Year: 1860

our Southern friends any complaints to


make of the platform! l tell you frankly


that we did lay down the principle that we


would prohibit, if we had the power,


Slavery from invading another inch offree-


soil territory of this Government. stand


here to-day. l have urged it to half a


million of people, probably, and they stand


there-and they have commissioned me


to stand there forever, and so help ME God


I will. l say to you, while we hold this


doctrine to the end, there is no Republican,


or convention of Republicans, or paper,


that pretends we have any right in your


States to interfere with your peculiar in


stitutions. On the other hand, our plat


form repudiates the idea that We have any


right, or intention even to invade your in
stitutions in your own States.
Now what do you complain of? You are 60


ing to break up this government. You are go
| ing to involve US In war and blood out of a
mere suspicion that we shall transcend that


which we stand here to vindicate. How would
| you be justified in the eyes of the civilized
| wcrld to take SO monstrous position. and 10
predicate it on a mere suspicion? We don't
love Slavery. Didn't you know it before to-
day? Everything remains as it did a year ago.
But all at once when we meet here, l find all
gloom. and gentlemen rise up and say We are


on the eve of breaking up this government
Seven or eight States are going TO set up hos


tile government-and they look imploringly


over to Us and say, you can prevent it," What
can We do? You have not eondescended to tell
us what YOU want DONE Ii we should give up


the verdict Of the people and take up your plat
form. don't know but you would be satisfied.


and think the Senator from Texas Mr.. Wig


fall) rather Intimated, and the Senator from


Georgia Mr.. Iverson) rather more than intima-


ted that if we would take what is exactly the


Charleston platform. on which MIR. Brecken-


ridge was placed, and give up that On which we


won victory, you would grudgingly and heslta-
tingly be satisfied.


Mr. IVERSON said he wished the Senator


would read his speech before he quoted so much


from it. He had not said they would be satis-


fed with any such thing.


Mr. WADE read from Mr.. VERSIONS speech


reported in the Globe, that he supposed there


would be no overt act on the part of Mr.. Lin


coin, but the power of the Government would


be so executed against Slavery that it would


not last ten years, and continued: Then you


are not going to wait tor any over act, but are


going TO proceed upon the suspicion that prob


ably he might have disavowed anv intention


on the part of the Republican party to harm a


hair on your heads. We hold TO no doctrine


that can possibly work you any inconvenience.


We have been faithful to all the laws. 1t is


not, then, that Mr. Lincoln is expected to do
any overt act by which you may be injured
You won't wait for any. But anticipating that
the Government may work you an injury, you


will put an end toIt. which means Simply this
that we intend to rule or ruin this Govern
ment There is where it comes We do not
like your institutions. you say. But we never
liked them any better. and you might as well
have dissolved the Union at any time rs now.


We stand precisely where We stood. repudiat-
ing vour institution as matter of morals. but,
admitting that, when it is ont of our jurisdic-
ton. we have no hold upon it and no design
upon it. Is there anything in the character of
the President eject of which YOU complain?
Has he not lived blameess life, never viola
ted any law; has he committed any viola
ticn of duty? Why then are you supicious
that he will? Now, then, have shown that
having the Government in your hands all the
time. you have brought it to the verge of de-
struciion; and the people, believing it was time
the scepter should depart from your hands, have
placed it in more competent hands. If this is
SO you have no constitutional right to complain,
when we all disavow any intention so 10 make
use of that victory won, as to injure you at all.
This brings me here TO the question of compro-
mise. The first day of this session Senator
rises AID offers resolution to inquire into the
evils between the different sections, and to as
certain whatcould be done TO settle the difficult
ty. As TO compromise, l supposed we had
agreed that the day of comprc misses was at an
end. The most solemn we have made have
been violated, and where are they? Since |
had seat in this Senate one of considerable an
tiquity was swept away from oar statute book;
and when in the minority stood up here and |
asked YOU to withhold your hands-that it was |
a sacred compact between sections-what was |
the cry? That it was nothing but an act of
Congress, and could be swept away by the |
same majority that passed it. That was true,
in fact, and true in law, and it showed the |
weakness of compromises. Now, only speak |
for myself. that in view of the manner in which |
have been treated, l should think |
hardly any two members of the Democratic |
party could lcok each other in the face sny |
without smile. A compromise |
to be brought about after the experience |
we have had. is absolutely ridiculous. What
are we to COMPROMISED l am one of those |
who went with zeal to maintain the principles
of the Republican party. In a constitutional
way we met and nominated our candidates.
ou did the same. The issue made and
we went to the people with it, and. although
usually in the minority. usually beaten, the
Justice OF our principles and the bad admins
lrltion of the Government convinced tie pcO-
pie that a change ought to be brought about,
and after trying your utmost, and We our ut
most, We beat you. We beat you on the plain
est and most palpable issue ever presented to
the American people, and one they understood
the best-aDd now, when we come to the capital,
we tell you that our candidates must be iRaugu-
rated and administer the Government precisely
rs their predecessors have done. 1t would be
humiliating and dishonorable TO Us ii we lis
tened 10 a compromise by which We should lay
aside the verdict OF the people. When it comes
10 that, you have no Government, but anarchy
ntervenes and civil war may follow, and all the
evils that human imagination can raise may be
upon such course as that. The
American people would lose the shect-anchor
,f Liberty, whenever it is denied on this floor
hat majority fairly given shall rule. l know
not what others may do, but tell you that with
hat verdict of the people IN my pocket, and
standing on the platform on which these can
lidates were elected. l would suffer anything
before / would compromise in any way.
leem it no case where we have right 10 ex-
end courtesy or generosity. The absolute right,
he most sacred that free people can bestow |
lpon any man, is their verdict that gives him
ull title to the office he holds. If we cannot {
and there. we cannot stand anywhere; and, {
ny friends. any other verdict would be rs fatal {
o you rs to US. You say he came from one Sec !
ion of the country. What of that? Mr.. Wade .
.ppealed to gentlemen on the other side to say I
{ they believed il the result of the contest had {
,een the other way the Republicans would have G
threatened disunion? He claimed that If Mr. (