Year: 1861

MIS- CE Il L A N Y.


Speech of Hon. John T. Harris, of Vir-
| ginia. in the House of Representatives,


February 6, 1861.


The House having under consideration the re-


port from the select committee of thirty-thre
Mr.. Harris, of Virginia, said:


Mr.. Speaker Many questions of grave con-
sideration, and variety of themes for fruitful
speculation, present themselves to the observer
of current events. Issues are involved which
not only affect the present, but their consequent
ces will reach far into the future, and determine,
for veal or woe, the destiny of republican insti
tutions Sir, under such circumstances, and in


view of such consequences, | conceive it to be
the part of wisdom, as well as the command of


duty, for every member of this body, in the dis
charge of his representative trust, to do all In
his power to avert the calamity which now
threatens our common country. In doing this,
[ will .'sing no peans to the Union" | prefer
THAT its present greatness its proud position be-
fore the world the hitherto unrivaled prosperity
1of its people, its own grandeur and subhmity,
shall speak its praises. Nor will l arraign any


member on this floor or impugn his motives
The time for elimination is past The evil is
upon US. The crisis is at hand. We must meet
it as becomes men and patriots. Neither look
ing to the right nor to the left, but with an eye
single to the preservation Of civil liberty and re-
ligious federation, each should march up to the
discharge of his duty, without regard for the
consequences to himself No personal sacrifice
can be too great to preserve and perpetuate the
only model on earth of free representative
Government; the only Government On whose
legislation the will of the people is impressed,
and which guarantees to all equal rights and
lprivileges Government IN which the highest
!. H. l,Ix,
Government ia which merit. not birth or wealth.


is the sure guarantee of success and preferment; !;
la Government, and the only one, whose laws
extend over a territory which produces every
variety of the necessaries as well the comforts
and luxuries, of life. Truly, sir, no people were
ever so favored by kind Providence. Unless
the hand of destruction be stayed, none will de-
serve it less.


The question is presented to as, and we are
brought to the issue, shall this Union be dis
solved2 We can neither avoid it, nor evade it,
/ if we would. Each and every man in this coun
TRY must take his position. Each has his part
human affairs. have never had any hesitation
as to the part, however hnrnble, | should play.
[ shall use every exertion in my power to pre-
serve this Government. | am for the Union
even now, bleeding, torn, shattered as it is.
pray may be enabled to be so foreverl ID.
| When people have been injured and insulted,
as the South has been, / know they are apt to
go too far in their endeavor to resent and redress
the wrongs which have been inflicted upon them.
They look only on one side of the picture. They
think only of the injury which they have receiv-
ed, and thus press their determination to avenge1
it without regard to the consequences which
may follow. Before step so important and
fatal as dissolution of the Union be taken, we
ought to STOP pause, refect-refect upon the
dangers and difficulties which attend its disso-
luton, as we'll as the evils which must result
after it is accomplished. | know, sir, it is said
Southern men should not speak Of these things );
that it only enboldens the North, and makes
them the more determined The calamities at
tending and following a dissolution of the Union
bear equally on both sections, and to each are
boundless. Therefore, | think a free, full, and
frank statement of our views is beftting the i'm
portance of the crisis. We should speak to each
other as sober, discreet statesmen, appealing
rather to the honor and justice of men, than to
their fears or passions. Ii we cannot convince
the judgment of the North that the South has
never injured her, or tranped upon her rights,
and that she ought and must do justice to the
South, then, indeed, is our Government at an
end. If, By threats of disunion, We could fright
en- the North into temporary adjustment, l
should rot be willing to do so for it would only
postpone the sad event brief space, and not
avert it. We must have a Union based upon
the affections of the people; each section observ
ing due regard for the rights and feelings of
the other. This Government can alone be per-
petuated by the affections of its citizens-not by
the sword.


think it is the duty of both sections to con-
template the horrors attending a disruption OF
the Government That which, perhaps, rises
oil OIL 10 If ba done a
| When we look at the peculiar character OF our
Government, its varied interests, its immense
amount of public property, its vast extent of
territory, be must be but an Indifferent observer
of public events who thinks all these questions
can be adjusted without resort to the arbitra-
Iment OF the sword There is no question which
| think presents greater difficulty than that
which would grow out of the claim to the free
navigation of the Mississippi river. Will the
great Northwest permit this, the only natural
outlet for their immense productions, to fall into
the hands of hostile Government? 1t may be
said, by comfy this river would be open to free
navigation. But this is answered by those in
terested, that they will never permit vested
right, necessary to their existence, to rest on the
good will and courtesy of people whose inter-
test and feelings are SO hostile that they could
not live under the same Government. This
| contest would enlist the whole Northwest
Ohio, bordering on the river by that name,
which bears upon its bosom the immense pro-
ducts of that State, would feel the interest
which Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and
Minnesota feel.


In the event of dissolution of the Union,
what is to become of our vast domain? Would
not we of the South rghtully say that this was
acquired by the common blood and treasure of
the South as we'll as the North and that we
were, as we would be- entitled to our just pro-
portion9 Would not the North reply that we
withdrew voluntarily from the Government,
and that we thus forfeited all claim to any por-
tion of our hitherto common territory9 deny,