Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-04-15

certain Senators on that floor; meaning he supposed
himself for one lie thanked the Senator Tor his advice
and ns pcri.p SO weak minded as 10 require IT. but he
who offered this advice, ought to have hims If followed
the example recommended by him to Others lie would
tell the Senator that long his constituents sent here
druuncations against the people he represented term
nr them pirates, murdrrers, and villains he should take
the liberty trrat such dcnuncatiuns with the
they deserved. lie held it to be solemn TRUTH that az
long they compelled 10 discuss the subject Of
abolition, on petitions received there, the abol,onisls
bad Sa.!ed all thy waited; and SO long $ they
permitted to there he would take the liberty to
speak of them in the terms they deserved.
Mr. Brown and said that h. did not know in what
spirit lie rrsnu IONS which had brcn presented by the
from Maine, passed nnanm0uSiy by both branch
OF the Legislature of thai State, mi ;ht BE- received
by sonc gentlemen; but in his Capacity, of the
Representatives trun Southern Stale, he hailed them
with feelings Of qualification, aud looked them
most favorable onn, anung many others, of that peace
and good will atung our brethren of the North, im
por tlnt to the continuance Of the contrdcracy
lie did knew 10 what extent antislavery societies
existed among the people OF Maine, but when that pur-
" Ind been unable u return single member 10 the Lee
gsalure o! that State, the resolutions having, appear
ed the face of them bren passed without dissenting
voice, strong cuncmnatuy of the Of the abvl-
,iuniss, he thought it would require high degree of
creduy to brlcvc that they possessed either weight Of
character or srent Of nuInhrrs To expect State to
eradicate every folly n.atuation from the minds Of all
its citizens, was and would he found, very impract
cable undertaking. MIR. B. said, in this, as in many
others Of The Legislatures of the Nuhern States, the
unanimilY OF sentiment this subject almost
precrd In some, he confidently assured there
was not a5utlonsti in none, could that party make
| any exhibition Gi strength.
I 1t had brcu said by gentlemen several occasions,
that they could sit here patiently and hear the peo-
pie OF LeSut branded .plracs r'bb"rs and murder-
ers by these petitioners This language had repeat
cdy gone forth, in speeches delivered here: the effect
oit to excite The feelings and sensIbilies Oh the
people Of the Snulh. lie would say, that he
had heard either OF the rphets just repeat
ed used III any, even the most ct}rnsvc OF the petit
! uums. Their language vas bad enough, but n"me oi
them had used the rmgua,r which had been repeated
If they had he would have voted against lir recrp-
tun the ground that they had v"lard "utraseous!y,
that rule of the Senate which required decurun lo tins
body applying precisely the same rule IN regard TO pc
tus on this subject that he would TO those on any other
subject in regard 10 their recepUntte constitutional
principle in regard 10 the right OF petition being the same
Mr B. would again ask, II it prudent that such
expressions should go !urh from this Hall, when well
calculated inane public feeling and when they
to be found in even the worst of the petitions le.
selves Nome felt more sensIby on this subject than
himself; but it the part ut wisdom we'll Of gene
rosy, for US to cultivate harInnLous feelings with those
who acting in with to the North, to put
the Abolilinniss down; aud he had heard with regret,
expressions in reply 10 tn: Senator from Maine which
he thought should have been rather those OF graduation
than vi different character.
MIR. Calhoun asked the Senator from Ohio, (AIr. Nor
rs let him have the petitions that he had Withdrawal.
JMr. Morris gave MIR. Calhoun some petitions and
|
time.
Mr. Calhoun said he was utterly asonished at the re-.
marks Of the gentleman from North Carolina These
charges made when The Ohu petitions pre-
semted and read, and in the gen,rmans presence. Me-
aury trail but he could hardly be mistaken 10 the
offensive epitiIeS used in the ONO memorials Ger
family said he, all remembered that charged
with dealing in human flesh, allegation strong
any he had quoted The Senator from North Carolina
Gould not 1rj,cc strongly than hself see this
spt Of abolition arrested, bull he feared that it was too
strong TO be easily subdurd.
The feelings indicated in these resolutions Of the Lc
gsature Of Maue, certainly to be highly com.
sended and he had taken occas"n to express the salts
faction with which he had received them. lie had
thought H. however, ri ght for the people of the South
to know l!lat there abolition society in Maine,
Which pu: forth very able and extensive publications.
MIR. Linn would merely remark, that the petitions to
which the gentleman from South Carolina alluded, had
been withdrawn by the gentleman who presented them,
before taking any question Oh t!enI
MIR. Morris observed that he had put the petitions
which he had withdran H. into the possession Of the Sc
nator from SOUTH Cdrona, but not with view that he
should use them publicly OH the occasion. 1t true
that he did present Petitions couched in language deem
ed by other gentlemen t" Dc rxcepunable, but which he
then and thought, were perfectly unexceptionabr
end that he had afterwards withdrawn them, ii the solicit
iRtion vi his friends, To make way for Quaker petition,
If that entitled TO precedence over those FROM
Ohio. At proper time. he should present them the
Senate; and ii The Senator from S Carolina objected 10
their reception and should he sustained by the Senator
from N. Carolina and other Senators, the petitions might
be- rejected. The Senate would then what language
the petitions drawn up, and might Judge for Itself
whether it offensive as 1t had been represented 10
be- Remarks had made on that floor in relation
these petitioners which he deemed very It
aerrd not what class Of citizens presented themselves
petitioners, they entitled to respectful bearing
They had been termed miserable fanatics, vile incrnda
rrs and charged with nrntion to dissolve the Union.
AL those interested in putting down this spirit which they
much Deprecated had used these violent in
ference t. prrsuls pconng Iur what they deemed Con-
gfess had right grant. he had alWa Us though that
these people had unduubed right to be heard and he
we9 ot opinion that the receiving their Petitions and
theN rejecting them im. datey, moved by the Scna
from Pennsy lvami1: was tanlamuunt 10 refusing to
csceve them it Keeping the word OF promise to the
car, and breaking 1t to the hope
He would here take occasion TO correct that
appeared in one oil the morning papers. His naD'e
there given in the list of those ~ho voted to reject the
prayer OF the petitioner. His ought have
been that list; he gave such yot and, consistently
with his views could not vote 10 cc petition without
giving the surcl eli fair examination. Could he have
done this he would have hesitation in voting with The
Senator from South Carolina to refuse receive the pc.
ton ut all he would here make another acknowledge
mrnt with respect declaration he made to his friend
from Georgia When he Ist took his seat here Sc
nator OF the United Slutcs, he believed that Congress
had right To legislae the subject Of slavery in tie
District OF Columbia; and he also Of opnun tina,
sound policy required that something should be done
with regard t. it, lie convinced, from inior-
nation since acquired that not expedient for Com
gTess To touch The subject, and ha would gladly rid them
o, all further solicitation Ia rgislae it, by going
with the Senator from South Curolina for relrocrssiun
OF the District To the States to whom it originally be.
iongrd fie behaved that, as long Congress had ex-
elusive jurisdiction the ten miles square petitions
Tor nbUlishng slavery would he continually pouring
in. The rrugs winch induced .ese petitions were the
deepest rooted OF any in the human breast they werr ex.
cited by high of religious duty, and human
power could ever induce them to abandon what they be-
Iieyed themselves thus bJund to perform. rerocrssinn
he bps nf
levng Congress from continued petitions this SUBJ
jrcl, and OF avoiding that citation and excitement which
gentlemen said threatened dissolution Of the Union
Mr. NJ. here took all extended view Of Tie subject of dis
,rra IL, LII.