Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-20
Twelaty-faflh onsrcss---sd scss.
IN SENATE.
Mn CAIJ;DlISiS EESoi. UTIDSS.

the question being Mr. Morris's amendment TO the
third resoution declaring The freedom Of speech and
The press all subjects ndsputahe and under the su-
pprvsnn only Of the Stale in which such freedom Is ex
ercseJ-
Mr-sMorris resumed his remarks by saying that the
which he had committed the day before III relation
III the sentiments Of The Methodist Conference, had o.
ordcd 50 much pleasure, that he did mol regret having
fallen into it. e made brief explanation, which was
believed To relate to this mistake (but naudbIe and un.
| ntellGible 10 The reporter)
What he asked was the object Of the resolutions IN.
der consideration? II 10 restrain and check The
liberty Of speech and of the press, and their first and
| principal domination felt IN the Senate. But,
he euealed, that the attempt TO siifG the freedom Of
SPEECH and thu press in this country moral or poll
cal SUBJECTS, would be vain eurl But if It was SIN
iu 10 discuss the question OF slavery other SUBJECTS
relating other communities, he asked why they did
not attempt 10 suppress discussion by enactment. IL
il really threatened dissolution, deserved the seve
rest measures that the Senate could adopt against 1t.
Why then not put il down by law at once Let us see
the textures Of such law, md then form our Judgment
respecting it. Would the people submit TO IL: Would
any man dare t" make the attempt: There was no Go
vernmen in the world that would dare ~ do It openly
aud generally.
A treat deal had been said about the constitutional
rvht Of STAKEHOLDER his slave. The Senator from
Indiana had said, and it had not been denied that one
effect Of these resolutions was TO extend slavery Mr.
NJ responded 10 that SENTIMENT and This was object
if there any objrcl al all. But it The Constitution
of The United States held to guaranty the property
The lazy and Constitution OF nny State and the act OF no
Stale therefore, could annu the property in slaves
Estate under the laws thereof Mr. NJ had used this
argument hr!nrr and it would lInw from it that The
States were all still slaveholdng States under The Con
slitution. and must continue 50, beyond the power OF
lhis Government, unless the States generally should
give that power
The Constitutions therefore, Mr. n linlainrd, had
left slavery precisely where i"und it, But the trainers
OF ths Constitution had intended that the moral power
Of this instrument should abolish slavery in all The
States and accordingly the States began immediately
to abusl slavery It's adoption. The ordinance Oh
1857, in relation TO the Northwestern territory, was
uGued BY Congress at the very time when lie trainers
of the Constitution sitting iii Convention, and the
Constitution adopted two three months alter that
ordnance Now, cTuid any one believe, while Con.
gress in the very face OF the Convention, determined
That slavery should not exist IN that vast territory, mat
they did not intend that the moral power OF the Constr
lution should abolish slavery in the whole country:
Mr. NJ went TO argue that, by the Constitution,
Congress has The power 10 abolish slavery IN the whole
Union More than twenty thousand cillzeIs oi ONO
we're the friends of emanci ,aliOn and he thought when
these prtions up here they did not deserve lie
treatment they received Of being called ncendiares, and
being branded with lntamy. .
MI NJ concluded by explaining the object OF his
amendment which (ie sat) 10 enlarge more fully
that which had been offered BY his colleague Mr. AIlrn
Mr. Preston said he could see shade OF difference
between the two amendments
Mr. Hubbard called upon Mr. Morris 10 point out the
difference.
Mr. horris said it the eagle eye Of the member from
New Hampshire could not discern between the two, 1t
would lie hopeless task for him 10 enIighlen him
But he would ask if MIR Hubbard could no dIlier
ence why he much opposed 10 his, while he was
in favor of the other: .
MIR Calhoun sunues,ed TO Mr. Allen 10 withdraw his
amendment for the present. az only tending 10 emoarrass
the general question: ana 10 CONSENT To introduce ~ at tho
end Of the resolutions
Nj, Allen assenlrd; butt as The amendment could not
now be- withdrawn but by unanimous consent, II was
agreed that OF lection should be taken OH IT, pro
'0r,ua TINT might be offered by the mover hereafter,
.heu all the resolutions should have been acted on
The vote being according taken, the amendment was
negativrd. 49,
MIR Davis then urged the pinpriety of Mr.. Smith
amendment, being Row taken up- appeared To him the
obiec of MIR Aliens amendment had been Ia get rid OF
the other, and that it was withdrawn, he thought
the uu stion ought to be taken OH the amendment first
offered by Mr.. Smith, of Indiana.
The question, however, being announced from Tue
Clair 10 be now OH The third resoiution-
Mr. Pr-nss rusr, aud said that. az the resolution un
der consideration had been considerably 'nodled, and
rendered snnrw hat plausible ny amendments lie "sheu
To saw word or Two before the question was taken up
on il in explanation Of the vole he should give. He had
cared very little about any o the amendments which
had been offered, and should feel quite Indifferent as 70
the fate nfany amendments which might hereafter be pro-
posed btcause il was his intention TO vote against all Inc
resolutions without any critical examination into the
truth or correctness Of of the propositions contained
in them lie should do This not only for The reason which
had been frequently stated mat Tile vice ol hnIcat'oh
Mas puuaren upon the face Of The resolutions hui Tor ano'
ihrr reason also II was obvious that they could neither
add 10 nor ahdmr amy Of the constitutional rights OF
the penplp by anY resolutions they could adnpl ana ne
deemed it only unnecessary ana useless nut ,ghy
ucyredent To make n ioi nal declaration OF rights here
TO abstract principles III the form at rrsnlu.ions
ayng view any practical results and which hiyht
not only he liable to nisconsTuclion anu msafpHcaloh
but might occasion thereafter as much controversy Us
their meaning as did the famous Virginia resolutions n
did mi wish HE subject al all, Out
merely to say that lie should vote agnnS all lie resolu
lions because Ia. considered most OF them wrong IN
principe and all of them unnecessary and lneIpcdenl
Mr. Davis next rose He said that he had several
times briefly addressed The Senate upon this subject,
which for two years more had been greatly agIla.ed,
moro 50 probably than was useful As long ago as that,
an effort wGs first made TO suppress petitions upon The
subject of abolition this body and from thence TIL now
the matter had received much attention at tunes, l3ush
,,l here and in the other House much regret had oeeh
EXPRESSED that IL was agitaied al all
Al the first Session of the last Congress- after long,
,rmucd denuncatury debate carried OH chiefly by The
members from the South, the Senate arrived al certain
rrsuI,s in gard abolition petitions in which he (alr
y did not concur, but very great majority da u
as nrnper TO recur to the Of things then, and 10
call TO mind the sentiments Of thai day Inc leading
argument in that debate vas that the agitation o .'e
ourson was u source Of great danger, pregnant win
Iniuous consequences the country, causing serious
instruction 10 the action of Congress, and great uneas
ness out of doors And it most urgently INSISTED
,o il was one Of those delicate topics which II was not
safe to discuss which, in TRUTH we had no right TO DIS
cuss either as regarded The States interested or Tie lis
trct OF Columbia. or the Territories.
Spch sir benr the arowed sentiments OF majority
Of the senate they proceeded 10 give {" them Sanction
and practical effect and they did suppress debate and
close le doors against petitions for though they res'
we'd to receive them, yet they immediately afterwards
pdpptrd the practice which has ever since beeh h ioce
es the Journal will prove. Senator, for example, Of
yrs petition; another objects to The reception the
one huding the petition then moves for its reception the
other mntda moves TO lay this n"uon on inc taole'
1h no,;on is ot debaeable but is carried by large
mnori,v. The consequence is that The one presenting
tbs pe,on is denied The right lay II before the Senate,
nc the Senate refused receive H. The Senator from