Year: 1860

/ flSnteOuSly, mas frequently placed US, as


were, at the mercy Of those who construe on
! forbearance into a want of courage. 1t is no
! strange that this state of things should exis


among the Northern people We have no rea
son to distrust the courage of the people there
Why, sir, physical courage with our Norther


people is sentiment so general that it is cheap
ened by its universally. Who ever has seei
the n orthern man fail on the field of combat


Was it not known that braver men never step


ped on the quarterback, nor entered the peril


ous breach Who ever heard of coward a


the North when duty called But if | under


stand the Senator, we on this side, and the IN


told millions we represent, have not the cour


age to maintain our honor. --e So


Mr. Toombs-I would ref the Senator TOM


speech. / made no such allegation; l merely


said that people who would violate the com


pacts they had made were lot to be dreaded


when they threatened to arch down upon us


[ made no such all eeations against the n North


The gentleman seems to consider that they Oh
that side are the people; / do not.


Mr.. Wade said that he had read the speech
and supposed that it was declaration that
those on this side, and the people they repre-
sent, lacked that courage which was necessary
to maintain their own honor when impeached.


Mr.. Toombs-I said those persons who were
not faithful to their contracts, and who passed
Personal Liberty bills, were not to be dreaded.


Mr. Wade-I am very glad to hear the
Senator's explanation, because | say it is no
particular merit of honor to gentlemen on that
side to have general coui ag4. We inherit it
from our common ancestors, who dragged
Kings from their thrones when they undertook
to trespass on the rights of the people; and /
trust in God that We their descendants, shall
ever be as ready to vindcate, not only our hon
or, bat our rights, as were our ancestors at any
period. But if this is all the Senator meant,
would not much disagree with him. The men
who would be faithess would be very apt to
be towards. But don't wish to be misunder-
stood in regard to this barbarous mode of set
ting difficulties in thiny settled and partially
civilized countries, where there are no res
traints of law and wher, semi-barbarism reigns,
l don't know but this code might be necessary.
If men cannot be restrained by a more elevat-
ed principle than fear, it may be necessary to
teach respect for the rights Of others even by
fear of combat But the Senator accused US
of being perjured ard faithess to the Consti-
tuition and ready to trample it under foot
And now sir, see how inconsistent gentleman
may be. < | have no idea that he meant to
express the full import Of bis language, be
cause he came here taking the same oath as I
did, and yet he told US that he was eager for
the signal from the Old Dominion to declare
war. He was ready, prompt and eager to
second her motion, for he said zone blast upon
her bugle horn would raise million of men.
For what? Why, to throw down tie pillars
Of the Republic in universal ruin. He would
lasso sir, if a Republican was elected President
tI-fie next election. Did he stand on high
ground ? Did he stand on an elevated position
when he charged US with treason and violation
Df oaths, and threatened in certain emergen-
", that he himself would stand forth to pull
l0wn the pillars Of the Republic? IF to do


hat is not treason, don't know what is. III


hat is not a violation Of the oath he has ta-
zen, do not understand the import of it. To
re sure, these things are said in the heat OF de-
pate, but they go out to the country, and must
De noticed here. The Senator went back to
he ancient history Of Greece to Illustrate his
.rgumcnt He did not come forward without
preparation. He accused us because we did
lot happen to be quite nimble-footed enough,
Is he supposed, in the execution ofhis Fugitive
aw, but he did not instance a single case, if
einenlber rightly. but it was a general charge.
Fhere has not be Il a single case of resistance
o that luw in my State. When the cases
:ome before the Courts, they received the most


gid scrutiny, and the law has been vigorously
lpplied. There have been cases of the most
doubtful character. Free men have even been
and carried off. A case occurred not
ong since. And that was not the only one.


meet the general charge with a general de-
lial. When has there not been a faithful exc
,ution of this most rigorous, odious, and / be-
icve in many proyi yisions, unconstitutional law |
Mr. Webster thought it had 10 warrant, ex-
:ept in Judicial decisions. Bat he was not GO
ng to argue this point. Mr. Wade referred to
he clause giving power to commissioners as
Decidedly unconstitutional. 1t gives them 81 o !
o decide one way, and So the other. We are
old this would not buy magistrates, bat that |
he magistrates who generally decide these
would be influenced by "fi' penny Bit" MIR. |
Wade went on to speak of other provisions of
his law and said that the \ 0rth never denied !
my constitutional law and never will resist
uch law. The law is unpopular, for it goes


gainst the hearts and consciences of the great |
masses of the North, and nothing short Of the
Almighty Power changing their hearts can
make them eager to execute this law. In the
south, where the feeling is different, when |
lavcs are brought there from the coast of Af
lea, in violation of the law against piracy. |
hese very magistrates cannot intlict the pun
shnlent due He would have Just as much |
round to accuse the South of perjury because !
he victims of the yacht Wanderer are not re
aased, and her officers punished, as they have |
o accuse us because we do not execute swiftly |
nough a law more odious and repugnant to us.
'he next charge of the Senator is that of pass
no Personal Liberty bills. There is no foun-


ation under the heavens for this charge against
)hio. Ohio never passed law in violation of
he Constitution of the United States, and she


as never been derelict to her duty in this par
icular Does the Senator suppose that any
overeign State of this Union is going to re-


nquish all her rights over her citizens because
here is a certain provision in the Constitution
" which a certain class may be taken out OF


er limits? That would be to abandon to any
uthess and unprincipled man whatever he
night choose to claim. Cannot State pre-


ent the kidnapping of her citizens because you


ave right to claim slave? The Constitu-
ion says that any person owing services in any


ther State shall be given up, but it does not
tate the means by which this shall be ascer
aimed. appeal to the Senator from Georgia
he believes that the trainers of the Constitu-
ion would have consented to a provision that
eprived the States utterly ofthe power to pro-
act their own citizens? No, Sir. But it is
said that the Constitution would not
ave been framed if this had not been provided
pr. But so far from this being the case, it