Year: 1861

lapprehend the Republican Senators have
come, TO make no adjustment, entertain
no proposition, and listen to no compro'
mise Of the matters in controversy.


| fear, from all the indications. that
they are disposed to treat The matter rs a
party question, to be determined in caucus
with reference to its effect upon the pros
poets of their party, rather than upon
the peace of the country and the safety OF
the Union. / invoke their deliberate
judgment whether it is not dangerous ex-
pertinent for any political party to de-
monstrate to the American people that
the unity Of their party is dearer to the Al
than ihe Union of these States. The aro
gument is, that the Chicago platform hsv~
ing been ratified by the people in u ma
| iorty Of the States, must be maintained
at all hazards, no matter what the consa-
quences to the country. | insist that they
are mistaken in the fact when they essert
that was decided by the people in the late
election. The American people havo
not decided that they preferred the dis
ruption of this Government, aId civil war,
with all its horrors an miseries, 20 surren.
dering one iota Of the Chicago platform
If you believe that the people are with
this issue, let the question be submitted
to the pAople OH tie proposition offered
by the Senator from Kentucky, or mine,
or any ether fair compromise, and | will
venture the prediction that your own
people will ratify the proposed amend
ments TO the Constitution in order to take
this slavery agitation out of Congress, and
restore peace to the country, cnd insure
the perpetuitY of the Union.


Why not give the people chance? 1t
! is an important crisis. There is now q diff
ferent issue presented from that in the
presidential election. | have no doubt
that the people of Massachusetts,, by an
overwhelming majority, are in favor of a
prohibition OF slavery in the Territories by
an act of Congress. An overwhelming
majority Of the same people were in favor
OF the instant prohibition OF the African
slave trade, on moral and religious
grounds, when the Constitution was made.
When they found that the Constitution
could not be adopted and the Union pre-
served, without surrendering their o6jcc-
tions on the slavery question, they in the
spirit of patriotism and of Christian feel =
ing, preferred the lesser evil to the great
er, and ratified the Constitution without
their favorite provision in regard to sla'
very. Give tn EN- q chance 10 decide now
between the ratification of these proposed
amendments to the Constitution and the
consequences which your policy will irey-
itably produce.


WHY not ALLOW the people 20 pass on
these questions? All we have to do is to
submit them to the States. II the people
reject them. theirs will be the responoibll.


,v and no harm will have been done by
the reference. II they accept them the
country will be safe, and at peace. Iha
political party which shall refuse to allow
the people 10 determine for themselves at
the ballot box the issue between revolu-
ton nnd war ON the one side, and obsti.
nate adhere nee to party platform on the
other, will assume a fearful responsibility.
A war upon political issue, waged by the
people of eighteen States against the poo"
pie and domestic institutions OF fifteen
sister States, is fearful and revolving
thought The South will be unit, and
desperate under tho belief that your OBJ
iect in waging war is their destruction,
and not the preservation of the Union =
that you mediate servle insurrecton, and
the abolition Of slavery in the southern
States, by fire and sword, in the name
and under pretext Of enforcing the laws
and vindicating the authority OF the Gov
eminent. You knolo that such is he prevail
ing, and, may say, unanimous opinion at The
South; and that ten million people are
preparing for the terrible conflict under
that conviction.


When there is such an irrepresslble dis
content pervading ten million OF people
penetrating the bosom OF every man, wo-
man, and child, and, in their estimation
involving everything that IS valuable ano
dear OR earth, is it not time 20 pause ano
reflect whether there il not some cause
real or imaginary, tor apprehension II
there be n Just cause for it, in Gods name
in the name of humanity and civilization
let it be removed. wiz we not be gully, IN
The sight Of Hsupen and Of posterity, i zoe do not
remove all just cause before proceeding to ertrcD,
,ties ? If, on the contrary, there be nc
real foundation for these arprehensions
if it be all u mistake. and yet they, bel;ev'
ing it to be a solemn reality, are deter
mined to act on that belief, is it not equal
ly our duty TO remove the misapprehen-
tlcU lltUCe Nho oOIiS'Nloh W icuiONt
the causes Of discon ent, whether real oi
imaginary, is alike imperative upon US, il
we wish 10 preserve the peace of the
country and the Union of the States.


1t matters not, so far as the peace of the
county and the preservation Of the Union
are concerned, whether the Gpprehension'
of the southern people are well founded
or not, so long as they believe them, and
are determined to act upon that belief =
| If war comes, IL must have an end at sone
time and that termn alton, lapprenend
will be final separation. Whether the
war last one year, seven years, or thirty
years, the result must be the same "A
cessation of hostilites when the parties
become exhausted, and treaty of peace
recognizing the separate independence oi
each section. The history of the world
does not furnish an instance, whore war
has ragged for number of years between
the classes of States, divided by geo,
graphical line under the same national
Government, which has ended in recon
ciliation and reunion. determination,
subjugation. or separation, one OF the