Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-01-21
Twemty-fourth C0ngress--sst sess
X CENATE -TlIrRsnAY, Jan. Z

Debate on Tic Petitions presented ey .hr, .hod'S, i
sIarsrv IL, The District Of COlumGia-[CoSIiSUEDJ
MIR PREsrox said that the presentation OF pettlohs a.
this time must under thepccuar circumstances create
excited feelings. MI. P. adverted to various crc'h
stances that had anspred during the past year. IN re-
lation 10 said he, after all TINS sinai
we permit petition to be presented on Thus VIII"
out orr without the possibility OF ACTOR
upon il hermit it to lie peaccab!y upon the table
of the South had right under the Constitution, to de-
m,nd some ober action than the Government had pur
sued He referred 10 the meeting held BY aboionlsts-
the apostles they had ont to preach their
the circulation of publications every Species and their
exciting character All Of them had seen these things
and he felt called upon to keep the South informed OF
them They were calculated to spread terror through
out the souh Mems minds haa already 1een dStutoro
there The Government had been called upon ~ act
upon them They could moi sit by, and see the charac-
ter of their constituents asPersed by ignorant blood
thirsty fanatics They were bound to appeal 10 the Co.
vernment. c.,, !,
of the south You cant, said he, interfere with them,
either in politics, in religion, iii moral or physical means
They were bound defend, by all the means the God
Of Nature had put into their power against these ncen-
diary attempts wrap their Lead in Times, and to de-
luae it in blood. Sir said he, they filling our houses
our fields, and henrths with iinp!acablc murder
ers and robbing of thousands! Sir, said he
demand repose We insist, said he that the Govern
ment shall saw to US in Ineligible language that you
can't lrgislate upon this subecttha you receive
the petitions of these hotheaded and cold hearted ana
ticS-theSe women ana cNllur"n, VINO are WaSlh9
q war Of determination against us. In this free Go
yernmcnt said Mr. Preston, it may be impossible for
the Government authorities to stop them enrely but,
said he we ask that Congress will distinctly and posi-
tiyey interfere between and these fanatics, and
that the General Government will not directly in
directly be an agent in this system Of destruction.
fear said Mr. p unless stands as an impossible bar.
rer between these people and u.s. the consequences will
be terrible We in the South, said he, exist under a
bond Of necessity which cannot be bokcn-our lives
and our property the llganents that bind us togo
Their Civil war was terrble-to the ratocinaonS OF
the mind it was dreadful Interference must be direct
or indirect The people of the South demanded such
action of Congress these petitions would leave
possible doubt between them and this exciting subject
it was matter which there could be difference OF
opnon He abhorred the idea OF mixing up politics with
i Their sole object was to protect their property and
their lives. In political point of view it extreme
" important prevent the agitation of this subject
lie spoke of its bearings upon different sections of the
country and, said he the overwhelming vortex Of poll
tics sweeps every thing before It,
How long then, should they endure this matter, be.
fore Congress took such action as would secure them
from the agitation of it? What he desired, was, that
such action should be had would close the doors OF
this Hall against the agitation of this subject. He was
sure the object Of the motion Of his colleague (r Cal
houn) was nothing more But the gentemsn from ONO
closed thus far The primary question was shah tie
petition be received not? What was petition read
for? 10 whether Congress would take 1t into conS
drration. The motion of his colleague was mlldcr re-
medy than they had right to take. te (hlr P) was
disposed toask direct remuneration Of the power Of Con
gress to in the matter. The Ccns tuition declared
that Congress had right pass law abrdging the
right of pettonng. But did that mean they had right
to rejcc, petition atler it presented How does this
petition said Mr. P) characterize twenty-five members
of this body. Was it respectful to them that women
were brought in shield the agitaors? The petition
was offensive. Not personally 50 10 him, but to the
whole Southern dele CATION Mr.. P. here quoted the
Constitution The subject of the right Of petitionng
Was the object Of the petition here presented for the
of Was affair of local
10 the petitioners Of general interest? Was this Ca
p.o TO be converted i"to college for its discussions He
plead to the jurisdiction. But, said Mr. p cannot
plead the jurisdiction at the bar Of public opinion
There we must answer. The petition slanderous
libel upon large population 1t asked for the exercise
of powers not delegated TO Congress. They might
we'll have pe'l'ioned Tor the establishment OF par
ticular religion. The section of country he repre-
sened had constitutional right to their property
and the people there had right to expect of every
Senator to say that Congress had right to inter
fere with it. The Constitution provides that you shall
not Interfere with private property, without ample com
pensaton Where will you get the funds, said he, to
buy our property Would This Government buy it
The right to this property co-extensive with this
District The ccdng Of this District to the United
States in the nature Of general trust, that they
might exercise jurisdiction it as trust government
How these ten miles square originally gi en-: Ger
tanly initiate against the provisions of Mary
or Virginia He concluded that in the just intcrprcla
ton Of the oct Of cesson itself By Maryland and VII
gina, Congress excluded from interfering. Sup
pose said Mr. p That Philadelphia, in the State Of Penn
svvania had BEEN coded the U. S. and the citizen
OF Virginia had peGtoned to have perpetual slavery
tablished in Philadelphia wou. the consent Of Penn
Slyana. Then if C'fzcss could abolish slavery in the
phia;-tSof Columbia lerould establish it in fbilude
States NS-H{set'r jursdetoa ccded to the Unsce
to come here w6Sis1 Mr. p, wh had character enough
fsre He had inendes it was es>n espedent to inter
league had not made this NON, cafssiion if his col
action ofthe Senate upon the srhect N me strongSs
sirable to them to have peace he hoped e. most de
the Senate upon This petition would be such as HS"H
sure it to them. I'm
Mr. Buchanan said, that, for two or three weeks pas
there had been in his possession memorial from tt
Calm Quarterly meeting Of the religious Society
Friends in the State Of Pennsylvania, requesting Coz
gress TO abolish slavery and the slave trade within Il,
DISTRICT OF Columbia. This memorial was moi prine
.1orm-is language was not that in established use f
such documents. 1t did proceed from those 6esns
rate fanatics who have been cndcavoring 10 disturb III
security and peace of society in the Southern States
the distribution of incendary pamphlets and papers
Far different Is the truth. II emanates from Soc.,
Of Christians whose object had always been to PRONE,
peace and good will among men, and who have been ,b
efficient and pesseverng friends Of humanity in ever
cline. To their untiring efforts, than 10 those
any other denomination of Christians we owe the orc
gress which has been made in abolishng the Africa
slave trade through the world This memorial wa
their testimony against the existence of slavery Th
testimony they had borne for more than century G
the purity of their motives, there could not be oues
ton.
He had omitted to present this memorial at an Garlic
day, because he had thought that its presentation
the proper time, much good might be done He had be
heyed, that by private consultations, resolution
might be devised upon this exciting subject which wou
OBTAIN the unanimous vote Of the Senate. lfthere wa
one man in that body not willing to adopt any propc
measure to calm the troubled spirit the South he die
not know him. This, in his judgment would be the bes
mode OF accomplishing the object which we all desire
to accomplish. The proper course 10 attain this re
suit, was in his opinion, to refer the subject, eithe,
to select committee or to the committee on the Dis
trio. of Columbia. They would examine it in all ;ts
bearings-they would ascertain the views and feel.
ings of individual Senators-and he had no dopb,
they would be able to recommend measure to the