omfort" from the recorded
declarations of one of his peculiar political faith. But an
examination of his writings will show, that instead of favoring
coercion, instead of being the advocate of force, he was the advocate
of leniency and conciliation towards refractory States, and deprecated
a resort to force as madness and folly.

If the great names of MADISON and HAMILTON have not sufficient weight
to restrain the madness of those who urge a coercive policy against
the seceding States, then, indeed, I see no escape from that most
dreadful of all calamities which can befall a nation--civil war. If
those in this Chamber who talk so flippantly of war, had seen, as it
has been my lot to see, some of its actual horrors, they might,
perhaps, heed the warnings and respect the counsels of the sages and
patriots whose language I have quoted. They would at least refrain
from ungenerous insinuations against the patriotism of those northern
Democrats, who, like myself, reprobate the policy of coercion as
destructive of the peace, the prosperity, and happiness of every part
of the country, north as well as south.

But to return to the remarks of the Senator from Tennessee. In the
pamphlet report of his speech, page 7, JEFFERSON is quoted; but the
concluding part of the quotation is repeated in the _Globe_ report and
not in that of the pamphlet. That part is:

"When two parties make a compact, there results to each a
power of compelling the other to execute it."

JEFFERSON is here quoted to show that the Confederation has a power to
enforce its articles on delinquent States. But the citation is
unfortunate for the Senator from Tennessee. He had just previously
asserted that Vermont and other States had, by personal liberty bills,
violated the Constitution. Well; can he tell us how Virginia and South
Carolina could enforce the Constitution on Vermont in that respect? It
cannot be done. What follows? Why, as Mr. WEBSTER said at Capon
Springs, "a compact broken by one party is broken as to all." Hence,
according to the doctrines of JEFFERSON and WEBSTER as to the actual
case which, according to the Senator, has occurred, the compact having
been broken, the Southern States have a right to retire--are absolved
from further obligations under the constitutional compact.

The Senator complains that I replied at all, as I was a northern
Senator, and a Democrat whom he had supported at the last election for
a high office. Now,