Year: 1860

At / o'clock, Mr.. PowELL's (dem., KY. J
resolution was taken up. . ....


Mr., WADE of Ohio said : At a time
like this, when there seems to be unusual ex.
ctement, have very little faith in the cffl-
cacy of any argument. But / must say,
when, in this very chamber, where we have
oil raised our hands to Heaven and taken
an oath that we would sustain the ColIsti.
tuition of the U. s., we hear it said by ma.
ny Senators that we are upon the eve of a
dissolution of this Union, and that your
Constitution is to be trampled under foot,
silence under such circumstances seems to
be akin to treason itself. We have listened
TO complaints on the other side of this
chamber patiently, and with an ardent de-.
sire to ascertain what they were. But |
confess am unable to understand what it
is Of which they complain. The party which
has lately elected the President, and is pros
pectively coming into power, have never
held Office under this Government, nor any
individual of them. Therefore, it is mani
fest that that party have as yet committed
no act of which anybody can complain If
any one has fears as to what may hereafter
ensue, they are mere apprehensons--noth-
ing else, A bare suspicion--a fear--rsiug
out of unwarrantable prejudices. 1 wish
to ascertain in the outset whether we are
right, for tell gentlemen here if they can
convince me that l am holding apylpolti-
cal principle that is not warranted by the
Constitution under which We live, or trench
es on their rights, they need not ask me to
I mill ho; ~, IA,
myself when Lam wrong No man need
approach me with a threat that the Gov
ernment is to be destroyed, because hope
that have now, and ever shall have, that
sense Of justice that when any man shows
me am wrong, shall be ready to right it
without threat or compromise. Now, what
Is it of which gentlemen complain When
/ left my home in the West to come tc this
place all was calm m'chcerful, and contended


| heard of no discomfort, and apprehended
there was no cause to interrupt the harmon
iouS course Of legislation. l did dot learn
that there had been, since we adjourned.
any new fact intervening that could at all
disturb the public mind. / did not know
that there bad been any encroachment up.
on the rights Of any section or any indigi.
dual. Therefore, came here expecting
we should have a harmonious session. 1t
is very true that the great Republican par
ty, which has been organized ever since you
repealed the Missouri Compromise, which
gave you four years ago full warning that
its strength would result as it has resulted


and | suppose any man might have suppos.
ed things would have resulted in the same
way-it is true this party has carried the
election f; but do not suppose anything
growing out of the election is the cause of
the present excitement in the country.
Now, who is it that is complaining? Is it
the minority that they have subjected to
an oppressive and aggressive Government.
No such thing as that, Sir We might sup
pose that "a years ago, when the leaders
of that glorious Revolution met in Phila-
delphia, there to draw up bill of indict-
Went against weak king and his ministers,
they had been at loss what they would
set forth as the cause Of their complaints


But they had no difficulty in setting them
forth, and SO the great article of impeach-
ment Will go down to posterity TO Justify
them for all they did. Let us. then SUP.
pose the old patriots had been the Minis.
ters OF the Crown, or members of the Brit
ish Parliament of the dominant party that
had ruled Great Britain for 80 years pre-
vious Instead of digniying what they did
as revolutionary who would not have hang
ed every man of them as traitors They
would ask what right have you. who have
had the Government 10 your own hands,


who have been Ministers, doing everything