Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-16

miued ty all. Well, Sir, what was the panacea OF that
day, wArl! the party in power administered as a remedy
for this alarming disease Of the People? The Alien and
scsNlon laws. And what was the effect of these laws
on the pubie ninds Why, Sir, although they only
punished the offence where it was false and Malicious,
snd allowed The defendant on trial to give IN evidence
1e tfath Of the charge, yet the People became alarmed
for their liberty. The great Fundamental anu eonsn ~:
freedom Of speech, the freedom Of the press, and the
RICH, Of petition, were al involved in The ~P'inc'ple; and
so odious did these laws become, that they were greatly
instrumental iii Puttine down the administrator OIL te
elder Adams, ana ia e.evaling Mr.. Jefferson TO the Ere.
sideniiat chIFr.
What was the ground, Mr.. President, occupied by the
Jehersorisn PARTY Of that day II wa, The very same
which has ocen so frequently quoted, and which Mr.;
Jefrr.ca perpetuated by incorporating in his inaugural
address, "error of opinion may be tolerated while rea.
con is left free 10 combat it." What is the Pretext for
THESE resolutions' The same, TIE very same that pro-
duced the gag laws. If the freedom of speech is tole.
rated, If the freedom Of The press rs no. abridged, It the
right Of petition is not silenced in the on.slave'hold
ing States, If the people liz these S.ales speak, write,
print, assemble or petition on any subject connected
with slavery, they are " snsermcddling" with The domes'
Tic institutions Of the South, and fail within The de-
nnnciations Of these resolutions, on TIE assumption
that the Union is endangered, by arraying one people
against aao,kee. Sir, woald not the same p1etext not
only absidee but actually silence sse press OF ihls nalon:
Look at your leading party presses every @nete: 90
they not publish daily i~naamma,osy, and, not unfre.
qaently false matter, calculated to array the reoPle
against each other, aad, ia the language of these reso.
buttons, to weaken the Union? And yet who IS pre-.
pared to establish censorship over the press: ne
would rt say who, but he would say, that, in his OPT.
MON, the resolutions under consideration assert the prIn.
oapae in terms not 10 be misunderstood. lie GAR. -
was asked why he had offered the amendment He
would, with great pleasure, respond to the inquiry. He
had many reasons for introducing it. He would give a
few Of them: first, because he wished the aiilidote 10 60
with the poison, it either was to be sent torlh as
the doctrines Of the Republic. Secondly, because
the principles contained in the amendment were such
as he loved to recur to and cherish. Because lie
had some anxiety 10 ascertain whether the ancient
land marks were still left standing amidst the revo.
luton Of parties, or whether they had been erased
BY the political tornado that has swept over the
land whether be had read the Declaration of indie.
%pendence, the Constitution of the U. s., and the his
tory Of his country in vain; whether those doctrines
and fundamental principles have become 100 old'fash-
Toned for the times, aud whether he had 10 study a new
political creed before he could discharge his duty TO his
State and the nation here. These were some OF the
reasons; he hoped they would be considered a sufficient
answer 20 the inquiry. Senator's favorable to the reso'
lutions have been pleased to express their regret that
the amendment has been offered. To those gentle
men he had only to say that he regretted The introduc-
ton of the resolutions as honestly as they regretted the
introduction Of the amendment; he would, therefore,
with the consent Of the Senators, set OFT his regret
against theirs. He had heard with surprise the Senator
ftom Michigan (Mr. NosvslD the moment his amendment
had been offered, inquire of the Chair whether a motion
to postpone it indefinitely would be in order. The zeal
d kIldk 0SD0SOl 10 latlCA AS hNN1 ~ ~ 4
sure, been walking in the footsteps Of the mover Of the
resolutions on this subject; but he (Mr. S supposed that
tue courtesy that had been extended to him on the intro
duction Of his miniature resolutions would have advised
him Of what was due TO others, even II he was opposed
Go their measures.
There MIR. Norvell rose aud said, that he supposed his
inquiry to be perfectly parliamentary; that he meant no
dlsrespect ia making the inquiry; that his resolutions
might not come fully up 10 the dimensions Of the Sena-
tori great mind, but they had received The appreciation
Of wiser and greater heads than lis.l
MIR. S. said that he had no other feelings than those Of
personal kindnessfor that Senator, but that il struck him
course he did. He {Mr. s. did not object TO any want
Of order in the inquiry, but of dat courtesy which is
due on such occasions. He had voted for the printing
Of the resolutions Of that Senator, and yet a motion to
postpone them would also have been in order.
The Senator does not know whether his resolutions come
up to the enlarged views Of him, (Mr. s. TO this he
would only say, that be really could not say whether
did it or not, as he had never read them. He had
heard them at the Clerks table until he had become ga
tished that they were a mere miniature reflection OF the
great light emanatlng from the resolutions OF the Sena-
tor from South Carolina. The Senator from OHIO (Mr.
Allen expresses himself opposed to The amendment, and
Gays he greatly prefers the amendment that he offered.
This is very natural, it is 10 be expected. Nature herself
prompts all animals to nourish, protect, and love their
offspring in preference to the progeny Of others
and he certainly had no disposition to find fault with
this manifestation Of that Senator regard for the
laws of ! Nature; but really the objections Of that Sena-
Tor were rather unex pecled. lie says the amendment
10 which the amendment Of that Senator is offered, is,
ns a lawyer would say, de hors the record, or in other
words, not connected with the subject matter of The reso-
lutions. Why, Sir, does not the Senator himself know
that his amendment was drawn after the amendment Of
fered by him, (Mr. S y II one is out of the record, is
the other? The Senator has not even the merit Of
originality in his amendment. The Senator says we
might as well resolve that the Koran is not The evidence
Of The christians faith US to adopt the amendment offered
by him, (Mr. S. To this, he would merely say, that,
the doctrines Of the Declaration Of Independence, the
of the Constitution Of the United States, of
the Jetlersonian party Of that day, of those great poll
tical, fundamental, and constitutional truths contained
in the amendment bear the same relation 10 the doctrines
held by that Senator, that the Koran does 10 the Chris.
religion, then the Senator was correct in the conclu.
to which he had come, but not otherwise. He would
leave the Senator to decide the matter for himself.
The Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Hubbard)
has been pleased 10 say that the amendment had not the
merit of nooety in it, and that it was intended 10 embar.
the passage of these resolutions. The latter charge,
in its offensive sense, he had so fully answered before,
he would merely say to that Senator now, that he
could scarcely claim for the charge the merit Of origi-
nality, as il had been made by the Senator from South
(Mr. Calhoun;) and, after having been met by
him, (Mr. 81 and refased, it was honorably abandoned
by that Senator. If, ho~ever, the Senator from New
wishes to be understood in q sense not often.
sive, he (Mr. S. would say, that truta will always EN-.
bsrrass its opposers, and in that sense the amendment was
introduced 10 embarrass the passage of the resolutions
Senator says that the amendment has not the merit
Of novelty and he has read from q paper from the gran.
lite State TO show that during the progress of the resulu-
tons Of that Slate similar amendments were offered.
Well, sir, admit the fact, and what does it prove?
Why, sir, merely that those great fundamental princi-
Piles ace cherished yet, eoen in INeU HampsAtre by a
portion Of the people. But, sir, does the Senator claim for
himself any credi: ior discovering that which he (Mr. s.
had avowed from the outset, that his amendment did not
contain ~noDcLies, that the doctrines were primary, fun
da4nental, constitutional aud vital political truths? Sir,
has xooats any special merit in the eyes of that Senutor'
If so, the Senator from South Carolina has prepared u
feast for him, and he is welcome to enjoy it.
But, sir, there is another avowed principle in these re-
solutions, that mast not be passed in silence. 1t assumes
that il may become necessary for this nation 10 attach
territory (Tezas) to The Union, for the purpose of pro.
tceiing and ez.cnding the domestic institutions (siar.ry)
of the South. This is a solemn question, and one which