Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-04-21
REMARKS OF MIR. BoTTs,
In reply 90 Mr. ADAMS.

REMARKS OF MIR. BOTTs,
In reply 20 Mr. .7admS.
MIR Bolts remarked that, in consequence OF
the limitation of time, he proposed to conhne HIM
self 10 few OF the more prominent points OF the
arguments OF the gentleman from Massachusetts,
(Mr Adams,l wholly uuconnec,ed with the ques-
ton OF slavery in the abstract; question which
he had no disposition to discuss either here or else
where, now hereafter; that was an interest that
must depend its strength for its protection.
IL neither asked aid Of the North 10 protect 1t, nor
feared the power Of the North 10 destroy II. In APP
preaching this subject, he was not ashamed 10 &C.
know edge the vas, superiority OF the wisdom, eX
perience and intellect well as the age character,
and standing Of the gentleman against whose opn-
inns he had felt 1t his duty array himself. And
he begged TO be permitted say 20 the gentleman,
that, IN the course Of his remarks, he meant TO in
duge in no personal unkindness, whatever might
be the justification offered. lie knew, he trusted,
too well what was becoming his own age and sta
tior, ms well as what due 10 the gentleman, 10
indulge in any harsh language towards him. He
Rad u deal with his opinions and principles, and
not with the gentleman himself
lie was no nlarmis he neither felt apprehension
Of war himself, nor countenanced any efforts 10
create alarm with the people OF the county. So
lar as he had heen able TO consider the questions
pending between this Government and Great Bri-
tain. he saw none that might not be settled COM
patibiy with the interest and'honor OF the two na
lions. Ii was only necessary that the questions
should he properly understood 10 obtain Just and
honorable settlement OF all. II any thing had oc-
CURED that was calculated 10 destroy the harmony
existing between the two nations-if any speech
was possible to be made this floor elsewhere
calculated to disturb that harmony and arrest the
negotiations now in progress, IT seemed TO him that
the speech of the gentleman from Massachuseil:
best Of all calculated to effect this object. II
a speech, IN his judgment, full of error and full
OF mischief. What was II that hid at the foundl-
ton of the genilemans speech7 The African slave
trade. The apprehension which haunted the mind
OF the gentleman by day and night was that the
African slave trade was TO be restored. What
foundation there for thisl
He could take but disjointed view Of what the
gentleman had said owing TO the want Of time, as
he had now but some twenty-five or thirty minutes,
by the call of the yeas and nays. Among the gen
fleman's remarks that which created the greatest
surprise was the Boosting declaration that he had
made day before yesterday, that in 1914 he had
signed with his own hand treaty referring TO the
treaty OF GhenD in which the traffic in slaves (not
the African slave trader declared To be unjust
aud inhuman, and in which the two Governments
Of Great Britain and the United States had pledged
themselves TO their best exertons to arrest it,.
The gentleman had excluded the idea that this traffic
IN slaves was confined to the African Save trade
and said that the construction he had put on that
clause Of the treaty OF Client was, that II extended
TO the traffic OF slaves in country. Was that
the construction the gentleman put the treatyio
Client at the time he signed that ueaty7 II he had
put such construc ion on II al that time, (which ht
b.l 81 j,
have been the greatest fraud ever perpetrated or
any country in the world.
mir ADAMS said, at the time the treaty was made
he had hesitation IN saying that the moral appli
cation Of the inhumanity and injustice Of the trsff
IN slaves did in his mind apply 10 the whole trhif
in slaves. Asa question Of the construction ant
meaning of that article, as between the u. State
and Great Britain, he did not put that construction
IL; but as a matter of obligation between the U
States and Great Britain, II applied solely 10 th
Afrar gIa IrnHe Ac tn hfa md lad
the traffic in slaves anywhere and everywhere
and
Mr. BORIS here in,erposed, and claimed the foo
90 proceed in his remarks.
MIR ADAMS said the gentleman had made the in
guiry to him, and he had not finished his answer.
After n momenary conversation
The CHAIRMAN said the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr Botts) was entitled to the floor.
MIR ADAMS. We'll, / desire the gentleman never
to ask me a question agan.l
Mr. Boris said be did not think he ever would
unless he had reason to expect 1t to be nnsuere,
with more olviIiiy than this had been answered.
lie was very sure that, notwithstanding the IN
depreciation the gentleman chose to give TO this ar
tlce Of the treaty at this late period, he did no
make that Interpretation at the time he signed it.
Therefore, he had said that II il had been made II
would have been a fraud on the country, becaus,
the treaty never would have been ratified by the
Senate.
But as to this foreign slave trade The gentle-
man bod declared the other day--nnd not only To
this nation and the British Government, but to the
British negotiator now at our doors-that the on y
object had in view by the Southern country in re-.
gard 20 this right Of search, and TO the compensa-
ton demanded for the property lost on board the
Creole was the restoration Of the African slave
trade. lie tMr b. spoke not as Southern or a
sectional man, but as national man, devoted 10 the
peace OF this country and the pcrpotuiiy OF the
Unlon which he chung to the ark Of our polltIra
salvation, and he said the gentleman had no nutho.
Ity for the declaration.
MIR ApAMs said he had never saiJ IT, lie de.
MED utterly having said b.
Mr. BorTs said he might appeal 10 every mem
Ter on this floor Il the gentleman Old not say 1t.
Mr. ADAMS. Let the gentleman appeal
Mr. Boris. Whether tic gentleman intended u
say he did not know, for he had said that he spok
without reflection, which was the only apology iha
could be- made for his speech But he appel led Z,
every member on this floor n that was not the gen
teman'' Language; and he DID moro than that: i
that accurate Reporter (pointing 10 the Repoueri
box Tor The Nauons lntelIigencef) put his remarkt
20 PRINT without the revision of the gentleman. he
would put the question Of fact whether his remark,
would not be - reported.
For tho South he would say, land a he smoke in,
properly he hoped 10 be corfectef1 tbet ,i,,. 80,
not man IN that whole country who des,,ed ~ 80.
the restoration Of the African slave Trade. uolss. \
wnt the class Of plunderers and robbers. and tbs,,
wero as many Of that class ~ the gsnuenan's coun
tfy ~ In hs. There was IN his country a. rouel
patriotism. philanthropy and christianity, as In
gentleman represented, who claimed tho restoration
Of their property on board tho Creole, and oppose
the right Of search. This African slave trade "a
not only In the gsnteman's mind, but runs through
out his whole discourse. The object Of the annel
alton Of Texas. the gentleman had said, was 10 "a
store the African slave uede.