True American. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1835-18??, 1839-03-08
SPEECH OF THE
HON. HENRY CLAY,
ABOLITION PETITIONS.
Delivered in the Senate of the IT, States
Erhruarv 7 1890

Delivered in The Senate Of the u. States
February 7, 1889.
Mr. CLAW ,fKcn,,clv ros. 70 ,roso,,
.,;,;.u ~ ga. IT,, ,.:Il NJ.
prns;Jsnt ,s1;,;a, ~ ,ho San,,a aI
Hans. of Rorro,,,>,,,;,-,. of 10 Ir,;,a1
S,,,.. ,,-h;.L + ,,,;,.,, ~, ,>,a,,,. a.
~. l. l. s;rro1 h,r .,va,,1 l,m,a,aJ;,l,.t
;,,,ts NJ tbn D;s+r;:t ofCol,r,l,;. .,,J ,l,;a
Nv of tho C;+, of W,sb;n,,nr ~ .l,a,,,
jrecogn;zc The name Of ,he b;ahlv es,.e , ~ ~
cd Nayor of the r;tv and othnr rcs,,.nt,lIa
r,mes s,mo NJ ,,j;ch ,ro ,,,rsamlIi,, n,'' !
well known to ms Thev .In,ess ,ho; ~,
Gro, th,t RI, suJ;.rt nf ,he ,L,,;,;a,, ~ a..
ycrv within ,hc n;strct Of C,olur,l, .a ,,.
,;,n.s ,o hc rrcsseJ unor ,bs .nns;Ja",,;",,
of Congress bv ipcons;Jerat.s and n;sr,; i, "i,
individuals IN o,ber u,1ts If ,be Tn;,.d
States Tb.v s,,,e ,hat ,l,.v 10 M, aa';.,,
the abolition Of slavery wirh;, tbe D;strc,
.,v.r;f ronnr.ss ,,oss.,ss .br. o,,,.,;a.,a
s,I. newer of ,ho1;sh;n, :, ,;,Ao,i ,ho ,",
sent Of the ne or,e whose ;,tsrrs,. ,,nm,5 h,
immcdia,e]r and d;rectlv ,Hactea NV rho
,ne,snre ih,, n l. ,,,. s,;nn s.1,l, WV
tween the neop]e Of ,Rc District and ,b.;r
only constitutional Legislature purely MI.
,,ir;,al and ONE in which rn . x,.r;o, ;nHu-
,.pce or ;n1eresn ~ar iustJ, ;ntc rferc ,h,,
;r =, any fn,urc ~. r;oS ,l,. nnon],. nf ,l,;,
D;st,;c, shou1a desire ,bc ,hal;,;pn of s,,vo
~ within i thcy .;ll do,htl.ss ,,,,I., H..
wishes known ,.he, !, mill h,,:.,;r,<, a,r,,,.,
10 take the matter into consider rat ion ,Lat
,hev do mot. on this occasion nresen, ,ben.
selves 70 Conoress be,ans., thev ,r, sla,..
holdcrs-many of them are uot-some If
Them are conscientious|v on,oseJ r. s,,vor,,
lint thcv a,near because thev ;ns,l, ~
snoct rho r;obts of tbos. ,ch, o,,,,. ,l,,t A.
,rrint;on Of nropertv, and because ,}av on
,crtnin a deem tony;ct;on thar rho con,;nnnd
AGITATION of the Question Nv those Who bave
no RIGHT to Interfere with i. has an ;n;nr;ons
inHucnce'on the peace and tranon;ll;,y ~ no
community. and unon thc we'll. ho;,m omd
bapp;ness of those who are held in snb;ac.
ton: thew finally protest as we'll a GAINS, ,ba
unauthorized intervention of witch thew
complaiu. as against anv leo;s,at;on nm tbo
part of Congress in compliance herewith
But as I wish these respectab]e net;t;nnors
to be themselves heard. / reouest that the;r
petition NAV he read, Tt was read accord.
inolv. and Mr. CLAW nroceeded1 nv, i,
formed by the committee which rcouestcd
me to offer this pctitiou. and believe ,h,t i
expresses the almost unanimous s.nt;
ments Of the people of the District Of o.
nmbia,
The perform,nce Of th;s sc,v;ce aa,r,1s
me said Mr., G. n 10 o;t;mat. onnnrt,n;tr %
which with thc perm;ss;on of The Senate T
mean now to avail myself to saw sometL;na
not onlv on the particular ob;ects ofthc ne
,itiou. but upon the great and ;ntercstino
subject with which it is Intimately nssoc;'
AT Il '
1t is well known to the Senate said NJ,
CLAW that have tbouph, that tLe most IN.
dicious course with abolition nct;t;ons has T
not been of late pursued bv CONGRESS 7
have believed that it would have 5een wis
est to have received and re}erre1 Them
without opposition. and to have renortej
against their object in n calm and d;sn,s.
sionate arsumentatiye apnool TO thc GOOD
sense of the community. It has been SIM.
posed, however, by majority Of CONGRESS-
that it was most expedient either not TO 70,
ceive the petitions at all, or. if formally re-
ccived, not to act definitely mon ,ien,
There is no substantial difference between