Presidential Candidates:: Containing Sketches, Biographical, Personal and Political, of Prominent Candidates for the Presidency in 1860Bartlett, D. W. (David W.)
History
Presidential Candidates:: Containing Sketches, Biographical, Personal and Political, of Prominent Candidates for the Presidency in 1860
Bartlett, D. W. (David W.)
Statesmen -- United States; United States -- Biography
"I say, then, sir, that the rule by which to judge of the intent,
the object, the purpose of an act, is to see what the act is
calculated to do, what its natural tendency is, what will in all
human probability be the effect. Before the passage of the
Kansas-Nebraska act, there stood upon your statute-book a law by
which slavery was prohibited from going into any territory north
of 36° 30'. The validity and constitutionality of that law had
been recognized by repeated decisions of the courts of the several
States. If I am not mistaken, I have a memorandum by me, showing
that it had been recognized by the Supreme Court of the State of
Louisiana. So far as I know, the constitutionality of that
enactment was unquestioned, and the country had reposed in peace
for more than a generation under its operation. By and by,
however, it was discovered to be unconstitutional, and it was
broken down. The instant it was broken down, slavery went into
Kansas; but still, gentlemen tell us they did not intend to let
slavery in; that was not the object. Let me illustrate this.
Suppose a farmer has a rich field, and a pasture adjoining,
separated by a stonewall which his fathers had erected there
thirty years before. The wall keeps out the cattle in the pasture,
who are exceedingly anxious to get into the field. Some modern
reformer thinks that moral suasion will keep them in the pasture,
even if the wall should be taken down, and he proceeds to take it
down. The result is, that the cattle go right in; the experiment
fails. The philosopher says; 'Do not blame me; that was not my
intention; but it is true, the effect has followed.' I retort upon
him; 'You knew the effect would follow; and, knowing that it would
follow, you intended that it should follow.'
* * * * *
"This brings me to another part of my subject, in answer to a
question which the honorable senator from Illinois (Mr. Douglas)
propounded, when he asked if he was to be read out of the party
for a difference on this point. I have great regard for the
sagacity of that honorable senator, but I confess it was a little
shaken when he asked that question; is a man to be read out of the
party for departing from the President on this great cardinal
point? Why, sir, he asks, is a man who differs from the President
on the Pacific railroad to go out of the party? Oh no, he may
stay. If he differs on Central America, very good; take the first
seat if you please. You may differ with the President on anything
and everything but one, and that is this sentiment, which I shall
read; Mr. Buchanan shall speak his own creed. On the 19th of
August 1842, in the Senate, Mr. Buchanan used this language:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account