Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-25
THURSDy y.
Congress---2d sess.
LIN SENATE. >.
Tuesday. January 8. 1888.

Hh CALHOIN'S RESOLUTIONS.
he Senate resumed The consideration of MIR. Cal
h"un resonlI"ns on the relations, &c Of the States
and General Government. The question being on The
inurth Of the series, follows:
RcSoiced, That dome slavery. as il exists in the
Southern and Western States Of the Union compose.
an ImpnrianEpar Of their domestic institutions inherit
cd from eiG ancestors, and existing at the adoption o.
the Constitution, by wichit ia recognized IS constitute
ing an lmp"ranl eetnentn the sppattanueni OF ills pow
FRS among Ing Satps; and thai Change of9pnlon o
feeling on s part ofthe other States Of the, Union N
relation 10 1ean Justify thc,n their ouzens in open
and rystca attacks thereon, with the view TO IT'S over
throw and that all such attacks in NANTES. vinalinT
Of the mutual aud Solemn pledge to protect and defeHe
each other a.Ssa ~ the on enter
Union, and, SUCH are manifest breach of falh and
violation Of the most solemn obligations.
MIR. Grundy said that having been absent from sick.
ness when The votes recorded on the passed resou
lions, he took this opportunity Of saying that lie jealous
y concurred With the object Of the esnlutions and had
lac been present. should have voted in favor Of every one
OF them.
The question was then taken on the passage Of the
9Th resolution, and MAS carried, as follows:
Vas Nlcssrs. Allen Bayard, Benton, Black, Brown,
Buchanan, Calhoun, Clay Of Ala, Clay of KY Clay
ton, Criilcndrn Cnlhberl, Fulton, Grundy, Hubbard,
King Lumpkin, Lyon Nchulas, Niles, Norvei, Pierce,
Preston Rivrs. Rounp Robinson. Sewer, Smith Of Con-
neclicut, Strange. Walker, White, Williams, Wright,
Young-3I.
Nays-hessrs Mexican, Morris, Pren,iss, Smith Of
Ind SwiIt-5
The question then rrcurrcd on the adoption Of the
fifth resolution AZ nllnws
"Resoirtd, That the intermsddling Of any Slate or
States their cllizsns, 10 abolish slavery in lhs Dis
trcl any nf the Territories, the ground. under
the pieexl That it is immoral sinful, the passagr OF
any act n Congress, with that view. you'd
be direct and dangerous attack the institutions of all
the slsvPhnldng States.
Mr. Smith n Connecticut said, that though he had
Iur, IL. I'm
he did intend Express imsrf bring in favor OF
slavery. Mr. S. ,lrn prUceedrd Ia state The rras"ns
why hs should not vote in favor of The filth resolution,
because did appear him that the present Srnale
competent To decide r all future Senates as 10 Inc
powers al future Legislators.
Mr. Pierce, Of New Hampshire, rnsP. and said The
Senate had at length To the ground IN which 'hls
contest vas 10 br determined. The District OF C"un
ba was nnw cmphai caly the bate-h OF thu ah'!i'
ZIONIST aud thu resolution Immediately under c"ns:drra'
ton, with perhaps, notifications ~ pbresrnlngy,
would present the issue here ami tn the cnun'ry-
mn issue which would raise. not mere question OF ek
prdrncy, hu, Of much higher character, in which
the public faith is directly involved
That my rns,lun, said Mr.. may 10 distinctly I'M.
drrso'd explanation is perhaps due 10 the State
which have The hnnor in part, 10 represent especially
there is manifest dsp"sItIon in certain quarters, 10
pprvert votes and mlsrprPsrnt our motives
have given To the resolutions all The CONSIDERATION
which capable of bcslowing, and have listened t.,
the debate which llcy have elected with interest ana
profound attention
If the gruve objections suggested the other side
were sustained by an examination of the resolution
themselves. course Of sound augmentation, they
would ensure nv opposition. What are they; The
first that reached my was, that they contain latent
nutcation have waited To hear the particular rrs"-
luton, sent. phrasr pointed oml IN which lhs mere
sy supposed Ia I've concealed, and have waited in
vain. Enving then. assertion one side, and what
appears To b. the plain reading nf the rrS"Iiil's
and The frank and un9ua lifted declaration Of the mover
on the other, must be excused If | do not lake the
alarm.
We have next eloquent dispositions upon the liberty
of SPEECH and The ireeto Of the press. To every sen.
lirent uttered upon there subjects yield my cordial
ussen but why introduced un this particular occasion,
have bern al Il loss To determine. Would any man
here nbrdae The liberty of speech nr assa lhr ifrrdnn
of the PRESS: take il nm Is there any ,'ing in The
resolutions to sanction invasion Of either: Not syl
liable! That these privileges must dear tn every Anne
rican is freely admitted by ALL Why such variety Of
changes have been rung upon them III this drbaie Others
may determine II is not my province to Judge OF mo-
tiyrs and would take occasion only TO RENAL ial ~
man shall make up on issue upon Ibis subject Tor me
oppose The abonnisis for the very reas"n TINT en-.
ierinin sacred regard Cor these in cnnrmon with all
other rights secured by the Constitution.
But il is further urged against the resolutions, (ssld
Mr. P) That they are mere distractions Sir, 10 quite
Irnnaleral what you apply to them; sufficient Is
that they meet the case that they encounter the abn-
l,innsl upon sound and tanabe ground and furnish
conclusive answer 10 his opportunities 10 say that the
petitions refer only TO this District and that the prnc
pes asserted in the preceding resolutions are cnnse.
uneu,ly without application, is perfectly idle II IL I'M
possible 10 read single number OF the leading abolition
periodicals. without prrcrVlng that Their oh]ect reaches
fr beyond this District, and stops at no punt short OF
general emancipation in the States And YET, sir'
sus,c, that YOU would find few intelligent abolition.
lists who would that Congress has tie cnns';'u'
,ional power To interfere with slavery in The States
but admitting the want Of pnwer, they hold II 10 be
their duty individuals to perseVers IN 'he cause I've
ia rdnp The institution Of slavery morally wrong Or
sufnl if Won please they consider themselves, as ci'i'
zcns Of the Union responsible for It's continuance wier.
ever i, may exist within our borders his feeling mas
i,s orign to some extent, in sapprebenslon oi Tie
structure of our Government and this error Inc pfeced'
inn resolutions are calculated TO correct They assert,
in fpc, that the c,zrn of New Hampshire is more
responsible morally politically for the existence and
continuance Of tins domestic institution IN Virginia or
MARYLAND Than be would BIZ for the existence Ut any
miIar institution in france or Persia why: brcanse
these ure naltrrs over which the Stairs respectively
when d.rnang portion VI their powers, ~ 6e eIPr.
csed by the General Government. retained the sne aud
exclusive control and for which they alone resP"ns
BILE.
Now, let these doctrines be universally understood and
admitted and you take one great step toward satisfy
the conscpnccs Of honest but misguided propie IN one
secnn of The country, and quoting the irritation or
which there has been too much cause in the other his
we have attempted To do. We bound TO GO further
and frankly To declare TO these petitioners, that while
slavery shall continue in Virginia and Maryland 1t is
vain for them to expect its abolition here; that we are
forbidden lessaIe upnn this subject, under existing
by obligations hardly neri"r 10 the CON
sttutn ITSELF that Congress cannot abolish slavery in
this District, agains, the wishes of the inhabitants, with
out goas breach Of public iah aud an outrageous IN
traction of private rights.
At the time the cesson was made, domestic slavery
existed in The States Of Maryland and Virginia. II s'll
exists thrre; and il has, ALSO existed here from bat day
-; hnt,,r hfa 10 m
been the understanding Of both parties the ,ime' NJ
man, it strikes me, can doubt for aiomenl, who vii
regard without prejudice. the relative position of ,h
Item miles square,, the objects Of the cessi"n and The
manifest interests Of The Slate makingit Who can be
eve that these patriotic States would have parted with
their territory if they could hive supposed that ht
rights and property of their citizens living upon il, were
10 be invaded against their consent and in defiance
their rcmonslrarces' have no hesitation in saying
lha, consider slavery a social aud political evil, unt