Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-16
Twenty-fiftsa ong%ess---2d Sess.
IN SENATE.
F'rid0y. .iannary 5. 1898.
In ItSI IItII'[rS srfI'J InSS

u u tEUlULlDN %
The qurslinn being on Mr.. Aliens substitute for, Mr..
Smith proviso to he third resolution, which substitute
required that the resolution should not lie so construed
us in any way to impair the freedom Of speech Or OF The
press, or The right Of peiition-
The question was put IN this substitute, and It was
adopted by the lnllu:ving vote:
Yess-Messrs. Allen, Benton, Brown, Buchanan. Cal.
houn, Clay Of Ala: Clay of Ky. Cri,iendrn, Cu!hbeTt,
Fulton, Hubbard, King, Linn, Lunpkin, Lyon: Nicho-
las, Niles, NofYrll, Pierce, Preston, Rivcs. Roane, Ro.
binson, Sewer, Smith of Conn, Southland. Strange,
Walker, White, Williams, Wight, Y"ung-32
Nnys-hrasrs. Iayard, Black. Clayton, Davis, Knight,
Mexican, Mouis, Pren,iss, RoLhius, Rugg!es, smi'l, Of
Indiana, Swi!l, Upton. WaIl-l4.
MIR. Morris offered Is all amendment an addition 10
this resolution, declaring that the right OF the People TO
speak, write, print and publish any thing whatever,
whether or not 1t concerned the institutions; &c, Of an
other State, was iHdIspu;ablc and that they were ane-
nablc only to the State in which they nigh be at the
time.
MIR. Calhoun was understood 10 remark that this
amendment was irrelevant, ard offered by way Of en-.
Garrassnrnt.
MIR. Morris. Sir, call The gentleman to order.
The Chair was understood 10 decide that Mr.. G. was
in nrdcr.
Mr.. Calhoun proceeded. Mr.. Aliens amendment, he
said, covered The whole constitutional ground On this
subject; aud Mr.. e. had msde up his mind Ia accept on
this ground, that il would tend to toriiiy the Senators of
the North, IN relation 10 their votes in laYnr Of these reso.
lu;iuns. Mr.. &. was wiling 50 10 Iorlity them aud he
would ngrec 10 unH amendment which would not impair
the principles of the resolutions
MIR. Morris SAID he was not IL be inundated or driven
from The Course which he thought ii his duty to pursue,
by any uiIuson o! an intention L" ]eurbarrGss this b"dy or
Gny other. hr. NJ, as well oS The Senator from ). Ia.
rn!ina; knew " hat hr was about, and understood his own
course; and he would BE- here i!rc and unshackled, and
exempt from all party restraints, as an American citizen
ought 10 br, and wduId rApress freely and fully his "pl.
ni"n on every subject brlure this body. Sir, said Mr.. M,
AM at liberty to say wha, was intended BY the resolu-
lions Of Tie Senator:
The Chair said, 10 do so was out Of order.
MIR Nj said he WOulu moi then sunUOse that The rcsO-
lu,iors themselves were iniendtd for greater and more
remote objects than those expressed; but it was legitimate
10 speak o! The objects 10 which they must and would
lead. In the arguments here Oh the liberty OF speech,
changes we've continually runs on the Union. Now, it
was Il question, whether the resolutions themselves had
not Il strong squirting toa DISSOLUTION UI The Unlun It
was not for Mr.. NJ. 10 say that they were intended to pro-
duce that effect. but they wuulG he judged nt: and whe.
Their or not they went To establish the doctrine that the
States were independent o. each other, Mr.. NJ. would not
nov fuily discuss; hnt Lr belle we'd they would operate TO
confirm that ducinnc. flr hoped more !Giiy 10 discuss
this point before ltry should pass thus body.
II he resolutions themselves DID not show that they
were intended to opeIuGe against the liberty OF speech
and Of he press, they would d." so. Were not gentle.
men a!icaGy alarmed on this pr!nt, and had they nat,
therefore, adopted The proylsu "i his Colleague: (NI.
Allen)
The question now WIS, whether the doctrines Of MIR.
Ms anrndmpnt were true. Was the right oil II ci'izsn
indispurabir to speak, write, print, OF publish. Oh The
| laws aud institutions ut o,irr S,n,ee; ! r"y IL ~ so It
is the right Of every citizen. If that right Is put down
by The Laws Of he country, | mus, snbml, 10 those laws,
aud ask now that mag kn"w what liberty they will
leave rn.. desire Ia know this by tn" vote on my
amendment, and hope that he qrrs lon will mol be
evaded, That ! may know now much am II be abridged
OF these privileges. II do net represent The scntiIenlS
Of the People, the correction is ii hand; the Legislature
Of my Stale IL now in session, and even court the ex.
prrssirn ut their Judgment upon me.
Mr.. VI. said he was responsible alone to the State IN
WHICH he lived 10. the abuse III this privilege, and not 10
this Government. They would not attempt 10 pass ano-
H.. lanai. lam tl.,rl IL. y,v p- Ar I'll tp1
u sheet Vi white paper compared with these resolutions.
WAY nlte,rpl thus 10 silence speech and The press with
OH, the passage Of a Law; Let the same thing he done
BY law: and then see whether the People had brcom" so
base as In permit these privileges 10 be taken from them.
All The world could give was less than chait, compared
with The liberty OF sprech.
In this contest. Mir. NJ. knew well with whom he had
to engage; he knew the p%rrJudiccs that were against
him, and That his best friends would differ from HIM -
He had fully counted the cost, aud had made up his
mind to meet these difficulties, which ever urged him TO
express his opinions.
lie desired the Semalr To inert his amendment boldly
and maifuliy; and i! il was wrong, reject il; but 1t 1t
was r;uhi, sustain ii. M nhi"clirn had been made 10
the doctrines "f the amendment, but It was To be put
down b: The lnpuiatIun that IL was intended To cInhhr-
rass. The lru'h often embarrassed those who were IN
error; but this was tleI. mieiuriunri Mr.. NJ. had IL"
such design; but it was hs cndcavor always faithfully 10
perform ms duty here aud every where.
Mr. NJ. calico for the yeas aud nay on his amendment,
Which were ordered.
Mr.. Hubbard said lie SAG read; 10 give his vote fer the
resolution, viii The notifications 10 which the Senator
from South Carolina would agree. lie was surprised at
the reasons which the Srnhto: from ONO had assumed
for offering his amendment. Had lie supposed the Tree.
dom OF she cen To be impaired b. Ire resolutions. he would
have opposed them; but. they contained no such senli-
Imen,; unI even If they did, they could not Infringe that
right. The only question was, whether Inc Senate won'o
cXpress an opinion which the Senator from South Caro-
lima held ri vital interest To The South. WIZ emblrrasJ
these resolutions by extrane"us matter why not meet
the propositions al orcc, aud then Mf. ri. was ready TO
express his opinion in favor Of oil The three amendments,
Gui Mr.. Allen, Mr.. Smith, ana Nj. MrTris.l on any pro.
uer OCCASION; he was disposed 10 meet them all with per.
feet fairness; but why were they brnught IN as a means
Of embarrassment: The course thus pursued IN ofpos'
iug these resolutions had no. even the lnett OF novelty.
Il was precisely The course pursued in The Legislature Of
New hampshire, with a view 10 delenl the resolutions
which MIR. II. had PR sen,cL the Other Day.
DIR. Allen here explained that he should not wave Of.
Gr1ed his amendlner! except as Il substitute Tor thal or
Mr.. Smith; and it Was his wish that they stol,'d be APP
pcnded at the close Of all The resolutions. lie bad no
design or desire 10 eu,barlass them.
To this Mr.. Hubbard gave his full assent, and resu'
med. The course Of opposition here was precisely me
same as in New Hampshire, which he you'd read. lhr.
H.. read amendments offered 10 the New Hampshire re-
solutions, similar IN their language and bearing 10 those
Of Messrs. Smith, Allen, and Morrls:J The Legislature
of that State, he said, had concluded that they had no
connection with the resolutions here under cnnslderh'
ton and Mr.. RI. could not see any necessary conl'ex-
ion between Mr.. Ca!hours resolutions ana the 'hree
amendments which had been offered, nnd lie regretted
that lhey should bc embarrassed ny any sach "e"u'
ment. NJ.
Mir. H.. was surprised that the Senator from ONO
should think The freedom Of The press and OF sprech IN
the slightest danger. AS an Illustration OF IBIS remark,
Mr.. ri. read a portion OF a very long list OF books on
slavery. COMPRISING those of a most obnoxious charac'
Ter, advertised for sale at the depot N New York Of the
abolition society
MIR. Fl. said he would vote against these amendments
solely because they were out of place and he wished II
a, the same time to be distinctly understood that he was
quite as ready 10 subscribe 10 them ali as the gentlemen
Ina, offered them could be and would give his vote iur
them on any fitting occasion.
MIR. Smith of Indiana said when he offered the amend
,neut he did not intend 20 take part IN the debate; he
:-...L.L .,nrnlr Ia tcrn,d hi. ynlr IN silence. leaving