The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-05-08

Union that we cannot in if Anything ii
l have been zealously contendiug for-snd
intend to contend foH-every right, even 70 |
the ninth part of 3 hair, that feel the state /
which 1 have the honor to represent is emit /
tied to. do not intend to demand anything
but that which is right and i will remark,
in this connection, that there 10 a spirit in
the country which, lift does not exist in this
hall, does exist in the great mass of the PEG
pie north and south, to do what is right; and
If the.question could be taken away from the
politicians-if it could be taken away from
the congress of the United States, and refer
red to the mass of the great intelligent voting
population of the United States-they would
settle it without the slightest difficulty, and
bid defiance to secessionists and disunionists.
Applause in the galleries.
In fighting this battle, l shall do it on the
basis laid down by portion OF the people OF
my own state, in large and very intelligent
meeting. A committee of most intelligent
mon in the country reported, in the shape OF
| resolutions, to this meeting, the basis on
| which intend to fight this great battle for
our rights. They reported this resolution:
"Resotred, That we deeply sympathize
with our sister southern states, and freely ad
NIT there is q cause for dissatisfaction and
complaint on their part, on account of the re
centelection of sectional candidates to the pre-
4 AucuCy 6uu flCc PK0Di00uCy VI tHC WOb
| q portion of the people of slaveholding COM
munity, are not for seceeding or breaking
up the Union of these states until every other
fair and honorable means has been exhausted
| in trying to obtain. on the part of the non.
| slaveholding states, a compliance with the
spirit and letter of the constitution and all its
guarantees; and when this shall have been
done. and the states now in open rebellion
against the laws of the United States IN re-
fusing to execute the fugitive slave law, shall
persist in their present unconstitutional
course, and the federal government shall fall
or refuse to execute the laws in good faith, it
1.-THE government) will not have accomplished
the great design of Its creation, and will
therefore, in fact be a practical dissolution,
and all the states, as parties, be released from
the compact which forms the Union"
/ believe that, to a certain extent, dissolu
ton is going to take place. / say to the north
you ought to come up In the spirit which
characterizes and controls the south on this
question; and you ought to give them lndi-
cations in good faith that will approach what
the south demands. 1t will be no sacrifice on
your part Ii is no suppliancy on ours, but
simply demand of right. What concession
is there in doing right? Then, come forward
We have it in our power-yes, this congress
here to night has it in it's power to save this
Union, even after South Carolina has gone
out Will they not do it You can do it,
Who is willing to take the dreadful alterna'
tive without making an honorable effort to
save the government? This congress has i,
in Its power to day to arrest this thing, a,
least for a season, until there is time to con
slider about it, until we cah act discreetly and
prudently, and, believe, arrest it altogeth
| er.
Shall we give ur to the Fandsls and the
Cloths? Shall we shrink from our duty, anC
desert the government as q sinking ship, oil
shall we stand by it? /, for one, will stand
here until the high bebest of my continuent.
demands me to desert my post and, instead
of laying hold of the columns of this fabric
and pulling it down, though | may not bs
much of prop, | will stand with my shout
der supporting the edifce as long human
8 effort can do it, Then, cannot we agree? W.
| can, if we will, and come together and saw
the country.
I In saving what | have said on this occa
+ sion, Mr.. President, have done it in view O
: duty that l felt owed to my continents
Q that | owed to myself. Without regard q
? consequences. / have taken the position
0 have; and when the tug comes, when Greei
shall meet Greek, and our rights are refused
Q after ali honorable means have been exhaust
: ed, then it is that will perish in the las
breach yes. in the language of the patrio
!. | will burn every blade of grass, and the las
= intrenchment of freedom shall be my grave.
i. Then let stand by the constitutions; and Il
e preserving the constitution we shall save tn
r Union and in saving the Union, we save this
{ the greatest government on earth
j | thank the senate for their kind attention
!, We subjoin the vote in the senate, March
. 1861, on the "Crittenden propositions"
Yeas-Bsyard, Bigler, Bright, Crittenden
a Douglas, Gwin. Hunter, JOHNSON, of Tenne:
see Kennedy. Lane. Latham, Mason, Nicho
t sou, Polk, Pngh, Rice, Sebastian, Thompso
: and Wigfall-19.
!. Nays-Anthony, Bling CHAM, Chandler. Clarl
e Dixon, Doolittle, Durkee, Fessenden, Foo
d Foster, Grimes, Harlan, King, Morril, Sumner
Q Ten Eyck Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson an
t Wilson 20 Congressional Globe page l40'
Mr.. johnson also, on the same day, vote
@ for the Peace conference propositions,
i along with Crittenden, Douglas and other
- Congressional Globe page l405.
Ts.lxl u ~@,+