of all; and I know no other way to adjust it, except that way which is laid down by the Constitution of the United States.  Whenever we go astray from that, we are sure to plunge ourselves into difficulties.  The old Constitution of the United States, although commonly and frequently in direct opposition to what I could wish, nevertheless, in my judgment, is the wisest and best constitution that ever yet organized a free Government; and by its provisions I am willing, and intend, to stand or fall.  Like the Senator from Mississippi, I ask nothing more.  I ask no ingrafting upon it.  I ask nothing to be taken away from it.  Under its provisions a nation has grown faster than any other in the history of the world ever did before in prosperity, in power, and in all that makes a nation great and glorious.  It has ministered to the advantages of this people; and now I am unwilling to add or take away anything till I can see much clearer than I can now that it wants either any addition or lopping off.

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The Senator from Texas says—­it is not exactly his language—­we will force you to an ignominious treaty up in Faneuil Hall.  Well, sir, you may.  We know you are brave; we understand your prowess; we want no fight with you; but, nevertheless, if you drive us to that necessity, we must use all the powers of this Government to maintain it intact in its integrity.  If we are overthrown, we but share the fate of a thousand other Governments that have been subverted.  If you are the weakest then you must go to the wall; and that is all there is about it.  That is the condition in which we stand, provided a State sets herself up in opposition to the General Government.

I say that is the way it seems to me, as a lawyer.  I see no power in the Constitution to release a Senator from this position.  Sir, if there was any other, if there was an absolute right of secession in the Constitution of the United States when we stepped up there to take our oath of office, why was there not an exception in that oath?  Why did it not run “that we would support the Constitution of the United States unless our State shall secede before our term was out?” Sir, there is no such immunity.  There is no way by which this can be done that I can conceive of, except it is standing upon the Constitution of the United States, demanding equal justice for all, and vindicating the old flag of the Union.  We must maintain it, unless we are cloven down by superior force.

Well, sir, it may happen that you can make your way out of the Union, and that, by levying war upon the Government, you may vindicate your right to independence.  If you should do so, I have a policy in my mind.  No man would regret more than myself that any portion of the people of these United States should think themselves impelled, by grievances or anything else, to depart out of this Union, and raise a foreign flag and a hand against the General Government.  If