Year: 1860

TAI enemies, Salu MT. w ., At the MOTH
have said so, and the people of the South
have lent to these falsehoods too willing
an ear, Have the gentlemen from the South
any thing to complain of when they are in
formed ofthe true state of Northern feeling?
In respect to the personal liberty bills
there are only two or three cases of them,
and practically they are null and void. The
Senators from Georgia. Virginia. and Mis-
sipsipp were so frank and canlid as to give
them up as causes for the excitement at
the South. f8l ie n


The law says that fugitive shall be ta-
ken to the State from whence he came, but
in practice he is carried anywhere. Mr..
w. knew where. under this bill, free men
had been kidnapped and carried away and
sold into everlasting slavery. Will the
Senators who are such advocates for State
Rights. deny State the poper of defend
ing her ows citizens from all exterior au-
Mority. even including the Federal Gov
ernment? These Personal Liberty laws
were not made to cast any dishonor or
degradation on any State or States, and
he. Mr.. W.. was glad to hear the Senator
from Virginia say that their repeal would
not relieve the complaints of the South
Now it will be reipembered that his COL
league from OhiotMr. Pugh) had said
that the Republican Judges and Republi-
can Courts in Ohio had fulilel this most
rcpulsive duty with perfect faithfulness.-
The Senator from Illinois (Mr. Douglas)
had testified the same of his State, and
the Senator from Indiana (AIr. Fitch) had
done so for his. Thus the calumny is re-
novel from us. Now. on the other hand,
continued Mr. W., where you have lost
one siave zee hare lost ten men murdered by
your moJs. Men from the North who
travel in the South for business or pleas
urc are met by your vigilance committees
and insulted, abused, or killed. If q man
from Ohio goes South they do not ask
him what party he is of. or of what flag
he followed, but treat him in a manner
that would disgrace savages We have
no security. No matter how worthy, how
innocent a man may be. if he be from the
-NorM he Is a marked man. If he exercised
his political rights. and especially if he
voted for Lincoln it is an indignity not
to be tolerated. Yet you can accuse us OF
violating the Constitution. Mr.. w. did
not believe that in the history of the pora
there erer sccs a nation or people wherein
a luw repuGnant 10 tie general feeling was
erecuted Nth equal .fdeiity to'taat Of tie fu-
.git;ve SLAVE law. No repugnant law can
be executed with the same fidelity as law
which runs with the inclination of the
people. Every candid man will admit
this. Now. there is law in Charleston,
South Carolina. to put poor men who
come there from Northern States into Jail,
and if they do not pay their Jail fees they
are sold for those fees into eternal slavery


Is not this alike contrary to humanity and
TO the Constitution of the United States?


As the dominant party has nothing to
complain of in the legislation of this body,
or of the States. he would make the re-
mark that the Republican party of all the
North hold the same opinion of the insti-
tuition of slavery as is held by all the civ
ilized people in Europe; as in England,
France. Germany and Italy. The Senator
from Texas said "Cotton is King" and
that all of us must bow down to it. If it
is King in Europe. the subjects of the
King are talking there in a very rebellious
way about it. Europe tells You it sympa-
thizes with what you call the Black Re-
publican party. 1t is to be hoped we
shall hear no more the boast that Got


ton is King" to bring men to its footstool.


No Republican orator or newspaper has
even pretended that we have any intent
or right to interfere with or invade your
institution in your own State. Why. then.
do You complain? Will you break up
this Government and involve us all in
war and bloodshed on a mere suspicion
that we may hereafter do something pre-
judicial to your interest? We do not love
slavery. Is that anything new? Di you
not know this before? Is it anything
new that the whole civilized world dislikes
slavery? We Republicans did as you
did; we made our platform; we nominated
our candidates; the issue was made up
We went to the people. and, though here
tofore generally beaten. our cause was so
good that we beat YOU / tell you that
our President and Vice President must be
insugurated. precisely as their predeccs-
sors have been. 1t would be dishonorable
for him who has the verdict of the people
in his pocket to take any step short of
what his position demands ofhim. There
is nothing to compromise. All sorts of
events may happen, tunnoils. disorders,
war, but every thing must 60 on in due
order. Ii ever the day comes when in this
country majority ceases to rule. the lib
critics of the country will be gone. For
myself, said Mr.. Wade, had | the verdict
of the people in my pocket. / would suffer
anything rather than compromise. This
is no place for comfy or generosity
There is no better title 10 the Office of
President than the verdict of the people.
If we cannot stand there. VIC cannot
stand anywhere. ANY other principle
than that would be as fatal to you as to
us. Suppose Lincoln is from one section
of this country is he not honest? Is not
AIR. Brcckinriige from one section toos-
If Mr.. Breckinridge had been elected, do
you think we would have raised q hostile |
hand against the Government or Consti- |
tuition? When beaten we have never
complained. bnt have quietly submitted to |
the verdict Of the people. He would yield |
to no compromises. Mr.. Lincoln, he said. |
comes not here begging. It would be an !
indignity to his constituents. We have
won our right to our Chief Magistrate in