Year: 1861

all these States, you must protect it wherever the
Government has exclusive IrisdictiOn.


What, then, would become of the policy of ex-
clusionl Would you shut up the negroes and
allow all the white men TO move awayl The re-
suit would be the negroes would accumulate until
you gave the negroes the best part of the cont
nent and the white man must take the rest. Can
this be tolerated7 No, sir, not for a moment.
And if this would be the result, after a bloody and
harrassng war, why not do il without these ca
lamatiesl Why not do it without the dreadful in
consistency which would be charged upon you?
Why, then, create a civil war without any benefit
or use to any one? Then, if this be so, why not
cede back the forts to these States that claim 70
have seeded? What do you want with them?
What do you want with the forts in the harbor OF
Charleston? If you do not mem TO cOerce them,
they are of no use And If YOU do mean to CO
cree them, you ought not to have them. Ii you
do attempt to use them for the purposes of cOer-
cion, you destroy all Chances of reconstruction of
another Union, which still hope and trust may
take place. and that il may prove to more
permanent bond of alliance and fraternity than the
old one. which is fast melting away from usZ
say you have right to hold on 10 these forts


You could not have obtained them without the
consent of the Legislature Upon what cons;de
ration was that consideration giyenl Ii was
given on the consideration that they were TO be
used for the defense of the State. But YOU now
keep them when they can no longer be used for
the defense of the State, but only for offensive
purposes. If there were no other obligations,
consider the obligations of policy would require
you to do il. In no other way can you prevent
civil They say they have seeded and are
out of this Government They could not yielh
them up without inconsistency so far az .he;r
pretensions are concerned. III they AN indie
pendent people they have a right to these forts.
and If an independent people, they have right TO
81.


sion of foreign enemy. How is it with your
You don't admit the doctrine of secession, in
the form in which that resolution is raised.
Does that justify YOU in holding that doctrine
upon the ground of policy? A State which did
not intend 20 seceie might apply for the retro
cession OF these forts, and the retroeession
might be granted without the least violation of
the Constitution. There is nothing impolitic
in such ces sion unless YOU desire to use them


for the purpose of coercion. 1 think the con


sderation of policy should induce you TO re


move that bone of contention Immediately. /


believe if a drop of blood is once shed, there is


no hope of reconstruction. / think YOU will


soon see all the Southern States out of this
, Union. i think it probable they will form


Government for the sake of the South; and,


having done so, hope and trust they will call a


Southern Convention for the purpose of read
justment on propes terms. And If the non


slaveholding States will assemble in Convention


to exchange propositions, / hope and trust that


some accommodation may be had, and some re-


construction to make this Government more


permanent and more valuable to us than it ever


has been. Or, ii it is impossible to make n


Union it may yet result in the formation of some


league which would secure t. Us some benefits,


and lelve each free to follow the law of its own


genius, and develop itself. / say, so far as can


weigh the question, the Union is no more; and
| the only question of union is a question of re
| union, and to produce reunion it Is absolutely


essential to allow the State to take possession of


that which it is obviously going to take and thus


we afford all the time and give all the oppor-


tunity we can to those who desire reconstruc-
ton of this Union. | am one of those. be-


leve the South owes it TO itself to secure protec-
ton. j believe the interests of m'nkind, and


her own interest, and the interest of her confed-


crates require that we should reconstruct a new
Union upon the terms of equality and jus re.


But will this be possible if we have civil warl


| ask If the Republicans are willing to add civ IL


war to the long catalogue OF enormities for which
they have to answer herelfterl Is il not enough


that they have marched into power over the ruins


of the Constitution? Is it not enough that they


have seized the Government at the expense of the


Uniong Will il not satisfy them unless they add


civil war? Mr.. President, | would ask if they


are indeel willing to let loose the dogs of and


rapine through the lahJf


If they are willing that the spirit of the first


born Cain should reign over every foot of land
and spreld the frAtricidal conflict oves this once


happy land, how will they settle their own con


sciencesl How will they settle with humanity


for having crushed the highest capacity for use


fulness progress to development that was eve;
, bestowed on man? Sir, what judgmen. will pos


teritv pronounce upon them for their unlallowel


ambition? viii it not say. "You found peace


and established war; you found an empire and .


Union, and yOu rent them into fragmentsp And
more awful still what account will they render a
the bar of Heaveng When from many bu nins


homestead, and many bloody battlefield q
spectral host shall appear to accuse them-wher
the last wall of suffering chill, hood shall ariss
, from the depSs of the green grave to make it


feeble plant against them, and the telrs of help


less woman shlll plead against them for hel
: wounded honor, in her speechess woe and despair
/ how will they account for it before men and be
fore God, before earth and before heaven if they
close in blood this great American experiment
; which was inaugurated by Providence in the vii
derness, to insure peace on eirth and good viii tC
men. The experiment which constructed b,
our fathers with blood and pious prayerl How
z will they hide themselves from the accusation
E when one universal voice of misery and despair
shall be heard throughout this landl ] say Il
, them, il will be no excuse that they have con


sented to WELD barren scepter over desolates


land.


Why is il these threats are madei Is il for th'


purpose of preventing the Southern States from
seeding? If so, it has preciptated that yer,


event. | say for my own State, she is consulting
now; but feel authorized to say that she love
pence; she desires to avoid war; but she will no
be deferred from asserting her rights by threats
coercion or fears of the result. Sir, once in he


past history, in the sacred name of honor, an'
a liberty and equality, she staked her destiny oI


tla Of tbo luffo For fhQ
, consideration know she will imperil her all
, she believed it her duty TO do so; and if the da,
e shall ever arrive when she neither defend he
honor nor support her rights she will fall, and
q will he better for her name and fame to peris
$ with them When the Spanish colonies wer
. struggling for independence we gave them sym
u pathy and aid When Greece was fighting he
desperate battles we gave her the same sympathie
e and aid. But now refuse il to our brethren
(? and pursue them with fire and sword / believ
n that an attempt to coerce the people in this re
{ gard will only meet with the general detestatio
{ of mankind. Such resistance will be made a
: has never been seen before in the history of III
o world, except, perhaps, in the instance of tn
r Dutch, who hid behind their dykes and foode
: their land with the waves of the sei, preferrin
I? death in any and every form rather than submis
h sion TO tyranny.


But do not wish TO pursue this line Of argu
Il
sion which so much stirs the blood. ] stand her
n to plead for relce not because INV State has an
:, reasons for feir more than another, but becaus
: the interest of all mankind is for peace, in tn


name of civilization and humanity, in the name O
); thirty millions, whose lives, honor and happines
!, depend upon the events of such civil war, in th
n name of the great American experiment whic
!? was founded by providence in the wilderness, an
which insist has not yet failed, shall appeal {
; the American people TO prevent the eifusicn q
!. blood. Ii is said that the very smell Of bloc
y strs the animal passions of men. Give tim
/ FIR the play of reason. Let US see, after IN
e Suites have secured in themselves their oldorglr
: ization and their old system-let if we ca
:. not bring together once more cur scattered div
sions we can not close up our broken ranks, an
l. can not find some plan of conciliation. An
y when these columns come mastering in from III
e distant North and the farthest South. from ti
rising to the setting sum- to take their part in th:
3 grand review, there will go up a shout thai wi
o shake the heavens, and which shall proclaim
oft tln .t.l