Year: 1861

and this city in danger. as he declares, and walked
up thus, as the proclamation of the 18th of April
proves him o have walked up, to the reality and
significance of the movement, why did he not
forthwith assemble Congress, and throw himself
upon the wisdom and patriotism of the represent
atves OF the States, and of the people, instead
of usurpng powers which the Constitution has ex-
pressly conferred us? ay, sir, and powers which
Congress had but little while before repeatedly
and emphatically refused to exercise. But shall
refer to this point again.


Sir, the President, in this message, has underta-
ken also to give summary of the causes which
have led to this present revolution. He has made
out a case-he might, in my Judgment have made
out much stronger case-against the secession
lists and disunionsts of the South. All this, sir,
is very well as far it goes But the President does
not 90 back far enongh nor in the right direction.
He forgets the still stronger case against the Alb
olitionists and disunOnists of the North and West.
lie omtS to tell that secession aud disunion had
New England origin. and began in Massachu-
setts in 1904, at the time of the Louisiana pur-
chase-were revived b, the Hartford Convention
in 1914, and eliminated. during the war with
Britain in sending commissioners 10 Washh9 ton 10
settle the terms for peaceable separation of the
New England from the other Stles of the Union.
lie forgets to remind us and the country that this
present revolution began forty years ago in the
hement, persistent offensive, most irritating and
unprovoked agitation of the slavery question in
the North and West, from the time of the Missou-
ri controversy, with some short intervals. down 80
the present hour. Sir, if his statement of the
case, be the whole truth and wholly correct, then
the Democratic party and every member of it, and
the Wing party too, and its predecessors have been
guilty, for sixty years, or an unjust, unconstitu-
tienal, and most wicked policy in administering the
affairs of the Government.


But, sir. the President ignores totally the violent
and long continued denuncaton of slavery and
Shareholders, and especially since 1851 appeal
TO Jackson's message for the date and proof-un-
til at last a political antisavery organiza ton was
formed in the North and West, which continued
to gain strength year after year, till at length il
has destroyed and usurped the place of the Wing
party and finally obtained control of every free
State IN the Union, and elected himself, through
free State votes alone. to the Presidency of tie
United States. He chooses to pass over the fact
that the party to which he thus owes his place and
his present power of mischief is wholly and totally
sectional organization and a such condemned
by Washington, by Jefferson, by Jackson, Webster
and Clay, and by all the founders and preservers
of the Republic, and utterly inconsistent with the
principles, or the peace, the stability or The exist
eEce even, of our Federal system. Sir, there
never hour, from the organization of this
sectional party, when it was not predicted by the
w:sest men and trucst patriots. and when it ought
not to have been known 'y every intelligent man
in the country. that it must sooner or later pre-
cipitate revolution and the dissolution Of the
Union. The President lorgets already that on
the 18th of March, lac declared that the platform of
that party was 8. a law unto him, - by which he
meant to be governed in his administration; and
yet that platform announced that whereas there
were two separate am. distinct kinds of labor
and forms of c ,zatipn in the two different
sections of the Union yet that the entire national
domain, belonging in common to all the States,
should be taken, possessed, and held by one sec
ton alone, and concentrated that kind of labor
and form OF civilization alone which prevailed in
that section which by rical superiority,





some years past has had, majority in the Senate,
as from the beginning of the government it had
also in the House. lie omits, too, to tell the
country and the world-ior he speaks and we all
speak now, to the world and to postcrity-that he
himself and bis prime minister, the Secretary OF
State, declared three years ago, and have main
tanned since. that there 'irreprcssible
conflict between the two sections ofihis Union
'bat the Union could endure part slave and
part free F.; and t at the wnoIc power and influence
OF the Federal Government must hcnceforth he
put forth to circumscribe and hem in slavery
within its existing limits.


And now, sir, how comes il that the President
has forgotten to remind us. also that when the
: party thus committed to the principle Of deadly
hate and hostility to the slave institutions of the
South. and the men who had proclaimed the doc
trne of the irrepressble conflict, and who in the
dilemma or alternative Of this conflict, were re-
solved that the cotton AMI rice fields of South
Carolina, and the sugar plantations of Louisiana
should ultimately be TILED by free labor had OBJ
tanned power and place in the common Govern.
ment of the States the South, except one State
chose first to demand solemn constitutional GUAR
anteeS Tor protection against the abuse of the tre-
menious power AMI patronage and influence of
the Federal Government. for the purpose of Sc
curing the great end OF the sectional conflict be
fore resoring to secession or revolution at all
Did he not knOw-how could lie be icnorant-thu
at the last session of Congress, every substantive
proposition for adjustment and compromise, except
that offered by the gentleman from Illinois, Mr.





Kellogg and we all know how that was received
came from the South Stop moment aud let ms
r see.


The committee Of thirty three vas moved for in
this House by a gentlemen from Virginia, the
second day of the ession, and received the vote of
every southern Representative present. except onI,
the members from South Carolina, who declined
+ to vote. In the Senate, the committee of thir-
teen was moved for by n Senator from Kentucky
Mr. POWELL and received the silent acquesccnce
of every southern Senator present. Tho Critta,