Year: 1863

Speech OF Hon. David Turpie in the
United Ssates senate ON tlae Missouri
emancipation Bill - The Price Oh
Loyalty.


Mr.. President: Il would be well at first
thought, it would seem, if the whole world could
exist under one form of government ls "oulu
be a vast economy in the mantenance OF foreign
relations Ii would dispe.ise forever with the ar
mics and navies of the globe, the eternal wit
nesses of national jealousy. 1t would settle tor
ever the great question of the balance OF power
| In the community. however, il has Oeen ordered
that the interest of the whole is best promoted by
the pursuit of the interest of the individual in his
particular sphere The selt-interest OF nations
and of communities has demanded separation
and different neutrality-suspicious. not 70 be
avoided by identity of language, by identity OF
religion by geographical contiguity-not to be
avoided in any event where the true and real in
terests Of the community may dictate It.


do not say this, sir, in justification OF the
crime Of secession but say it to show hOw en-
tirely imbecile and weak is the plea for national
unity, founded only upon the circumstance oil
geographical contiguity, and the identity of race.
of religion, and OF language Self-lnterest dl
vides and it separates The American Union
was formed on the principle of different interests
of local communities, being protected and more
effectually protected by that Union than by any
other means. 1t formed upon the sole idea
that the reserved rights of the States and the
people should not be interfered with by the Cen
eral Government so created.


It is useless to talk about imaginary lines not
being sufficient to divide natiOnaltleS. Sir. the
line which divides your own State from the Cana
das is sn imaginary line drawn by the compass
of the surveyor. Its virtue, its power, its eff
cency are as well known to every negro-larcen
Gus fanatic in this country it is TO that pleas
ant speaker of parallels who darkens the Presi-
dental mansion with his shadow, and yet refuses
to recognize the efficiency of a line thus drawn.
If we would preserve national integrity, If we
would extend and keep expanded the national do
main, we shall have, above all things, to show
that the interests of communities the interests of
States, the interests Of Territories the interests
of the future population who are to nhabit this
country will be best subserved and protected by
a national Government The moment you aban-
don that doctrine the moment the Federal Gov
ernment, under any excuse, under any pretense
whatevet nerieres in such Il way as to show
that it no longer cOnsults the reserved rights of
the States and the people and the self-interest OF
separate communities composing 1t, you destroy
the only tie which can bind them to our nation
! alitv


The States made the Union; the Union did not
make the States Il is a sufficient answer to the
dogma that the States have no status out of the
Union TO say that the States existed before the
Union, and must have existed out of it, The
Union was formed solely upon the idea that GER
tain rights should he reserved What rights are
they? The right OF life, of liberty, of the pursuit
of happiness; tne righ of property, its acquisi
ton, its possession its disposition after the death
of the owner; the right of freedom of the press;
the toleration of religious opinion; the right of
freedom of speech, all the most sacred rights of
political, domestic, and social relations are
among those reserved 70 the States and the
people, and cannot be interiered with bv the
General Government in any manner whatever.
III there had not been such a reservation the
Union never could have existed eud if that reser.
vation be destroyed the Union will perish with its
destruction.


The guardians of these lights--you may call
them States, you may call them by whatever
name you wish-can be nothing less than sover
eign. The idea that any paramount authority
may exist as to these rights, DESTROYS the reserva
ton of the rights themselves. as it destroys the
sovereignty of the community which is bound TO
protect and assert them. Hence. in the cOnstitu-
ton OF my State. and yours, OF all the States, the
crime OF treason against the State is defined and
punished. Treason cannot be committed against
less than "A sovereignty; and L hold that the
States themselves have enacted. and rs sover-
eigns prescribed, the punishment for treason
against the rights reserved to them and their
people


| do not wish to wrest this doctrine to my own
destruction, OF to the justification of any who
have taken up arms against the Government.
know that the individuals, the officers of State
may commit treason against the Federal Govern
ment believe that the officers of the Federal
Government may commit treason against the
States The rights, the duties and the dangers
of the States and the Federal Government are
mutual aud reciprocal There should be no tres
| no hap nrf fhsaf t,.ar ba
crime of treason may be committed against
State government as well as against Federal au,
thority.


There are many crimes however against the
rights of the States and against the rights of the
people which are below the grade of treason.
There are misdemeanors, offenses less than trea-
son. There are vile frauds, there are most con-
temptble and cowardly impositions. as fatal to
State dignity and State sovereignty as treason
itself The proposition embodied in this bill is
one of that character. 1t is worse than a crime
1t is worse than "A crime because it lacks the bold
ness of execution Ii is meaner than crime be-
cause you cannot iasten it upon the person who
seeks to perpetrate it, or upon the power which
seeks to commit it. What is this propo sition2 Ii
is proposition to interfere with the rights of
property in the State of Missouri, and to interfere
in the most powerful manner-to interfere by AN
appeal to the basest passion Ofhumanty-the love





has been weighed and measured. 1t is worth ten
millions in cash or twenty millions credit.
will not pursue the tenor of this thought. Ii
would be doing injustice to the people OF great
State to say anything further about it.: nor will ]
vote the value of penny to brlbe the legislative
or popular action of the State of Missouri, upon
the subject of their domestic institutions, in any
way whatever.


This is a direct bribe offered by the Federal
Government, under the authority of the Federal
Government, for legislative and popular action
against the rights of property il the State OF
Missouri Ii you can buy the property rights ol
Missouri, yon can purchase any others. What
r-,,uI,s are assigned for this most extraordinary
souri, is willing. Does that change or constitu-
tional obligations a. Senators and coHSefvatOrs OF
the Federal cnmpacyE Does that give Us the
right to interve"e or interlereg y are told that
the fidelity of Missouri 20 the Union is to depend
upon the result oi the bill now pending | heard
with regret. the Senator from 5hat State Mr.
Henderson, SAY that unless this bin passed, he
would nol say what the result would be, but he
feared it; tht he should leave the State and cast
his fortunes with the Uuon; intmatng that the
State might e,ve the Union il this DILL was not
passed


NJ. Henderson: Mr. President


The Vice President: Does the Senator from


Mr. Turpe: With all due delerence to the
Senator, viii HUt


Sir, | am sorry that any such appeal should be
made to the Senate. | will not under such a
threat, as take IT, do great an injustice to the
people OF Missouri, OF to those of Indiana, as to
vote for measure of this character. Nor do |
believe thar the triumph of the Federal cause is
to be effected either in Missouri or elsewhere by