Year: 1861

BIS OF senator IuSn late speech IN the
Senate. Mr.. Johnson's resolution was
taken up. Mr. Pugh said:--


"Over thirty millions Of people in this
country and all the nations OF the world
are looking to us to restore the country
to something like peace. His colleague,
Mr.. w Wade, when he left home, left in
anarchy and confusion. He adverted to
his colleagues speech, denouneing it as
inAamable. His colleague put his par
ty on the defensive and said they never
had the power of government. The fact
was enough to make it necessary to
put the party on trial. He, (Pugh)
against the Gederal Government, but
he charged that the Republican par
ty in the Northern States had so conduct
ed themselves as to inspire alarm in the
Southern States. If that perty did not
intend to infringe upon the rights of any
of the Southern States, what objection
could there be to those making proper
explanations? His colleague (Wade
had said that the only difficulty was that
the minds of the people of the South
were poisoned against the people of the
North. The fact that men who appeal
for another section are blamed by the Re-
publican party of the North is sufficient
evidence of the sectionalism and hostility
ofthe party to which his colleague[ Wade
belonged. The difficulty is that the
South has read and heard too much Of
that party. Do you deny that they are
in favor of excluding a certain portion OF
the people of ;he Southern States from
the Territories? Do you deny that they
intend to surround the people of the slave
States with Gordon OF free States, 50 as
to compel them to emancip pate their slaves?
Did not his colleague (Wade) boast that
they would conquer Mexico, and make ii
the best government in the world-bet'
ter than this? Do you deny that they
are opposed to the execution of the law
for the recapture of fugitive slaves? Dc
you deny that they are in favor of ex
tending the right ofsufrage to blacks ant
mulattoes and was this ever done ex
cept in the States under the control of the
Republican party? In the State he rep
resented in part, (Ohio), in defiance o
the Constitution, this has SO far been
done as to control the election. Ht
(Pugh) did not regard the Personal Lib
erty Bills Of any practical value; only a
their Object could be to insult the South
ern States. He referred to the decision
of Governor Dennison, and said he GER
tainly thought it entirely wrong, and now
when the Senator from Kentucky (Crit
tenden) come forward with q plan for {
fair line of partition between the North
ern and Southern States, not one voice
was heard in favor Of it from the Repub
! lican side. Why could not gentlemen
come forward and meet as if they were o
one great family? Is the institution o
slavery so very hateful to them that they
will never permit it to go to any place
where they can prevent? Ifthis is so
how can they ever hope for pece? Cal
not they permit slavery to exist in the ar
senals and navy-yards ofthe slave States
II their hatred for slavery is SO great, vii
they not feel it their duty when they hav'
the power to amend the Constitution s,
as to abolish the institution? There cal
be no objection to the proposition of thu
Senator from Kentucky (Crittenden) un
less there is a determination to carry o,
intestine strife. His Colleague (W ade
! has said that Mr. Lincoln's character wa
such as to prevent any fear from his con
duct, but he Lincoln twas the most oh
scure man that had ever baen elected t.
the Presidency. His colleague nigh
have studied the record and character c
Mr.. Lincoln, but he (Pugh) believed tina
nine hundred and ninety -ninc voters in


thousand knew anything about it.


Mr.. Wade (Rep. } from Ohio asked
he I Pugh had studied Mr.. Buchan an
character before he voted for him.


Laughter


Mr.. Pugh said ne had voted knowing
ly. He then read from Mr.. Lincoln
speech, in which he says: "a house d


vided against itself cannot stand; that


must become all one thing, or all tn
other" This crisis, lie said, had no,
arrived, and by the election of the yer
man who had uttered these sentiments


He thought the Southern States ought
have some guarantee that the Admin:
tration of such a man would not be hos
tile to them. Heretofore the question {
slavery in an election had never been cal
riei so far as to cause such division q
existed in this House. His colleague ha
said that the South did not make any spt
cifc charge. There was great fear an
apprehension felt, and justly felt, of I'll


coming Administration. He did not dc
sign to to offend the Senators Of that pal
ty, bnt to show the vast responsibilit
resting on them. They have the powe
while all the opposing parties are sha
tered. They are coming into power wit
, every assurance of continuance, on cor


dition of their good behavior; but if the
. intended to live on the agitation of I'll


slavery question. the party is at and enc
The next dispatch may inform us thu
one of the States has placed herself OF
, of the Confederation as far as in her pow


err. Six other States have called DELE


gates to consider the propriety of follow
, ing. 1t is eminenty the duty Of the pal
t ty coming into power to do something
. avert the consequences. But his colleagr


said the day OF compromises is passed.
J If so, the day of Union is passed, for I'll
r Union was founded on compromises


One of the very noblest letters of Wash


ington was the one On this very subje'
of compromise. Mr.. Pugh read letts


writted by WashingtGI in 1883. Gen