Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-11

most reSDeCtaOIe he ~
have them branded here as fanatics and incend'arics.-
They might be mistaken; but they were intelligent ~
honest as any other people.
MIR. Calhoun expressed his satlstacuoh II 'he oec'i
sion of the Chair. He hoped the OLD Hooe "n1'n a
been uniformly practsed I'LL WIN I've d JS'
would now be pursued. .;o,
was alone sufficient 10 produce the question on Fecep'
ton.
BY Mr.. Ewing: One from Ohio, and one from the
State of New York.
By Mr.. Swift: One from Vermont.
By Ar. Morris: One from 2.255 ladies of Ohio; one
from about 3UuO legal voters of the same State; one
from 7SO such voters in one county, und two from lV'
ladies and lO5 gentlemen in the State OF Tennessee.
By Mr.. Wall: One from New Jersey.
Mr.. Prcntiss presented the following petitions for the
abolition OF slavery and the slave trade in the District OF
Columbia. aud moved that they be received and referred
to the Committee for the District OF Columbia One
from the Feresburgh Quarterly Meeting oil Friends, IN
Vermont; one signed by four hundred and twenly-seven
citizens one signed by s%ixty-nine citizens aud one
signed by two hundred and titly-six females, OF Addison
county, in the sane State.
Mr.. Knight presented petition on the same subject
from 3 200 persons in Rhode Island.
Mr.. buchanan said he had five memorials TO present,
from two hundred and twenty. nine ladies' OF Bucks c0un'
ty, Pennsylvania: and two memorials from sixty'one OF
the inhabitants Of The city AM county oil fhilade' Phia'
asking Congress TO abolish slavery and The slave lfaue
within the District Of Columbia.
Whilst presenting these memorials, ne would say t'a',
in taking a retrospect of the course when lie hao PuF'
sued ut the last session in relation TO THIS SUBJECT, II now
met his entire and cordial approbauon. lie believed tnat
the discussion, which then took place III ms BODY, hau
been of essential service in directing the public mind 10
this question. It's true nature was, he Thought, now
well understood in the State which he had, IN part, 'he
honor to represent. He was convinced that, at this timc,
true policy would forbid any fur her discussion OF TINS
question. We should now avoid excitement: and leave
The question 10 The sober good sense OF the people.
He would vote in tuvor of receiving lheoe memorials,
and after they were rsoei'eo. lie shou'u mo'e 70 10y
them on the table. This motion would preclude discus
sion, and that was what he desired. II, however, a ma
jori,y of the Senate should prefer again 10 reject the
prayer Of these memorials, and any Senator would make
that motion, he should again cheeIinlly vote as lie had
done before. But such a motion might lead 10 a pro-
tracted debate, which he thought ought TO he avoided
For himself, he had now said all he intended TO say on
this question during The present session.
Mr.. Morris said the course with which The Senator
from Pennsylvania had just expressed himself satisfied,
had greatly increased the number OF such petitioners III
Ohio, and had caused the organization of abolition sncIe-
ties in almost every county IN the Stale, all cOntrndllg
for the right Of The petitioners 10 be heard, although ma
ny disagreed as to tile object OF the petitioners MT NJ.
urged that the best and only way TO quiet agitation on
the subject, and prevent the increase q! uD"l!t!oniSls,
was, ir a committee to make a full report, which might
BE- distributed over the country. Mr.. NJ. would vote to
print any number Of such 4 report. Tie People OF The
West, lie maintained, were q rejecting, reading, think
ing, Judging, prudent People; and the great body nt these
petitioners, as far as he knew them, were professors nt
religion, who acted on conscientious principles, and IT
was impossible ~ turn aside their zeal, even Il II was
misdirected, by merely refusing to hear theta, and an
swer their requests.
MIR. NJ. declared his belief that not one Of The petit
TONERS wished for the abolition Of slavery by force or
violence. On the contrary, cltIzrns OF the tree States
would be ready to aid in suppresSIng any such violence
in their sister States. Still II was impossible 10 stop the
progress OF human inquiry on this as ON every other sub
ject; and the public mrnd ought, therefore, as far as pos
sIble, to be enlightened.
Mi. Hubbard expressed much regret that he had not
ON his desk the proceedings OF the New Hampshire Lee
gisla,ure on this subjcc.. lie was perfectly satisfied that
the action of this body at The lust session had had a salu.
,ary influence in his own State. He wished that the pc.
tilluns turght now be received without debate, and laid
on the table.
MI. Calhoun said he thought il very desirable that the
Senate and The South should know IN what manner
these petitioners spoke OF Southern people. For this pug
puse he had selected, from the numerous petitions on the
liable, two Unfortunately, which he wished the Secrc
tary To read.
These two petitions were read, and proved to be ra.
ther more moderate in their language than usual
Such is The language (said MIR. O. with which they
characterize Us and ours. That, which was the basis OF
Southern institutions, and which could nat be dispensed
without blood and massacre, was denounced as sinful
and outrageous on the rights of men. And all this was
proclaimed in the Senate of the United States, of States
that were united together for the purpose OF MAINTAINING
their Institutions in i more perfect manner. We're
Southern members to sit quietly and hear themselves
denounced IN tnlS manner. u " t"y o"out"' PNo"N
all under these circumstances, were they TO be denounc-
ed as agilators: This institution existed when The Con-
sl!tulion was formed; aud yet Senators would not only
ST, and receive them, but were ready 10 throw blame OH
those who opposed them.
Mr.. &. SAID he did not belong 10 the school of those
who belle yed tina, agilations OF this sort could be quoted
by concessions; on The contrary, he maintained all usur-
palioDs should be resisted in the beginning; and those
who would not do 50, were prepared to be slaves them
selves. Mr.. {. knew and had predicted that if the Pc
,itivns were received, il would not avail in satisfying the
petitioners; but they would then be prepared for the next
step, 10 compel action upon the petitions. MIR. Z. would
ask Southern gentlemen, if they did not sec The second
step prepared to be taken, not only That lie Pet!tlotis
should be received, but referred.
Mi {. had told MIR. Buchanan and his friends last year
that they were taking all impossible posltIon; ana nao
said that these men would, at this session., press a rcter-
ence. Were we now to be told that this second concrs-
sion would satisfy this i~ncendiary spirit Such was the
very position "a rcfrrrnce) at which the other House ar.
rived al the last session. Had they at all quIeted the
spirit of abolition: Ga the contrary, it had caused 1t TO
spread wider and strike It's roots still deeper. The next
step would be to produce discussion and argument on tie
subject. Mr.. Z. insisted that The South had surrendered
essentially by permitting the petitions to be received
lie said ii was Lime for The South 10 take her stand, and
reject the petitions. He conscientlously believed that
Congress were as much under obi cation 10 act on the
subject as they were 10 receive the petitions; and that
they had just as good ID right 10 abolish slavery in the
States as IN this District.
Mr.. C. said the decision of the Chair settled the ques.
ton that the Senate had Il right TO refuse TO receive
the petitions; for, if they had "a right to vote at all on
the subject, they had The right to vote in The negative Z;
and to yield THIS point was 10 yield II tor The beneht oil
the Abolilionisls, at The expense of the Senate. But it
was in vain 10 argue ON the subject. Mr.. Z. would
warn Southern members to take their sIand on this
point without concession. lie had iorcseen and pre-
dicted this stale Of things three years ago, as a legltI-
mate result OF The force bill. All this body were now OPP
posed TO The object Of these petitions. MIR. {. saw where
oil origiualed-at the very bottom of society, among
the lowest and most ignorant; but it would go on, and
rise higher and higher, til. it should ascend the pulpit
and the schools, where it had, indeed, arrived already ;
thence it would mount up TO this and the other House.
The only way to resist was 10 close the doors; 10 open
them was virtually to surrender the question. The sPi-
rit Of the times (he said) was one oil dollars and cents,
the spirit Of speculation, which had ditlused itself tlom
the North to the South. Nothing (he saId) could resist