Political History of Secession to the Beginning of the American Civil War |
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36th Cong Abolition Abolitionists adopted amendment anti-slavery attempt authority Benton bill Buchanan Cabinet Calhoun campaign Castle Pinckney Charleston civil Commissioners committee compromise measures confederacy Confederate Congress Constitution Curtis debate December decision declared delegates Democratic party denounced doctrine Douglas Dred Scott election favor Federal government Floyd force Fort Moultrie Fort Pickens Fort Sumter forts Frémont friends Fugitive Slave Law Georgia Globe Governor Grier House Illinois Indiana James Buchanan Jefferson Davis John Judge Kansas Kansas-Nebraska act Kentucky Lecompton Constitution Legislature Lincoln Major Anderson March Massachusetts ment Mississippi Missouri Compromise Moultrie never nomination North Northern Ohio opinion opposed Oregon Pennsylvania platform political President presidential principles Republican party resolutions seceding secession leaders Secretary Senator sentiment sess Seward slaveholding slavery slavery question South Carolina Southern speech Sumter Supreme Court Taney Territory Texas tion Union United Virginia vote Washington Whig York
Popular passages
Page 351 - A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this Government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved, I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push...
Page 14 - States, and of amendments thereto, they constituted a general government for special purposes, delegated to that government certain definite powers, reserving, each State to itself, the residuary mass of right to their own self-government ; and that whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force...
Page 352 - It is the eternal struggle between these two principles — right and wrong — throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity, and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, "You toil and work and earn bread, and I'll eat it.
Page 353 - ... (It matters not what way the Supreme Court may hereafter decide as to the abstract question whether slavery may or may not go into a Territory under the Constitution ; the people have the lawful means to introduce it or exclude it as they please, for the reason that slavery cannot exist a day or an hour anywhere unless it is supported by local police regulations.
Page 15 - ... limited by the plain sense and intention of the instrument constituting that compact, as no further valid than they are authorized by the grants enumerated in that compact ; and that in case of a deliberate, palpable, and dangerous exercise of other powers, not granted by the said compact, the states, who are parties thereto, have the right, and are in duty bound, to interpose, for arresting the progress of the evil, and for maintaining within their respective limits, the authorities, rights,...
Page 403 - That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom ; that as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished slavery in all our national territory, ordained that no person should be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law...
Page 351 - I hold that, notwithstanding all this, there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I hold that he is as much entitled to these as the white man.
Page 323 - We cannot absolutely know that all these exact adaptations are the result of preconcert. But when we see a lot of framed timbers, different portions of which we know have been gotten out at different times and places and by different workmen, Stephen, Franklin, Roger, and James, for instance...
Page 351 - If they look back through this history to trace their connection with those days by blood, they find they have none, they cannot carry themselves back into that glorious epoch and make themselves feel that they are part of us, but when they look through that old Declaration of Independence they find that those old men say that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...
Page 69 - We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us : for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves...