Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-02-28
Emtntp=Sfrtb CoMUrfss,
THE RIGHT OF PETITION.
WAsHINGToN, Friday. Feb. IA

trivial circumstance. Mr.. Clay of Ken.
lucky, presented petition from one man,
a Quaker of the town OF jerusalem, State
of New.York, praying for the abolition OF
slavery in the District of Columbia, aud in
his mild and pleasant manner. made few
careless remarks about referring the pei
ton to a commi,te, while indulgng in
pinch of snuff which he had Just borrowed
from neighbours box Mr.. Calhoun then
rose and congratulated the Abolitlons,s,
in an ronical style. upon The accession to
their ranks Of such distinguished cham
pion as The Senator from Kentucky, and
added some bitter & contemptuous express
SONS about the right OF petition, which
brought up M. Tallmadge of New York.
Mr.. TalImadge was speaking when
entered the Senate chamber. He stood in
the centre aisle, boldly erect, and dellv.
cred his sentiments in manly and fearless
manner, accompanied by animated and
appropriate gestures. He is very fair
debatcr. Mr.. Tallmadge maintained the
sacred and universal right of petition with
much ability. The federal constitution, he
sad, gave the citizens fthe United States
no new rights. The RICH, peaceably TO
assemble and petition Government for q
redress Of grievances, was n natural. ina.
liennble right it wen, behind the written
compact, and was founded on firmer basis
than the constitution itself. But under the
constitution he believed the people had a
right TO petition Congress on any subject,
whether Congress has the power to grant
the prayer of the petition or not. He had
potion on his table praying for that which
he was satisfied Congress had no right to
grant. and he should present it. If the
Senate denied the lght TO petition on one
subject, they might, with equal propriety,
deny the right on any other subject, or on
all subjects. He repeated. he should pre-.
sent auy and every petition from his con-
stItuents, not dIsrespectful to the Senate;
and he should not sit in his seat and hear
the right OF petition denied BY any Senator,
without rising TO vindicate it.
Mr.. Calhoun rose again. and said he
was DESTROYS of bringing this matter to
point at once He would put single
question to the Senator from New York,
and he wanted direct answer. Suppose
a petition should be sent to him, praying
SOug ICES w tuc CHIIctldu |ciIp iuu,
would he present it /? Answer me that,
said he.
Mr.. 7allmadge said if petition should
be sent to him deiaming the Senate, or
couched in disrespectfuI language, he
would not present it. The right OF self.
defence. he thought, would justify him in
refusing to do so. But if he should receive
a petition praying Congress to abolish the
christian religion, he thought he should
move TO give it to select committee. Of
which the Senator from South Carolina
should be chairman. and he thought that
would settle the matter.
Mr. Calhoun replied. in a triumphant
manner, Well, let the Senator 90 home
and hold that doctrine, and see what the
effect would be see what the effect won Id
be. tie denied the right of the citizens or
the people Of the non slaveholding States
to interfere with Southern insllulions-to
petition about matter which is no grlev.
ance to them. II the constitution gave
The South the right 10 hold properly in
slaves, did it not give them the right to
enjoy it in peace and quieiness j. not the
agitation Of this abolition question viola,
ton OF rights guaranteed by the consllu.
ZION ? Why, said he, the presentation of
these petitions only shows that the people
ofthe North have far less sympathy for
their fellow citizens Of the South, than
they have for handful Of abolition pamph
lets. That was the sum total of it. The
right o: petition gave The people no such
latitude as this. Are ne, SAID he, looking
round upon the Senate, are we masters or
servants? Who are the masters, in TINS
country9 Why, the sovereign people
they are the masters. and the Senate are
the servants. Now is there any right OF
petition from the master TO the servant
Is that the right of peliion' No. The
right of petition was from the subject to
the sovereign. from the servant to the mass
ter. 1t was IN some degree superseded by
a representative governmental the ballot
box and the right Of instruction. The
people of the United States could elect
representatives who would obey their will
- they could instruct them-command
them-and the right of petition was thus IN
some degree superseded and done away.
otHutDIS WeTe not OOuUu W VeCc'So pe'-
tons they were not bound to present
them. The Parliament Of Great Britain
received or rejected them, at their pleasure
These petitions, he repeated, were viola
ton of Southern rights, and an insult TO hIs
constituents.
Mr. Bro,cn of North Carolina, a thoro
Loco Foco demagogue, then took the floor,
and encouraged by the sophis'lcal argu-
men's of the great Nu!iier, prepared to
give the poor right of petition q finishing
blow. He alluded to the Infamous gag
resolution recently adopted in the House,
and declared that it received his hearty
sanction. He thought It was rule called
Tor by every motive Of patriotism, and by
every sentiment of regard for Southern
rights. The period had arrived when the
agitation of this odlous subject must cease.
The right Of petition, he said. had been
perverted to subserve the most iniqu'tous
political purposes. He thought Congress
had The clear and uneOuiVOcal poWer to