Year: 1860

4 duty, even at the hazard OF dlsrdphng ties so
long held sacred-the ties that bind us to the
Democracy. At all events we have a duty to
perform to ourselves and to our country.


The South is in a minority, we have been
tauntingly told to-day. In the progress of
events and the march of civilization and emf


grafton, the Northwest has grown up from a
mere infant in swaddling- clothes, at the form
tation of the Constitution; into the form and
proportions of giant people; and owing to
their institutions and demand for white labor,
; and the peculiar nature of ours though advanc-
ing side by side, in parallel lines-never ne
cessarily in conflict in the great march of civil
ization-they have surpassed us greatly In
numbers. We are, therefore, in a numerical
minority; but we do not murmur at this; we
cheerfully accept the result, but we firmly
claim the right of the minority-and what is
that We claim the benefit of the Constitu-
tion that was made for the protection of minor
tiles. In the march of events, feeling oon-
scious of your numerical power, you have ag-
gressed upon us. We hold up between us and
your advancing columns of numbers, that
written instrument which you and your fathers
4 made, and by the compact of which, you with
your power were to respect us and our rights.
Our and your fathers made it that they and
their children should forever observe it; that
upon all questions affecting the rights of the
minority, the majority should not rely upon





straint upon passion, avarice and lust for pow
er, to the written compact, to see~in what the
minority was to be respected, and how it was
to be protected, and to yield an implicit obe-
dience to that compact. Constitutions are
made solely for the protection of the minorities
in government, and for the guidance of major
tiles. You, in your voting power, are not ac-
customed to scan its provisions as closely as
! we, who, less in number, find in the instrument
the only peaceable solution of difficulties that
otherwise would lead us to defend ourselves
/ with arms. 1t is but natural that the North,
conscious of its voting strength in Congress,
| should seek to WELD the Government to its
own aggrandizement, and should listen rest
lessly, and often defantly, to the stern demand
of the South that the constitutional restraints
of delegated power should be rigidly observed;
but, at the same time, you must remember
that it is not only natural for the South to
do this, but that it is constitutional; and it is
in the compact that you shall forbear.


i The simple position of Alabama, then, is
upon the Constitution of the country. Taking
our position as minority, and holding that
Constitution up against your prejudices-hold-
ing it up against your passions-holding it up
against your loose notions of what are your
duties as regards the minority, and as regards
yourselves-hoiding it up as something that
| you must and shall respect-as it is something
that you say you do respect-thus planting
ourselves purely upon the Constitution, and
| asking nothing which that instrument does
not grant, we have right to ask, not only of
this young giant of the West, but of the older
Northeast and North, that they will calmlyand
considerably and intelligently with us read
that instrument and see wherein we are wrong
ed and wherein you are aggressing We of
the South, it is possibility, may mistake our
constitutional position. We of the South may
be wrong in our exposition of the Constitution.
There is possibility that you may be right.
There is a possibility that, in view of our in
terest upon this question, you have more i'm
partially considered it than we have, and that
our views upon this question are quite support
ed by the rigid letter and spirit of the Consti-
tuition. But have no doubt on this qnestion;
our people have no doubt upon it; but in Or
der to show you what conceive to be your
duty, and I trust you will think I do SO in all
proper Difference, will consider that such may
be the case. Then how is it? Ours is the
property invaded; ours are the institutions
which are at stake; ours is the peace that is to
be destroyed; ours is the property that is to be
destroyed; ours is the honor at stake-the
| honor of children, the honor of families. the
lives perhaps of all-all of which rests upon
what your course may ultimately make great
heaving volcano of passion and crime, if you
are enabled to consummate your designs. Bear
with us, then, if we stand sternly upon what
is yet that dormant volcano, and say we WELD
no position here until we are convinced we are
wrong. Loud cheers We are in position
to ask you to yield What right of YOURS. gen.
tlemen of the North, have we of the South
ever invaded? What institutions of yours
have we ever assailed, directly or indirectly?
What laws have we ever passed that have in
vaded or induced others to invade the sanctity
| of your homes or to put your lives in jeopardy,
or were likely to destroy the fundamental in
stitutions of your States? The wisest, the
most learned, and the best amongst you will
remain silent, because you cannot say we have
done this thing. TCheers.1 If their view is
right and ours is not strictly demanded by the
compact, still the consequence, in remote de-
gree, ofyour proposition may bring this result
upon US; and if you have no domestic nor mu-
| nicipal peace at stake, and no property at stake
and no fundamental institutions of your liber-
ties at stake, are we asking any too much of
you to-day, when we ask you to yield to us in
this matter as brothers, in order to quiet our
doubts in yielding you lose nothing that |
is essentially right? [Cheers.] Do I state
the proposition, gentlemen, any stronger than
your own intellects and your own judgments
will thoroughly endorse? IF do, am un-
conscious of it. i4ia -~"t & -


Mr.. Yancey then briefly adyerted to the past |
history of the. slavery controversy, referriug |
first to the sectional contention which impeded |
the admission into the Union of the State of
Missouri; then to the Abolition petitions which |
at later period flooded Congress then to the |
Mexican war and the consequent acquisition |
of new territory, the greater part of which was
given to the North then to the settlement |
and manner of admission of the State of Cali |
fornia; and finally, to the difficulties which
have more recently arisen as to the settlement
of Kansas, and the refusal to admit that Ter
ritsry as State under the Lecompton Consti-
tuition. =. --7--r--r .r.,gTo.-


When Kansas Che ,said) enacted State
Constitution, and was about to assume the pro-
portions, the dignity, the spirit and the power
of sovereignty-after the people, through a
Convention regularly elected according to
regular call, had framed their Constitution,