sentation in Congress for our section was it not granted? When we
demanded the return of any fugitive from justice, or the recovery of
those persons owing labor or allegiance, was it not incorporated in the
Constitution, and again ratified and strengthened in the fugitive slave
law of 1850? Do you reply that in many instances they have violated this
law and have not been faithful to their engagements? As individuals and
local committees they may have done so, but not by the sanction of
government, for that has always been true to the Southern interests.

Again, look at another fact. When we asked that more territory should be
added that we might spread the institution of slavery did they not yield
to our demands by giving us Louisiana, Florida and Texas out of which
four States have been carved, and ample territory left for four more to
be added in due time, if you do not by this unwise and impolitic act
destroy this hope, and perhaps by it lose all and have your last slave
wrenched from you by stern military rule, or by the vindictative decrees
of a universal emancipation which may reasonably be expected to follow.

But again gentlemen, what have we to gain by this proposed change of our
relation to the general government? We have always had the control of it
and can yet have if we remain in it and are as united as we have been.
We have had a majority of the presidents chosen from the South as well
as the control and management of most of those chosen from the North. We
have had sixty years of Southern presidents to their twenty-four, thus
controlling the executive department. So of the judges of the supreme
court, we have had eighteen from the South and but eleven from the
North. Although nearly four-fifths of the judicial business has arisen
in the free States, yet a majority of the court has been from the South.
This we have required so as to guard against any interpretation of the
constitution unfavorable to us. In like manner we have been equally
watchful in the legislative branch of the government. In choosing the
presiding officer, _pro tem_, of the Senate we have had twenty-four and
they only eleven; speakers of the house we have had twenty-three and
they twelve. While the majority of the representatives, from their
greater population, have always been from the North, yet we have
generally secured the speaker because he to a great extent shapes and
controls the legislation of the country, nor have we had less co