Year: 1860

our imports--a home market is created for
the Northern manufacturer throughout the
United States. Turn, also, to the eXpcndi-
lures of the Government For twenty years
prior to 1886, there were four hundred and
twenty millions of revenue raised from the
people of the United States OF this, ono
hundred and thirty millions were paid to our
national debt two hundred and ten millions
expended in the Northern and Middle States
and but eighty millions in the Southern and
Western States of the Union. The consc-
qucnce of the Union, in all its operations, has
been, that the Northern and Middle States
have advanced in wealth and power unparal-
cled in the history of nations. The Union
has been to them the greatest temporal bless
ing that God ever bestowed upon any people
Suppose them to be so drunk with fanaticism
as to dissolve it-what would be their situation
at home and abroad The great carrying
trade of the South would be lost The great


importing trade for the South would be lost


The chief market for their manufactures, and
with 1t the great instrument with which they
weld their commerce, our agricultural staples,
would be lost, They produce nothing that
civilized European nations want In com
mercc, in manufactures, in navigation, they
would be their rivals Their position, there
WV, "Ouit bS liiaI VI lHlcTCSlS-OI
obvious hostility to all those nations; and
contention and war would be the natural rcla-
tion which would spring up between thcm-
What, on the contrary would be the situation
of the South, if the Union was dissolved p
Peace with all the civilized nations of the
globe; for her agricultural productions are
necessary for their manufacturing population,
whilst their manufactures are necessary for our
consumption. A bond of interest, more DO
tent than armies or navics, would secure us
peaceful and friendly relations with every
civilized and powerful nation III the universe


Our agricultural productions now constitute
the best guarantee to the Union for peace with
foreign nations. The South would then un-
der the influence of free trade, buy cheapest
and sell dearest. But ! pause in this painful
prospect When the alternative is presented
to the North, of the dissolution of the Union,
or the suppression of all intervention in our do
mcstic institutions, | cannot doubt her deter
mlnation Interest, honor, all the recollcctiops
ot the past, all the prospects of the future will
plead for the Union and the South We have
never wrongcd them. If we have had power
in the Confcdcracy, it has never been used in
spirit of sectional sclfshncss, for. the purpose
of expressing others or advancing our own ae-
grandizcment Our policy, since the existence
of the Union, has been simply defensive. We
have insisted upon the Constitution as it is.
All the advantages which it fairly gives to the
North, and they arc immense, we have cheer


fully accorded TO require more, and to in
sist upon the right of wantony disturbing our
peculiar institutions, is plainly equivalent to
demand that the Union shall be dissolved,
upon them will be the responsibility Of break
ing up the most glorious fabric of liberty that
the genius of man has ever invented, and
casting its shattered fragments upon the wide
ocean of new and untricd experiments


have thus, fellow citizens endeavorcd to
show you your true situation, and the remedy,
which in NY opinion, it requires If am mis-
taken in the signs of the times, shall mingle
my JOY with yours, in finding my errors con
sistent with your security and peace. But
admitting that am not mistaken, and that it
is cxpedicnt that the Constitution should be
amended-in what way shall we best accom-.
plish this end 4? That it is not easy to amend
the Constitution, is obvious from the fact, that
although the most violent differences and con-
tentions concerning it have arisen since it
went into operation, all efforts to amend it
have hitherto failed. | do not think the sep
aratc action of the States will be sufficiently
imposing and authoritative to accomplish this
'"N' IL WV 'hSHptlS VI AOiSICSS from Jnc
Southern States would unite in recommend
ing the amendments. they would probably be
adopted; for they would be considered as rep
rcscnting the determination of the South
but have no hope of seeing union amongst
them for such purpose. 1t is vain, of course,
to look to Congress. The only efficient meth
cd of attaining this end, appears to me to be
by meeting of the Southern States in con-
vention. The voice Of such a convention will
be heard and respected, and its recommended.
tions adopted The very fact of It's assom-
bla6e would show that we are united and de-
tcrmincd upon this great subject and this is
all that is necessary to give us peace We
have only to will our protection, and it will
be secured. But when will such convention
meet? Not until the Presidential question
shall be subordinatcd to this; and our local
party differences shall be absorbed in the one
great duty of sclfprcscryation. Until then,
"wait y will be the cry. You will be too
rash and precipitate, and may endaugcr the
Union. Stop until we can all be united. So
long as people merely petition, merely pray,
what occasion for alarm what need for ac-
ton? Wait until something is done; until
Congress acts" (that is, l suppose, passes
bill to emancipate slaves) 1t is very difficult
TO reconcile this council for delay and tolera-
tion, with the design of ever acting at all. A
man who talks in this way may think that he
will resist some day or other but il will ever
flee before him, like his shadow. Even, in
his estimation, the laurel of the victor will