This constitutes,
therefore, a trade; a class of people are thus employed--employed for
mischief, for incendiary purposes, perhaps not always understood by
those who furnish the money; but such is the effect; such is the result
of their action; and in this state of the case I call upon the Senate to
affirm the great principles on which our institutions rest. In no spirit
of crimination have I stated the reasons why I present it. For these
reasons I call upon them now to restrain the growth of evil passion, and
to bring back the public sense as far as in them lies, by earnest and
united effort, if it may be, to crown our country with peace, and start
it once more in its primal channel on a career of progressive prosperity
and justice.
The majority section can not be struggling for additional power in order
to preserve their rights. If any of them ever believed in what is called
Southern aggression, they know now they have the majority in the
representative districts and in the electoral college. They can not,
therefore, fear an invasion of their rights. They need no additional
political power to protect them from that. The argument, then, or the
reason on which this agitation commenced, has passed away; and yet we
are asked, if a party hostile to our institutions shall gain possession
of the Government, that we shall stand quietly by, and wait for an overt
act. Overt act! Is not a declaration of war an overt act? What would be
thought of a country that, after a declaration of war, and while the
enemy's fleets were upon the sea, should wait until a city had been
sacked before it would say that war existed, or resistance should be
made? The power of resistance consists, in no small degree, in meeting
the evil at the outer gate.
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