Year: 1861

did not listen to our remoustrance an.


advice. there is still remedy. I bav'


an abiding confidence that there will be


way found out by which it will be done


Congress can do it if the State refuse


1t is in the power Of the Congress of th'


United States. and by the present Con


gress-aud if not BY this, BY the next


to do all that is required to preserve tn,


interests of the South. am not de-


fender of the course of the North. The


North has aegressed. aed so, too, has the


South. But believe it to be in the pow.


er Of the present Congress to pass laws


that will accomplish all that can be de.


sired or demanded. We of the people OF


Virginia have no right to control the leg
islation of other States. The cannot con.
troll the legislation Of this State. We can.
not control the Legislature of this State.
No State can control the Legislature of a.
mother State. Our claim and demand
is on Congress and on the President of
the United States. Now. Sir, suppose
that the present Congress were to pass a
law, first of all, to relieve the fugitive
Slave Law OF that odious feature which
| haze referred to elsewhere. which will
add to rather than impair tho efficiency
of the law. and then accompany it With
another act of legislation declaring it to
be felony of the highest grade for any
citizen of any State to rescue. or atte mpt
tn cl ka H. 1f 81
officer of the law. or after be has been re.
stored to his 10 aster, and that if the Gov
ernment of the United States should it.
self undertake the responsibility Of pay.
ing for the slave that may be rescued, of
satisfying the owner of the slave that it
should be rescued and hold it chrase a.
galnst the State that thus permits the vio-
latIon of the law within her limits Let
Congress do this. pass a Law proclaimiDg
it to be felony of the highest grade. and
imposing penalty on those who attempt
or succeed 10 attempting to rescue a slave,
and hold it charge against the State
Then in regard to the Territories. Let
them do what ought never to have been
uDdone. Let them establish the Nilsson.
ri compromise line and extend it to the
Pacific. and it will satisfy every State of
the Union, except South Carolina. which
does not mean to be sati-fed. We sp.
prebend nothing from South Carolina
She is not mad enough to 60 out of the
Union by herself. A remedy is at hand.
If South Carolina declare herself out of
the Union, she would still be State of
the Union in state of rebellion. Let
the Old Public Functionary do what be
thinks proper; and from hasty reading
Of bis message | think it would be hard
TO tell what be is going to do. He has
a divided Cabinet, and divided mes.
saga portion of it to suit his own
views ani a najority of the Cabinet, and
another not his own, but minority of
the Cabinet He takes the ground, which
have taken heretofore, that under the
articles Of confederation the Union was
perpetual, and that the object of the Con-
stitution was to make a more perfect U
Dion, and that the Constitution gave Con.
gress the power to perpetuate itself; and
be cites the laws of 1894 and 1907 to
show that the power is given the Federal
Government to preserve the laws. Yet,
if South Carolina declare herself out of
the Union. there is no power on the face
of the earth to keep her in. Now, let
Congress pass the laws that [ have inti-
tn ated; let the President of the United
States. whoever be may be, transfer the
Custom House in the city of Charleston
on board ship in the harbor of Charles
ton; let him stop all cotton from going out,
let hin stop all the mail facilities and
prevent all remittances from going in,
and she would not only be bankrupt,
without the means of supporting her own
citizens for twenty days, but you would
have revolution of the people there in
less than time There is less freedom
there among the masses than in Austria
or Russia. The people would begin to
inquire Why this was. and then South
Carolina would have to commence war.
sDd the United States would act on the
defensive. But the President says be
cannot execute the law, because the judge
aud marshal have resigned. In the name
of heaven. Why dosent be appoint a
judgei Where is Caleb CusbiDgl Where
is Judge BIackl They are both a.pirants
for the Supreme Court. Could not Ca
leb Gushing execute the Law in South
Caroliua-be. the President of the
Charleston Convention! The President
of the United States to assert to the peo-
pie that be has no power to execute the
law. because a judge has resigned and
there is DO marshal there! Let him ap


point them. ] am not much Of an aspi-
rant. but might accept the mar-halsbip
with Gushing to stand at my back as
Judge But there is peaceful remedy.
| am against war if the Constitution and
the Union can be preserved without force;
bot if the Constitution and the Union
cannot be preserved without force, then
| am for using force. Yes, gentlemen. If
this were case arising in any Northern
State. we should all be in favor Of enfor.
cling the law Now, | am for enforcing
the law, fairly and impartially, and -im