It Is When A People

....i Am Sure That The Dangers Of This System (the Federal Constitution) Are Real, When Those Who Have No Similar Interest With The People Of This Country (the South) Are To Legislate For Us - When Our Dearest Rights Are To Be Left, In The Hands Of Those, Whose Advantage It Will Be To Infringe Them.

It Is In Vain, Sir, To Extenuate The Matter. Gentlemen May Cry, “peace! Peace!” — But There Is No Peace. The War Is Actually Begun! The Next Gale That Sweeps From The North Will Bring To Our Ears The Clash Of Resounding Arms! Our Brethren Are Already In The Field! Why Stand We Here Idle? What Is It That Gentlemen Wish? What Would They Have? Is Life So Dear, Or Peace So Sweet, As To Be Purchased At The Price Of Chains And Slavery? Forbid It, Almighty God! I Know Not What Course Others May Take; But As For Me, Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death!

Are We At Last Brought To Such Humiliating And Debasing Degradation That We Cannot Be Trusted With Arms For Our Defense? Where Is The Difference Between Having Our Arms In Possession And Under Our Direction, And Having Them Under The Management Of Congress? If Our Defense Be The Real Object Of Having Those Arms, In Whose Hands Can They Be Trusted With More Propriety, Or Equal Safety To Us, As In Our Own Hands?

Oh, How Wretched Should I Be At This Moment, If I Had Not Made My Peace With God.

Adversity Toughens Manhood, And The Characteristic Of The Good Or The Great Man Is Not That He Has Been Exempt From The Evils Of Life, But That He Has Surmounted Them.