Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-01-29

10 did to be the only pledge for and the only means Of
perpe,uatinr the liberties of the people-hoiding me
Jinion as be did, the only means uaef h'sh hea'"
bv which that State in which he lived, and that people
which he represented could be preserved IN safety ana
nhcpendencc there was, his Judgment, sacrie@c III
approachlng ii this manner. Coming from any
ouartar il was sacrlege-comlng from the quarter tat
II did il assumed political Importance that u @oI'u
uo. otherwise possess. lie, Sir from whom the propo'
si,;on vas made TO pull down the temple Of liberty,
ra, once It's high priest and mlnisered at It's altar
/, was no obscure hand and no obscure name ina,
was connected with this procedure. That name haa
zone abroad connected with all that was bright and
glorious in country history Inc enemies o. ''es
dom. who had so fondy predicted the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
of this Conlederacy, and now their eyes turned 70 Tue
movements of that Hall, and to the movements OF that
gentlemen in relation question which, OF all others,
presen ted the greatest danger 10 our institutions, ano
which he would there say did not in the slightest degree
a,iar into the paper which he offered 1t that ques
,;on which that gentleman had been onder Of stirring
than any other that had been looked at by enemies
abroad as the means BY which their desires might be ac-
compshed 1t 4 subject, he repeated, that he had
never looked at, and never would God forbid lhat
he should draw line aud array the Southern man on
ono side and the Northern the other but the
proposition which had been presented by the gentle
man from Massachusetts TO that House, the Northern
men were bound BY love Of country 10 oppose siren
uously us the men of the South. Were Northern men
prepared 10 say that under any law or right, petitions
of This sort shall be laid before the Congress of the
States. without censnrc or rcbuke; that member
shall be allowed 10 present question here, and start
i, as subject of legislative consideration in that House,
which looks to the dissolution Of this Union: But he
might be told that at The time this proposition was pre-
senled there connected with IT anoher-that the
committee 10 which it proposed TO refer 1t, should
report against il; but in his humble Judgment, that did
no, affect the question. If any thing, II made it won.
If under some lancied right OF petition TO wlic owe
much importance seemed TO be attached in one pn.s-
nf Union the gentleman had barely presented The pc
i,ion in funient of what he believed 10 be solemn
duty, it might alter the case but proposed that
Il should be the subject Of legislative consideration,
and that a report should be prepared and presented
10 the House accordance with the views fthe mo-
yer. II was 10 become precedent as lar rs It WENT
amounting 10 :his that the dissolution Of the Union
was fair subject of legislative consideration and could
be brought up in that House for discussion 1t TO
be debaable question: il was matter that was to be
looked upon by the eye of the legislator within the
scope of his legislative functions; and this position he
should meet the Threshold with the stcrnest possible
rebuhe. Had such proposition been made by his
own father, and had he, in addition TO the ties that
bound him To him son, all the ties that bound hun
To the member from Massachusetts-if he knew his
own soul-he should have pursued the same course
that he did lie knew, Mr.. NJ said, that the action
Of this House this subject would 70 abroad TO the
nations Of the world, and he wished it TO be shown
that whatever of mischief and misery, and confusion,
might upon in after years, At this time of the
day the Congress of The u. S. would not permit one
Of lis members to become the vehicle TO bring before
them proposition monsrous that it could not be
acted without dishonor to themselves and ruin TO
all who might come after them. This much he had
thought proper 10 say presenting his resolution If
there wrong it, let the responsibility rest where
it properly belonged. That there could be mischief,
he did not believe. He would not harbor the idea
that the people Of the North would ccuntenance
81. - -
the lands on which Heavens bright sun beams IFS
diant smiles Massachusetts to come forward, and
through man bearing the name which the gentleman
did make proposition 10 dissolve this Union, tshe
had done this let the oil that House
fall on the man through whom the proposition came.
Mr.. ADAMS replied that what he had done had been
done under the protection of The Constitution and The
authority of the Declaration Of independence. In that
instrument il declared be the right of the peo
pie alter and abolish government whenever ii be-
came oppressive The sgners Of the petition not
alone; the opinions they have presented, find many
abettors in the North But he believed il not 10 be yet
time to push the matter 10 an extremity, and this he
wished TO tell the petitioners However the response
blty of the doctrines of the petition rested not with
him. but with those who had signed il, and nrusted Il
to him for presentation For The latter act only he
answerahlc.
He then descan,ed somewhat the question of the
right Of petition and of the slave trade and mentioned
the points which he intended 10 discuss if the ques
ton were regularly introduced The country lie said
were TO be struggled into in defence OF the slave
the home squadron, for which in the SIM
plicy of his heart he had voted, he had discovered
from the report Of the Secretary Of the Navy 10 be IN
tended convoy for the protection OF The slave trade
He concluded by expressing wish that the resolution
of Mr. Marshall be printed, and, al the proper une
if the reporter understood him rightly, he would con-
nue his vlndcat,on, and discuss the various questions
which he had propounded
Mr.. COOPER, Of Penns glvana, suggested that the
passage Of the resolutions offered by MIR Marshall
would close TIE whole busness-their passage nclud
ing all the censurc that was intended.
Mr. EVERETT made short and animated speech,
in opposition il understood, 10 the spirit Of Mr.
they be printed and the consideration Of the business
be deferred till Tuesday next
After Mr.. MARSHALL concluded, Mr.. EVERETT
addressed the House in opposition 10 the resolutions
when
Mr. WISE called for the reading Of portions Of
General Washngton's Farewell Address; which were
read.
Mr. WISE then addressed the House at great length
the subject commenting, with much severity, on
the pursued by the gentleman from Massachu.
setts-tracng connection between that course and
foreign influence which he endeavored 10 show was
husly at work. In tracing the designs Of the English
Abolition incendiay party, he made coplous extracts
from Frazer's Magazine, and certain Abolition papers
of this country, which breahed the bercs hostility
TO our institutions, and exhibited settled design TO
break up the Coniederacy. Without having concluded
his remarks, Mr.. w. Welded the floor to
Mr. HOPKINS, on whose motion,
The House adjourned.
Wednesday,, January 20.
SENATE.
Cfpr ihp presentation Of nations and the recepon