Year: 1860

| tAdG We, Will Iue uuGOlu AlilionS w ASP


resent, had so lost our sense of honor


that we could not resent an injury.


Did he believe we were arrant towards


on this side? If he did, and l have ne


doubt he did-if he believes this side OF


the Chamber are all non-combatants, ]


will not believe he intended to earn a


cheap reputation for valor against those


whom he supposed would never meet the


challenge. 1t is known to everybody


that the people Of the free States have


utterly repudiated this old, and, they


contend, barbarous mode of settling diff


iculties with duel Every intelligent


man knows full we'll that the man who


indorses this practice in the North has


so fallen under the ban of public opinion


that he could afterward receive no Office


of trust or honor in any of those States


He is treated as an outcast; and if by any


accident, he should happen to be tri-


umphant, he would be deemed crimi-


14I, and held as such in society


=. I know full well and I regret it, that
this state of things, although undoubt-


edly just in itself, has placed us at dis
advantage here. I feel that this senti-


ment, prevailing at the North, although


righteously, has frequently placed US,


as it were, at the mercy of those who
construct our forbearance as want of


courage 1t is not strange that this


state of things should exist among the


Northern people We have had no rea-


son to distrust the courage of the people


there. Why, sir, physical courage with


our Northern people is a sentiment so
general that it is cheapened by its uni
: versatility. Who ever has seen the North


ern man fail on the field of combat


Was it not known that braver men never


stepped on the quarter deck, nor entered


the perilous breach? Who ever heard of


a coward at the North when duty called?
But if l understood the Senator, we on
this side, and the untold millions we
represent, have not the courage to main


tain our honor.


\ Toombs-I would refer the Senator to
4 my speech. I made no such allegation;
\ l merely said the people who would vi
4 olate the contracts they had made were
not to be dreaded when they threatened


to march down upon u.s. 1 made no


such allegation against the North. The
4 gentleman seems to consider that they
on that side are the people; [ do not.


Mr. Wade said he had read the speech,


and supposed it was a declaration that


those on that side, and the people they


represent, lacked that courage which was


necessary to maintain their own honor


when impeached.


Mr. Toombs-I said those persons who
! were not faithful to their contracts, and
who passed Personal Liberty bills, were


not to be dreaded.
Mr.. Wade-I am very glad to hear


the Senator'S explanation because l say
it is no particular merit or honor to the


gentlemen on that side to have general


courage. We inherited it from our
) common ancestors, who dragged kings


from their thrones when they undertook


to trespass ON the rights of the people,
and | trust in God that we, their de-


scendants, shall ever be as ready to vim
) dicate, not only our honor, but our


rights, as were our ancestors at any
, period. But if this is all the Senator


meant, would not much disagree with
him The men who could be faithless
would be very apt to be towards. But ]
!, don't wish to be misunderstood in re-
{ gard to this barbarous mode of settling
: difficulties, in thinly settled and par
, TALLY civilized countries, where there
we're no restraints of law, and where
semi -barbarism reigns don't know but
: this code might be necessary. If men
cannot be restrained by more eleva.
/ ted principle than fear, it may be
: necessary to teach respect for the rights
: of others, even by fear of the combat
) But the Senator accused us of being
r perjured and faithless to the Constitu,
ton and ready to trample it under foot
And now, sir, just see how inconsistent
gentleman may be. I have no idea
, that he meant to express the full i'm
} port of his language, because he came
/, here taking the same oath as [ did, and
} yet he told us he was eager for the sigma
r from the Old Dominion to declare war
He was ready, prompt and eager tc
S second her motion, for he said, "one
/, blast upon her bugle horn would raise
e million men," For what? Why, tc
! throw down the pillars of the Republic
:. in universal ruin. He would do so, sir
a if Republican was elected Presiden
}, at the next election. Did he stand OF
r high ground? Did he stand on an ele


waited position, when he charged us will
S treason and violation of oaths, ane
= threatened, in a certain emergency, tina
;, he himself would stand forth to pull
: down the pillars of the Republic? If tt
Q do that is not treason, don't know
: what is. lf.that is not violation o
h the oath he has taken, I do not under
e stand the import of it. To be sure
f these things are said in the heat of de
:, bate, but they go out to the country
;, and must be noticed here. The Senate
r went back to the ancient history o
: Greece to illustrate his argument.


n He did not come forward withou
S preparation. He accused us because W,
e did not happen. to be nimble-footee
s enough, as he supposed, in the execu
n tion Of the fugitive slave law, but h
y did not instance single case, if I re
e member rightly, but it was genera
1t charge. There has not been a singl
n case of resistance to that law in my State
n When the cases came before the Courts
: they received the most rigid scrutiny
n and the law has been vigorously ap
y piled. There have been cases of til,
y most doubtful character. A case oc


CURED not long since. And that wa
a not the only one. I meet the genera
o charge with general denial. Whel
IS has there now been faithful execution
# of this most rigorous, odious, and 1 be
), lieve in many provisions, uneonstitu
e tional law. Mr.. Webster thought it hat
!, no warrant, except in judicial decisions
e But he was not going to argue thi