State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-02-23
WHOLE NO. 226.

, that they have not intended to use language
any stronger than was necessary to expires
their opinions of the evils of slavery exis,
ing within the District.
Mr. King, of Alabama, said that, before
the reading of the petition, he desired to
know of the gentleman who presented it if
It was entirely respectful to that body
Parliamentary usage required that, before
a gentleman presented petition or paper
of any kind to a deliberative body, he
should satisfy himself that it contained
nothing disrespectful 10 those to whom
was addressed.
Mr. Calhoun desired to know ifthe Ian
guage of the petition was respectful TO those
who had sent them there. He therefore
wished to hear the petition read.
Here the petition was read by the Seo-
rotary.
Mr. Calhoun demanded the preliminary
question on receiving the petition. The
Senator from Vermont he said, objected
to the calling these petitioners incendiaries,
and yet (said Mr. c. he does not object to
the language used by them towards those
who sent us here.
MIR Swift had only said that gentlemen
could judge of the language Of the petition
for themselves. The petitioners he had
said, were entirely respectable, were in
tluenced by the purest motives, and be-
| lieved themselves justified in speaking Of
evils as they supposed them TO exist.
MIR Calhoun cared not what their motives
were; he cared not whether they acted from
ignorance or design; he only judged of
the effect. Those persons who presented
this petition knew of the existence of the
Southern institutions, and yet they spoke
of them as unjust, wicked, and diabolical.
Whatever might be the design of these
men, the course they were pursuing was
calculated to destroy this Union, and SUBJ
vert its institutions. He did not mean to
enter into any argument with the,gentleman
from Vermont, but he demanded the pre-
liminary question, and OH it he asked for
the yeas and nays.
Tho yeas and nays were accordingly
ordered.
MIR Buchanan was not only willing, but
anxious, that question should be distinct
ly taken before the Senate of the United
Suites, and so far as it was in his power to
put it to rest, he was prepared to 60. II
would seem that on one morning, the Sem
ate were to have dish of MIR Bentoils
resolution served up, and the next morning
the abolition question. He hoped they
would dispose of one thing ct time, and
would therefore move to lay the question
OH the table. He made this motion with
view that it might be called up hereafter
when the Senate were prepared to make
final disposition of it.
MIR Leigh read parts Of the petition, from
which he inferred that there was q design
in the petitioners to act not only upon tho
rights Of the people of the District of Co.
lumbia, but upon the rights of the slave
holding States generally, as it argued gen.
orally against Shareholders.
Mr. Swift said it was difficult TO find
expressions in any memorial to which some
exception might not be taken. Let mo
said he, illustrate this by calling the atten-
ton of gentlemen to another question.
Suppose petition presented there to pro-
hibt the sale of lottery tickets in this Dis
trct, calling the practice immoral gambling,
&C.: would gentlemen consider this Ian
guage improper, because the sale of lot
terry tickets was tolerated elsewhere. This
case was perfectly similar to the one
treated of in the petition he had just pre-
scntcd
After some additional remarks from Mr.
Calhoun,
Mr. Buchanan moved to lay the question
on the table, and it was agreed to.