lated this compact and have not been faithful
to their engagements? As individual and local communities they may have
done so; but not by the sanction of government for that has always been
true to Southern interest. Again, gentleman, look at another fact, when we
have asked that more territory should be added, that we might spread the
institution of slavery, have they not yielded to our demands in giving us
Louisiana, Florida, and Texas out of which four States have been carved
and ample territory for four more to be added in due time, if you by this
unwise and impolitic act do not destroy this hope and perhaps, by it lose
all, and have your last slave wrenched from you by stern military rule, as
South America and Mexico were; or by the vindictive decree 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,
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 always been from the South. This we have
required so as to guard against any interpretation of the constitution
unfavourable to us. In like manner we have been equally watchful to guard
our interests in the legislative branch of government. In choosing the
presiding president (_pro. tem._) of the Senate, we have had twenty-four
to their 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 so generally
secured the speaker, because he, to a greater extent, shapes and controls
the legislation of the country. Nor have we had less control in every
other department of the general government. Attorney-Generals we have had
fourteen, while the North have had but five. Foreign ministers we have had
eighty-six and they but fifty-four. While three-fourths of the business
which demands diplomatic