit of
much diversity Of climate and production, and thus
there will be but little conflict of interests upon
| this question.
This revolution has not only produced great al
terations in the position Of States, but it seems
,lYyN hoyo I'll - ~.
political sentiment The very men Who Wereronce
SO jea,e=S 15osss Jpi5.7 1ffTS ~ frnmenk in
terfering with abstract questions dfning slave
~, now the jealous advocates Of me practical
| doctrine that the Confederate government con.
troll slavery in the States; that government ex-
preSsy formed for the protection and perpetuation
OF slavery, can now destroy the institution by put
ting slaves in the army as soldiers, an6then eman-
cipating them without the consent of the citizen
and IN defiance Of State laws. This revolution in my
opinion is more startling than the grandest events
of the war, aud it is the evidence either of former
| hypocrisy, present political madness, or the Wild
/ est despair.
propose for short time to advert to the history
Of the slavery question. 1t full of painful inter-
est and instructive lessons. The experience Of the
past is the surest light 10 guide US in the gloomy
| present and the uncertain future Amidst the dan
gers and difficulties that around and before us,
let US keep our eyes steadily fixed on the compass
| of truth and the beacon lights of the past and
strain every nerve 20 reach the port at which
aimed. Let US not initiate the adventurous block
ade runner, Who when he finds that he cannot reach
his destined port wrecks his ship upon the break
ers. The loss of his cargo may be supplied by fu-
ture industry and enterprise, but the vessel We con-
troll is ffeghted with life, blood, and the dearest
hopes of the country; and if we must go down be-
fore the storm, let it not be by our own reckless
folly. At the time of the adoption of the Consti-
tuition OF the United States slavery existed in near
y all of the States which then composed the feder-
al Union. Long experience had shown that slave
labor was not adapted to the climate SOIL and pro.
auctions of The Northern States, and in a short
time it ceased to exist in them. This emancipation
was. prompted by motives of selfihterest and it
was effected without any political disturbances
About the time of the last with Great Britain,
slavery became involved with other political issues
| The Federal party at the North who were Top.
posed to the war; insisted that it was unnecessarily
forced upon the country by the slave power of the
government and the New England States were
greatly exasperated by the destruction of their COM
merce and fishing interests. This feeling of hostil
ity to the slave power continued to wideH deepen,
and strengthen throughout the North, and 1t enter
ed IN some degree, into most of the political ques
tons of that day. This is the birth period Of the
"irrepressiSe conflict" and it threatened disas-
trous consequences when Missouri applied for adj
mission into the Union slave State. But
tunatey for the countryal of the Fathers Of the
Republic were not dead and there were many nos
Ole spirits IN Tue national COUNCILS, VINO, oy tnelr
enlarged patriotism and transcendent intelects
enabled to control and calm the storm. The Mis-
souri, compromise was adopted and it restored peace
and harmony, andthe nation went on in its career
! Of prosperity and power. In after years slavery
became largely involved 10 the tariff question,
which, for time, seriously disturbed the peace of
the country, but the indomiable 6rmness Of Jack
son, and the patriotism of Clay, smothered but did
not eradicate the spirit of discomfort This was
the time when the work of disunion began, and
slavery chosen the instrument to destroy the
| government Then commenced the constant con-
test between the two sections of the country. for
political ascendeney. The slave power had always
controlled the government, but it was now losing
its influence by reason of the rapidly increasing
| population of the free States.
Thesouth locked with apprehension at this state of
affairs, and desired to preserve its former influence
by the extension Of the of slavery. The policy
of the North was to resstal measures which tended