CONGRESS, U. S. 



211 



place us in hostile array with each other. 

 know that the movements in the cotton Sta 

 have gone so far that we cannot arrest them. 

 I appeal to the Representatives of the border 

 States to arrest the progress of this storm, for 

 a little time at least. Let us see whether there 

 is any hope for peace and conciliation. If there 

 is not, then, if we cannot agree, let us fight ; 

 but if we can agree, let us do it like men, and 

 not be hurried off by wild and insane feelings 

 of rage and disappointment by the weakest 

 State in this Confederacy." 



The object for which the army was to be 

 used he frankly declared to be, in his opinion, 

 for the purpose of protecting the acknowledged 

 property of the United States, in recovering 

 that which has been unlawfully taken, and in 

 maintaining the Union. 



On the subject of compromise, his opinion 

 was expressed in these words: "I say again, 

 Mr. Chairman, that I do not believe any terms 

 which our people could yield and preserve their 

 own self-respect would satisfy South Carolina, 

 Florida, or some of the other Southern States, 

 because they are bent upon disunion." 



The proposition made in the Senate by Mr. 

 Crittenden was objected to by Mr. Sherman, 

 because, to use his language, "it protects the 

 institution of slavery in the Territory of New 

 Mexico; it takes away from Congress all power 

 over the subject ; it takes away from the peo- 

 ple of the territory all power over the subject ; 

 it makes this Government establish, protect, 

 and uphold slavery in that territory. I believe 

 that slavery is a local institution, municipal in 

 its character, protected by State laws, having 

 rights exclusively within those States, and hav- 

 ing no rights beyond those States except the 

 right to recapture fugitives who escape from 

 service. Believing, as I do, that that is the 

 correct construction of the Constitution, I 

 never will, whatever may be the consequences, 

 vote for a proposition to establish, protect, 

 and uphold slavery anywhere on God's 

 earth," 



Mr. Crawford, of Georgia, found himself 

 under the necessity of replying upon* the spur 

 of the moment, or the debate would be closed. 

 He commenced by saying that it was with feel- 

 ings of great distrust that he undertook the 

 vindication of South Carolina and the other 

 seceding States, from the charges made by the 

 rentleman from Ohio; but its very necessity 

 eft him no other alternative. His speech, 

 without correction, would have the effect of 

 producing upon the public mind of the Xorth 

 the impression that South Carolina, Georgia, 

 Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana 

 had commenced an aggressive war upon the 

 Government of the United States. " It is not 

 just either to ourselves or to them, that they 

 should believe, for one moment, that we had, 

 or intended to commence, an aggressive war 

 upon this Government or the people of the 

 North. All that they ever intended was to 

 protect and defend themselves against encroach- 



ments upon their rights and liberties, come 

 from what quarter they might." 



On the movement of Major Anderson to Fort 

 Sumter, his view was thus declared: "This 

 was an an act of war. But to make it beyond 

 question, and show that he considered it war, 

 he did that which no sane man would do in 

 peace, which was to destroy as far as possible 

 Fort Moultrie, and render it unfit for use or 

 service as a fortification ; add to this the burn- 

 ing of the gun carriages and the spiking of the 

 cannon, and then tell me, either that your Gov- 

 ernment has kept its faith, or that South Caro- 

 lina was guilty of the first act of hostility. Up 

 to that moment, nothing had been done by 

 South Carolina inconsistent with the good faith 

 pledged for her by her Representatives ; yet 

 when they saw these things done, and were 

 chafing under the mala fides of your Govern- 

 ment, and losing all hope of any other result 

 than war, they seized such defences as were 

 within their reach, and have held them since 

 for purposes of protection and safety." 



Again he said : "And I assert upon Southern 

 honor, that no fort would have been taken, no 

 arsenals seized, and no hostile attitude assumed 

 by a single State, had it not been for the action 

 of Major Anderson at Charleston; and upon 

 him rests whatsoever of blame may attach to 

 the subsequent conduct of South Carolina, 

 Georgia, and the other States." 



The fundamental view of the Government 

 formed under the Constitution, entertained by 

 all the Southern members, is thus repeated: 

 "I say that, in view of these things, believing 

 that this creature of ours had no right to use 

 these fortifications, erected for our defence, for 

 our destruction, we seized them under the uni- 

 versally-recognized principle of law, that the 

 rights of the agent are always subordinate to 

 the rights of the principal; and your rights 

 within the limits of our State must be subordi- 

 nate to ours whenever you violate the compact 

 between us. That is the principle upon which 

 we have acted, and. as I have said before, which 

 we intend to maintain to the very utmost of our 

 men and means," 



Mr. Hill, of Georgia, in reply to the asser- 

 tion of Mr. Sherman, of Ohio, that the South 

 would hearken to no proposition of concilia- 

 tion, believed that this was said without au- 

 thority, so far as it related to all the Southern 

 States. 



His views were so strongly in contrast with 

 the heated and fiery language so much used by 

 the Southern members, and. withal, so hopeful 

 and conciliatory, that they fell upon the wearied 

 and perplexed assembly like a gentle dream. 

 As his time expired and he was forced to close, 

 cries of " Go on ! " "Go on ! " rose from all 

 parts of the House. He proceeded : 



u Despite the attitude of South Carolina her- 

 self, I believe to-day she is approachable with 

 reason and words of kindness, and that she 

 will listen to the voice of conciliation if it come 

 in so gentle a form as could be tendered by 



