Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-06-22
BENJAMIN F. WADE AND JEFFERSON
nAVIS

In 1855, Senator from Ohio, stand :
ing in lis place in the Senate Of the
United States, gave utterance to the fol-
lowing sentiments:
There are some Senator'S who pro-
fess great regard for the rights of the
States, and some whe make louder pre-
fessions on the subject than / do. ! am
one ofthosewho not only when an elec-
ton is pending, but at all times, believe
in the wisdom, the constitutionality, and
propriely Of The Virginia resolutions Of
.l7ss and 1899, I ground myself upon
these resolutions, and standing upon
them, denounce this bill as violation
not only Of the spirit Of these resolutions,
but as an attempt to trample upon the
rights Of the States, and to deprive them
ofthe power to protect their own citizens.
Who is to be the judge in the last resort
of the violation of the Constitution of
the United States by the enactment of q
law? Who is the final arbiter7 The
general government, or States in their
sovereignty Verify, sir, to yield that
point is to yield up al the rights of the
States to protect their own citizens, and
to consolidate the Government into a
miserable despotism.
At the succeeding session Of Congress,
the same Senator said in debate;
Southern gentlemen stand here, andin
almost all their speeches speak Of the
dissolution OF the Union. l am not OF
those who would ask them to continue in
the Union. 1t would be doing violence
to the platform of the party to which ]
belong. We have adopted the old
Declaration of Independence as the
basis of our political movement, which
declares that any people, when the Gov
eminent ceases to protect their rights,
when it is so subverted from the true
purposes of government as to Cypress
them, have right to recur to fundamen-
tai principles, and, if need be, to de-
stroy the government'und which they
live, and to erect on its ruins another
more conducive to their welfare. / hold
that they have this right. l viii not
blame any people for exercising this
right when they think the contingency
has come. You cannot forcibly hold any
men in the Union; for the attempt to do
so, seems to me, would subyert the first
principles of the government under
which we live"
Did Mr.. Wade tell the TRUTH he said
he would not blame, etc. Did he blame
the South for recurring to first princi.
plesf does he blame the South for
attempting TO destroy government that
failed to protect its interests2 Yes,
right in the face of his speeches
delivered 10 The Senate, be does blame the
South. The blame is tall For adopting
his theory, be not only votes the South
back 10 a condition of provinces to be
ruled by the beyonet, but be growls and
threatens to take the property of white
rebels and divide it between the Govern.
ment, The negroes, and the white gentry
who, after they had preached young men
into the Southern armies, went them
selves over 10 The other side.
This doctrine Of Wade was identical
Eith that Of Calhoun, aud he is, to day,
as much responsible for the rebellion Of
the South as Mr. Davis, Mr.. Breekin-
ridge, or any other southern man. he
is now Vire President, ard, with his
former speeches starirg him in the face,
from his lofty emiaenee, soOwls down
upon The South.