Year: 1861

|
are called stump speeches in my State aud
others. but | never make o speech that
would not utter in the presence of every can.
dldate before the people; never. | was told
that up IN Harrisburg by former distir-
gulshed Ser ator from Virginia, Watkias
Leigh lie said we must make stomp
speeches; and as we did rot know he told US
how. lie said that we must not say any
thing on the stump that we would not say
before a Court of Justice under oath as to
the truth. That was his rule, and have
observed that rule ever since / said on the
stump that knew all Of the candidates be-
fore the country and believed they were
all eminently able to administer the Govern
ment. would not say it now, because I
haYe seen 81 me things which make it little
doubtful. think some of them are getting
to be sectional But said it then, and /
believed it; and would not be great ways
OF now If were to say it. / think they
have got excited, and are little disposed TO
give up the doctrines that they maintained
then. If they think they were wrong, com,
mend them for giving them up.


] do not think there is doctrine in our
platform that is subject to criticism NOT
one. Now. why should we give tup? Il
says that we mean to protect the States in
their rights, and especially the right to reg.
ulate their own institutions in their OWE way.
We polled nearly two million votes, and
these voters stand pledged to that doctrine,
The Senator from Illinois received twelve or
thirteen hundred thousand. Certainly they
stand pledged to it, and against this doctrine
OF interfering for the purpose of protecting
slave property in the Territories. There are
three millions three hundred Thousand voters
opposed to any such interference. They are
all against it. / consider Mr.. Bells vote
just as much on the Republican side as Mr..
Lincon's count anybody who voted
against the other candidate. / wanted our
voters. where they could help Bell, to vote
for him. That was my feeling. think him
an honorable, high minded and good man
and so may say Of the other candidate,
but do not believe be could haYe got 300,
O0O in this country upon the secession doc
trine. Out of 100000 votes. he could not
have got 100000 in the country upon this se-
cession platform, in my deliberate jud dgment,
He did not get more than one.sixth of tho
votes as it was. All the rest of the csndi-
dates were dramatically opposed 20 this docr
trine. Those 600, 900 now come here and
demand that all the others shall throw up
their platform and break the Constitution,





doctrine as I see it. That is the logic of
these facts, and cannot get anything else
out of them. ask the Senator from Ken.
tucky if that is fairi He would not do it,
He and will do anything that is right but
there is no propriety in denouncing great
party that can poll million votes and more,
Men have prin ciples, feelings. love of coun-
try, and they will not be outraged by the
surrender OF their doctrines We cannot
make our people do it. might get along
with them if | could get home 7 would talk
as well as could to them but they would
be mortified and chagrined at a surrender of
principle. should like to make congres-
sional declaration, if it is needed and such
declarations 60 great wsy--anG let every
man put bis name ON the call of the Yeas and
Nays in favor of it. assuring the disquisted
people of this country that they are safe in
our hands; that we mean to protect them in
their rights that we mean to do everything
that brothers ought to do to brothers. will
| vote for such declaration. / will do auy-
thing that can to appease these feelings
that so agitate the country, and even agres
to alter the Constitution to do it, if you do
not put so many things in it. But would
not undertake to read these resolutions thro'
and and out exactly their positions in q forte
| night. want to think of thing as much
as week after | have read it, to see how il
is coming out, before am willing to speak
un it. The time has been when | could get
up here at will and speak better, without
knowing much about the subject: give free
vent to my feelings. and go it at large. But
am old enough to know it is the easiest
thing in the world to be mistaken. / would
rather look il over awhile. / hope | have
fnr IL uIoA
| think after do look it over; and do not
want to lose It,


have been told that there were PROPOSE
tions here that would satisfy some of the old
thirteen States. 1 can not help having
little more regard for them, ! de not want
Georgia to leave US. | do not want South
Carolina to leave US. AS to oner two of the
'boughten" States, do not believe we shall
miss them much, anyhow. They cost us ten
times as much as they are worth, and. IL
they went Tomorrow, it would not worry me
as much as it would to lose one of the old
thirteen, in which | have lived. ! have liyz
ed under every President that ever was cleo.
ted in this country. Thew were pretty good
mon. like the old thirteen, l do not want
Georgia or South Carolina to go out. / re-
member when | talked about their banks in
South Carolina, they comp'imented me very
much and | received letters every day
thanking me for defending them against ono
of their Senators. who never meant to saw
anything about them; but they took the no.
tion that be did, wish could talk to them
about going out Of this Union: I would beg
of them, plead with them, and implsre them
not to 60. | would assure them that they
should always have a comfortable berth in
this country-hetter than they can get out Of
it: AS TO Georgia, have strong personal
reasons for loving that State, because have
lived in it !; and have never lived in any
State in which | was not we'll treated. Rhode
leland has great public reasons for loving
Georgia. The soil of Georgia holds the ash
es of one of the noblest of our revolutionary
worthless "a man who was second only to
him who was peerless among men. We want
that dust before Georgia goes out of this
country. We want to place it in his native
land, by his kindred. Let not that dust 20
out of the Union. We want to bring it TO
Rhode Island; aud when the last morning
reyille shall beat that shall summon the spir-
it to re-aLimate that dust, let him rise With
the same flag waving over him that was borne
by those grateful, mournful. and gallant
Georgians when they laid him to rest. II
was then, is now, and trust ever shall be,
tbs flag Of the Union. Applause in the esIs
leriee.