after the close of a long and
bloody war. Shoulder to shoulder--through winter snows and beneath
summer suns--through such sufferings and sacrifices as the world had
scarcely ever witnessed--the people of these States, under Providence,
had fought and achieved their independence. Fresh from the field,
their hearts full of patriotism, determined to perpetuate the
liberties they had achieved, the people sent their delegates into the
convention to frame a Constitution which would preserve to their
posterity the blessings they had won.

These delegates, under the presidence of WASHINGTON, aided by the
counsels of MADISON and FRANKLIN, considered the very questions with
which we are now dealing, and they refused to put into the
Constitution which they were making, such guarantees to slavery as you
now ask from their descendants. That is my interpretation of their
action. Either these guarantees are in the Constitution, or they are
not. If they are there, let them remain there. If they are not there,
I can conceive of no possible state of circumstances under which I
would consent to admit them.

Mr. MOREHEAD:--Not to save the Union?

Mr. FIELD:--No, sir, no! That is my comprehensive answer.

Mr. MOREHEAD:--Then you will let the Union slide.

Mr. FIELD:--No, never! I would let slavery slide, and save the Union.
Greater things than this have been done. This year has seen slavery
abolished in all the Russias.

Mr. ROMAN:--Do you think it better to have the free and slave States
separated, and to have the Union dissolved?

Mr. FIELD:--I would sacrifice all I have; lay down my life for the
Union. But I will not give these guarantees to slavery. If the Union
cannot be preserved without them, it cannot long be preserved with
them. Let me ask you, if you will recommend to the people of the
southern States, in case these guarantees are conceded, to accept
them, and abide by their obligations to the Union? You answer, Yes! Do
you suppose you can induce the seceded States to return? You answer:
We do not know! What will you yourselves do if, after all, they
refuse? Your answer is, "_We will go with them!_"

We are to understand, then, that this is the language of the slave
States, which have not seceded, toward the free States: "If you will
support our amendments, we will try to induce the seceded States to
return to the Union. We rather think we can induce them to return; but
if we cannot, then we will go with them."

What