Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-20
Twcnty-fourth Congrcss--rst Sess
HoUsE OF REPRESENTATIVES, -

'naoe upon ms personal Characters and impugnng his
Veracy Mr. r. stated that he rarely, any OCCASION
tresPassed on the patience of the House nor should lac
have asked the present indulgence had the ASA alt been
connnea TO the columns OF newspaper But it had been
read IN the Senate of the United States. Mr. p would
however, take that occasion to say that far the Sc
nator who brought that paper forward med
that gentleman (Mr. Cahoun) had made to MIR. p ali
the apology he deemed necessary and lie asked per-
mission merely to reply TO the attack made upon him
Mr.. Mercer rose in his place and objected.
pir. Fierce moved a Suspension Of the rules.
MIR Underwood asked for the yeas and nays: but the
House refused TO order hem and The rules were
cd without count.
Mr.. Pierce then proceeded and returned his ,b,,L.
70 the House Tor the kindness manifested towards him
personally on that occasion. There avarieiy of
reasons that should deter him from long up
on the patience oil the House; was that the state OF
his health that morning such, that he was utterly
unable TO speak for any considerable length OF time
lie considered the vote taken Monday last upon the
resolutions of the honorable member from South Caro-
lima, (Mr Pnckney) declaratory of the indsposi,on
Oh ,hst House TO entertain debate upon the unfortunate
ana deeply exciting question of the abolition of slavery
Tins was the reason why he had taken The presc
instead OF waiting for favorable opportunity TO
express what he thought due TO himself member of
tative.
The article to which Mr. p referred was contained in
an abolition paper, printed the capital of the State he
mao the honor, In part To represent The paper said
Mr. r., was too insignificant and odous in the eyes
OF his constituents, TO claim the slightest
MN, tor any statement which might appear it's col
uhns but Tor the circumstance, that had been read in
another branch OF Congress- the instance of an ho-
norao. member of the United States Senate. So far
as that gentleman concerned, lie would again take
occasion TO that the explanations made by him. both
promptly in his place. and TO Mr. Pierce subsequently,
were perfectly satisfactory The gentleman had de-
sign OF attacking Mr. P but in rushing the partcu-
lar object, he had swept him along with it, From the
course Mr. r. had taken upon this question: only in
tat House, but every where else at all times, anu
all occasions he could not but anticipate the denuncia
ton OF the Northern abotonsts. But he had right
to expect that, at least Southern gentlemen would
have in any way become instr mental in publishing an
hOt In
Mr l.. and 10 his constituents. Whether, as has been
SAID, there be incidentally conjunction between two
parties OF this Unon to shake centre il was not
Tor him TO but he would express his belief that there
were sufficient patriotism and moral irmness in the sun.
ny chime, and patriotism and moral frnness enough
among the snow capt hills of the North put down agi-
taors they existed in both sections of the country and
70 transmit an unbroken Union to posterty with all the
rights and privileges secured by the Constitution and
now happily enjoyed under it, That he might be- per-
ieciy understood he would send to the Clerk table H.
paper which had been read in the Senate.
The article was then read by the Clerk as follows
Hon. Franklin Pierce" An honorable member from
New Hampshire, (Sr. Piece has that not one in
I'VE hundred OF his constituents III favor the OBJ
Ject OF these petitions or the abolition of slavery in
the District OF Columbia --nr. Siade's Speech.
Figures will not lie, though the representatives of
the people sometimes do Z" Facts stubborn things"
even when opposed by the magsteal ipsc dirt of law
yers and Legislators The truth of these apotheqms
the honorable member from New Hampshire has un-
doubleday learned before The present, however
an occasion when he may be taught lesson
he asserts, 'tha not FIVE hundred of his const.
tnenis are IN favor OF petitioning Congress abolish
slavery In the District OF Columbus We wonder where
his constituents reside. Not certainly in New Hamp-
shire 1T this account Of them is Such an as
serton is libel OILS the views and feelings OF the people
oil TINS State; facts and figures will prove il
The number of Inhabitants in New Hampshire in 1890
over 10 years OF age, was 1883 Now have lying
before us from some six towns only, petitions which
ahhxed, by their own sign manual, the OF more
than zoo individuals Besides thee there have been pro-
cured III single town in Stanford county the signatures
OF more than $40 legal voters Another town in The SANE,
I'd. ahnn "A
others upwards of 200 each These signatures have been
obtained with comparatively but little exertion But
these are not ALL Mr. Pierce will find before the present
session OF Congress closes Large petitions already
been sent on, and others still in circulation From
tnr- i'1 ~ .idJ s'eiy calculate that than four
thousand persons will send in their petitions,
by dough face like Mr. Pierce for the abolition ofslayery
in the District of Columbia. Let u.s. them test the cor
RICHNESS OF the hon. gentleman assertion by the follow
ing calculations The present population 20 years of
age being l33,3l3 ,3l3 4000=33; thus show
ing that instead OF only III five hundred being favor
such Petiiions in hirtythree has already signed
them, besides others who ready TO the
same III MT Pierce is grossly ignorant the general
interests OF his constituents he their and
views in regard to slavery, advise him To resign his
seat Immediately and prepare himself represent them
by spending the ensuing year travelling among them
and making inquiry into their condition and opinions If
he should do this, and if he should faithfully portray i'm
the course OF ms tour the various he has witness
ed at the capital of this Republic, and under the very
banner OF our ireedom the prisonhouse in which human
beings lncarcerated for tile of color-the auc
ton scene where men, women, and children are sold
like bruics TO the highest bidder-the violent and
ruthless breaking up OF families and all the social reIa.
tons OF iietbe separation of husband and Wife parent
and child-the gloomy cofe-the heart-breaIsine pro.
cession OF victims bending their way chains to the far
Souththe bloody lash and savage Of the foul dri
ver-the tear, the groan and the cankng manacIe;-if
he VIII portray all this, and then perOfaon recount
his conduct in regard abolishinq the accurspd
system OF which the above incidents constitute only
part, we assure him, from knowledge of human ma
tue, that his constituents will never trouble hin, In
represent them again, but will permit him 10 retire 4,
Sotium cum digntfate, To private e."
Mr. L. then proceeded. The of this article mr..
ported To have been taken from e speech Of an hoora
BILE member of that House, (er. Slade of W. IL 81,
happened that Mr. +. not present the time that
declaration was made, and he first made Acquainted
With 1t by an honorable member from South Carolina
but it then late to do what he would have done
on the occasion; had he been present NJ the gentleman
who made that remark had any evidence in his possess
sion upon which the conviction Of Mr. Ps error was
made, he should be glad to have that evidence If not
until that gentleman had associated freely with Mr.
rs constituents as lac had DONE and consequently had
the opportunity Of knowing their opinions and SEN
tmens hc had he must he permitted to take his own
Judgment in preference to the gcntlcnans
Mr.. p said he was not mistaken. il was difficult in
any case TO prove negative; II would be impossible i'm
this Bot while the yeOuianry Of New Hampshife re-.
fuse 10 entertain, refuse 10 hear incendiny lectures
aud while they refuse TO send petitions for the abo
iou Of slavery in this District or elsewhere ,vl,at IL
the inference Are they 10 be charged with n dispo-
siton TO invade your rights and to wrest ironI YOU
your property? Sir, said Mr. p it would be a strange
deduction and yet it is tie only logic bv which lis
constituents could be made to entertain nccndiary de-
signs OF their representative be charged with gc state
incnt No age country had eved been free from
fanatics; no age Or country had been without en-
thosssts, and consequently no doctrines however pre-
pOstcrous would b. without their adv6cafes and r,n