Year: 1860

stituona provision fastening slavery rrevocaby
every inch of American soil, North as we'll as South?
Was quite fair in those days for the friends of free


institutions claim that the Federal Government
not touch the question, but must leave the people of
each State to do they pleased until under the opera
tion of that principle they secured the majority and
then WELD that majority to abolish slavery in the other
States of the Union?


Sir uniformity in respect to domestic Institutions
had been deemed desirable when the Constitution
adopted there another mode by which it could
have been obtained. The natural mode of obtaining
uniformity to have bloted the State
to have abolished the State Legislatures to have
conferred upon Congress legislative power over the
municipal and domestic of the people of all


the States well upon Federal questions affecting


the whole Unon and if this doctrine of uniformity had
been entertained and favored by the trainers of the Con-
stitution such would have been the result. But sir,
the trainers of that instrument knew that day,
well as we now know. that in "a country as broad as
this with great variety of climate of SOIL and of
production there must necessarily be corresponding
diversity of institutions and domestic regulations,
adapted the and necessities of each locality
The trainers of the Constitution knew that the laws and
institutions which were well adapted to the mountains
and valleys of New England ill-suted to the rice
plantations and the cotton fields of the Caronas They
knew that our liberties depended upon reservng the
right to the people of each State to make their
laws and establish their institutions and control
them peasure without interference the Federal
Government, or from any other State or Territory
any foreign country The Constitutions therefore,
based, and the Union founded, the principle
of dssimary in the domestic institutions and internal
W
the theory that each State had peculiar interests,
quirng peculiar legislation and peculiar institutions,
different and distinct from every other State The
Union rests the theory that two States would
be precisely alike in their domestic poty and nstitu
tiOnS


Hence assert that this doctrine of uniformity in the
domestic institutions of the different States is repug-
nant to the constitution subversve of the principles
which the Union based, revolutionary in its
character and leading directly to despotsm if is
established Uniformity in local and domestic affairs
e r.
me cenrasm prescribing uniformity from the capital
to all its provinces in their local and domestic concerns
and will show you dcspotism odous and in
sufcrable that of Austria of Naples. Dissimar-
ty is the principle upon which the Union 1t is
founded upon the idea that each State necessarily
equre different regulations that two States have
precisely the Interests and hence do need pre-
ciSely the same laws and you account for this
Ontederation of States upon any other principle.


Then sir what becomes of this doctrine that slavery
must be established in all the States prohibited in
all the States? If only conform the principles up
which the federal Union formed there can be no
conflict 1t is only necessary to recognize the right of


the people of every State to have just such such nstu
tons as they please, without consulting your wishes
your views, your preudices, and there can be no
conflict And sir, inasHuch the constitution of the
I. S. coners upon Congress the power coupled with the
duty of protecting each State against external aggres-
sion, and inasmuch that includes the power of sup
ssng and furnishing eonspra in against
the Institutions property, people, government of
cry other State desire to carry out that power vgor



templates and authorizes and will show the Senator
from New York that there is constitutional mode of
repressng the "irrepressible conflict" will open the
prison door to allow consprators against the peace of
the Republic and the domestic tranquility of States
select their cells wherein drag miserable life
punishment for their crimes against the peace of
society.


Can any man say to that although this outrage
has been perpetrted Harpers Ferry there is dam
ger of its recurrence? SIR is the Republican party
Still embodied organized confident of success and de-
rs rrntn moi hold
claim the creed that it did before this invasion?
1t is true that most of its representatives here dsavow
the acts of John Brown at Harper's Ferry am glad
that they do SO: rcjoced that they have gone thus
far; but must be permitted to them that it is
sufficient that they dsavow the ac unless they also
repudiate and denounce the doctrines and teachings
which produced the Those doctrines remain the
those teachings being poured into the minds
of throughout the country by of speeches
and pamphlets and books and through partzan presses
The that produced the Harpers Ferry invasion
in active operation. Is it true that the people
all the border States required by the constitution
have their hands tied, without the self-de
fence, and remain patient under threatened invasion
in the day or in the nghR Can you expect people to
be patient when they dare not lie down sleep at night
without first taoning scntines around their houses
see band of marauders and murderers are not ap-
preaching with torch and pistol? Sir it requires
patience than freemen shond cultivate submit
to constant annoyance, irritation and apprehension If
we expect to preserve this Union, must remedy, |
within the Union and in obedience to the constitution,
every evil for which disunion would furnish remedy.
If the Federal Government fails to act, either from
choice from apprehension of the of power,
it be expected that the States will be content
TO remain unprotected.


Then, sir see no hope of peace, of fraternity of
good feeling between the different portions of the o.
except by bringing to bear the power OF the Federal
Government to the extent authorized by the constu-
ton-o protect the people Of all the States against any
external violence aggression repeat, that if the
theory of the constitution shall be carried by
cedng the right of the people of every State to have
Just such institutions they choose there be
conflict, much less irrepressble conflict between
he free and the slavehoding States


Mr. President the mode of preserving peace is plain
This system of sectional warfare must cease. The con-
stitution has given the power and all we ask of Con-
gress is to give the means. and by indictments and
convictions in the Federal Courts of several States
will make such examples of the lea ders of these
pracies will strike the hearts of Others
md there will be end of this crusade Sir, you
check it by crushing out the conspiracy, the combina
ion, and then there be safety. Then we shall be
lbe to restore that spirit of fraternity which inspired
revolutionary fathers upon every battle hed which
presided the deliberations of the Convention which
framed the constitution and filled the hearts o: the
people who ratified it. Then shall be able to de- |
nonstrate that there is evil unredressed in
he Union for which disunion would furnish remedy
Then sir, let the Constitution in the spirit
n which it made Let Congress pass all the laws
necessary and proper to give full and complete effect to
guarantee of the constitution Let them author
re the punishment of pracies and combinations in
any State Territory against the property institu
ions people of any other State Territory there
will be no excuse, desire, for disunion Then, sir,
ct ms leave the people of every State perfectly free
orm and regulate their domestic institutions in their
wr way Let each of them retain slavery just long
IS it peases and abolish it when it chooses. Let
ct upon good old golden principle which teaches
IL to mind their own business and let their neigh


- TTus1v,