Year: 1862

ed for and unceasing agitation Of the sieve ;
ry question. looking directly to an ulti-
mate dissolution Of the Union. Why was
this?


At the time of the Revolution. the city
of Charleston was the commerce al rival Of
New York. It's trade was almost as great.
Bnt it did not continue so. The mighty
metropolis of the North outstripped and
overshadowed its Southern rival. The
South saw its glory departing. and there
originated this contest in great degree
Hence the long cherished jealousies that
have existed between the North and South.
From the year 1882. the southern papers
never have anything TO say sbout statistics.
No man in Congress speaks about the
comparative prosperitery of the free and
slave States. or compares the commerce
of Northern and Southern cities; but the
constant talk is upon topics that have a
tendency to infame jealousies, and to keep
the fwo portions of the country in a con-
stant state Of excitement. What was the
object? What was the end of all this?
1t was the dissolution of the Union and the
subversion of the Federal Government.


You recollect how severe the fight over
California was. Notwithstanding the oft
repeated declaration of Northern men up
on the floor of Congress that the North
had no desire to interfere with the South
ern rights. yet the cry has always been.
"lou talk that way now. but just wait un-
til you get two thirds in both houses OF
Congress. and then yon will show that
yoir professions of regard for southern
rights have been false" Now, one year
ago last winter, there were two thirds of
the members in both houses from the free
States. Did they then pass any law inter
fering with the institution of slavery. or
meddling in any way with the rights Of
the South as protected by the Constitution?
You know. my fellow citizens, that no
such effort was made. No such disposition
was manifested. On the contrary, addi-
tional guarantees were given. An amend
ment to the constitution was provided-to
the effect that. in all coming time, Con-
gress should not interfere. in any manner.
with the institution Of slavery or the rights
of the South. That amendment passed,
giving additional protection to the rights
OF the South. That ought to have salts
fed any southern man. In the language
Of Andrew Johnson. he ''desired no other
platform for the people of his State than
that And yet the South was not salts
fiei with that guaranty. The reason is
plain. Il was the dissolution of the Uni
on that they we're aiming at. Mr.. Benton
was right.


Look at the action of South Carolina
for another proof The South Carolina
convention of 1882 openly declared that
the highest duty of her citizen was TO the
State of South Carolina, while his obliga-
tion to his country was only secondary
and subordinate What is that but the
very essence Of rebellion and secession?


1t is to this settled determination to dis
solve the Union that we are to look for the
cause of oil the abuse which has been in
dulged in in Congress towards the North.
aud which. although looked upon at the
time as mere ebullitions OF feeling. were in
fact made use OF for the deliberate purpose
of fomenting strife and disunion. The in
stitution Of slavery is not the great cause
Of all this trouble. II is mere pretext
that has been made use Of for the purpose
of disunion.


Upon former occasion sa i'll that my
conviction was that there was large Union
sentiment in existence at the South. Was
not right? l tell you now. my fellow
citizens, that there never was people en-
gagged in a war under as great delusion a.
these people Of the South now are. hap
pen to have a brotherin law commanding
o regiment of Union men, all of whom arc
from Kentucky. Not long since four reb
Ell prisoners were brought iato camp. SAID
setts or Connecticut" The reply was


Neither. we are from Kentucky" Said
the prisoner in amazement. From Ken
lucky. did you say?" "Yes." said tho
Colonel, 'there is not man in my regi


ment who is not Kentuckian." Colo
mel" said the prisoner. ''if we had known
there were any Kentuckians in your army
there is not man in our regiment whs


would not have been there. But we wer,
told there was nobody on your side bu
|. Yankees"


When that little vessel sailed up tn,


lovely Tennessee to that most lovely town
, Florence, in the State of Alabama, ant
J the officers and men oft army of TIT


Union stepped ashore and mingled will
the most perfect freedom among the reo
pie without aims. and when the old mer
wcpt and the women came round then
with every demonstration of Joy. and wher
two hundred and fifty men came dowl
the river to join the army Of their country,
with the assurance that regiment after .regi
ment co1ld be raised almost without al
effort, then you had to confess that l wa.
right. If sfter all this you maintain thai
there is no Union feeling in the South.
then have no other argument to offer you
4 Why should there not bc entire unanim-
ity in the North? Where is the propriety
of any body talking about tax laws when
!. the question before the nation is country o,
no country Why will men spend time
disputing about whether there shall be fif-
teen or sixteen planks in this or that plat
form. while none of them are worth the
trouble Of kicking to pieceb? Laughter. J
My fellow citizens. am aware that q
great many good men think we can never
be one people again. Can we. or can we
not? I will venture the prediction that
before ninety days no such question IS war
or no war will be agitating this country.