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Show Charles O'Conor. Gentlem 'n, is it not a subject of a'i toni~hm e nt that the idea of danger, and the, till more dreadful idl•a of' eli ·solution, sl10uld be heard from the lips of an Am ·ri can ·itizen at this day, in refer ·nee to, or in connection wi th, the .::acr ,d name of this mo, t. acrcd Union? (Applaus .) \Vhy, g ·ntlcm •n, what is our l ni on? \Vhat nrc it antecedents? 'Vhat i its present corHliLion? If we ward off the evils which thr •atcn it, what is its future hope to us and to the great family of mankind? \Vhy, gentlemen, it may well be said of' this Union, a. a Governm •nt, that a it is Time's la 't off..;;pring: so is it Time'::; mo, t glorious and b ·n •ficent production. ( L oncl applau. c•.) Gcutl ·men, we were created by an Omni ~ci •nt Being ; we were created by a Being not only all-seeing and all-powerful, but all-wise; and yet in the benignity aml the f.tr-, eeing wisdom of His power, lie permitted the great f~unily of mankind to live on, to advance, to impro\'e , tep by , tep, fi vc thousand years and upwards, hcforc Ile Iai(l the foundation of a truly free, a truly happy, a truly irH.1cpenL1ent empire. It was not, gentlemen, until that great length of time had •h1p. ·r(l, tltnt the earth was deem ·u mature for laying tire foundation of this mighty anu prosperous State. It wa. then th:1t tho inr.;pircd, the noble-minded, ancl chivalrous Genae e set forth upon the tracklcs ocean, anu eli 'covered the n'gion we now enjoy. But a fc,v ycm·s, comparatiYely, elapsed, when there wa · rai ;.;ec1 up in this hlc::;scd land a t: •t of men who:;;c like hnd never exist 'tl upon the face of this earth- men un equalled in their pcrecption of the true principles of justice, in their comprc hcn~ive benevolence, in th ir capacity to Iny, . afely, ju ~tly, soundly, :wd with all the qualitic which . hould insure permanency, the foundations of an empire. (Loud cheers.) It wa3 in thi.;; country, in 1776, that \vas seen the ftrF;t a . t'mbly of rational m •r1, who ·vcr pt·oclaim 'd, in clenr and und •niablc form, the immutable principles of ju. tice, and cons 'C rntcc1, I tru :-'t, to all time,· in the faC'e of tyrant ·, and in opposition to their power, the rights of natiow, and the rig hts oC men. (Applause.) Tlw.-;e patriots, as soon af> the storm of war luul passed away, - Charles O'Conor. sat down and framed that instrument on which onr Union l'l'S t::; - the Con: ti tu tion or the Uni ted StaLe.· of Ant r ica. (Loud ap plau:c.) The qu estion, gc' ntlem n, now b f(lr) us, is neiLI H·r more nor les::; than. im ply thi~ : whether that Constitution, consccrat 'U by the blood :shed in our glorious Revolution, consecrated by the ignaturc of the most illustriou::; man who ever lived- George 'Vashington- (applause) -whether that, in trumcnt, accepted by the wi ·e t and best of that day, and accepted in Convention, one by one, in each n.n <l eve ry State of this Union- that in trumcnt from which !'O many ole ·sings have flowed -whether that in ' trument wa cone ·i n'J in crim ' - i a chapter of abomi nations - ( cri s of' •· No, no!") - i ~ a violation ofJ. ustice -is a lcaoO 'uc between ' trOlw,"') - handed but wi<.:kcd-hcarted white men, to opprc, s, im povc ri~h, and plunder their fello,v-crcaturc , contrary to rectitude, honor, a11tl j.u:; ticc. (Loucl appian: •.) That i · the quest ion, neither more uor lc. s. 1V e arc told from pulpits ; we a rc told upon tlw politi ·al rostrum; we a rc tolu in the legislative a ·scmhlies of our Northern 'tatcs-not merely by siugle . p eaker~, hut by distinct r eso lutions of the whole hody ; we arc tol(l by g ·ntlemen occupying 'Cat in the 1ongrcss of the Union through the vote of Northern people, that the Consti tnt ion f<eeks to CJI.-;hrinc, to protc ·t, to defend a monstrous cri m<! again:t justice and humanity, and that it i our duty to dd(:a.t it:-; provision. , to outwit th em if we cannot ot hen vi;.;e get r id of their effect, nnd thereby to trample upon the privilege' whieh it has declared shall be protected and in urcd to our brcthr •n of the South. (Applau ' e.) That is the doctrine now :.1lh oca ted, gentlcm ·n; and I a k whether that doctrine, ncccs arily involving the de truction of our Union, . hall be pen nitte<t to prevail as it has hitherto pre vailed. (Applau c.) Gentlern ' 11, I tru. t you \-vill cxcu e me for deliberately comiug up to nnd me ·ting this quest ion ; not se ·king to eapti \·ate your fhnci ' :3 by a trick of wo rd::~- not s eking to exalt your imaginations by declama tion or any effort at eloquence- but |