Richmond palladium., 1843-12-29

The 2Ist &ule.--The Gag Law.
We have published tho yeas and NAYS On this
ab9mjnabe Congressional ralo-u9t less a5aaut
nabls for ts pa yab.e "a Istics, than fr tAa bad
c3n-equences which IL has produced North and
South, East and West.
There stood for the repeal ct this Gsg forty.
f5ar T.ocos, and fatty-seven Wings; against II
fifteen Nh'gs, from the Southern St4tas, and EIgH
Lrcos. treety nine # 9r5on 1rere tr5s tte free
States. DE-. Duncan ct our district. olt not vote
lie had the meauues- 10 sku.ai he wsGtod the
ce8c7ge to face 4 seeming pcrI.
Three Whigs from the slave States voted a
ga5nst the Gag. These were JyHy WIGrE Of
Kentucky, CLINGlI4N Of North Carolina. md
RODNEY Of Delaware. They did what they should
have done. 1t was manly bFayinE II pre- j1dice,
Al homes, assertion Of the right, Which must
commend them To the honest and patriotic every
where. They stood up II Congress, as they we're
ready to stand up at home in support Of the Con.
stitution defying. Us well as opposing, that mar
row p:eIudce-that spirit of misCeqF esautat0n-
which 50 often deErades our public men, and de-
bases the people Of tho country.
And what shall we say Of the colleagues OF
these honored members from the slave States?
What declare in particular Of our notgbbars, and
Wing friends, Messrs. Davis, Green. TheDass1n
and Gridee. They knew that this Gag f4.o was
part Of the Southern machinery gotten up to put
Mn. Clay in false position before the people Of
lhe South. They knew it was passed, not be.
cause the SCUM T-S 50 cG|ZE1 9t tae Qc4tI Is 10
dread any move on this subject, but becaIse her
leaders believed that this great q. ever true 10
the Constitution, and TO principle, would oPPoze
il upon the ground that Il was Unconstitutional,
and would add strength 10 the ultra ebai9tonf-n
in the free States And yet fea rfai of The effect
of such vote al home, tlmid IN this respect rs
children, and ms weak too, they Ind not the
courage to meet the ISSUE as II ought % 6e net,
TO back their colleague, 70 stand by Mr. Cay, AID
and % Say TO their constituents, What their cen
stltuents would have honored Them, and trusted
them, for saving, "wn stood by the CONSTITUTION,
and by the Right Of Petition, IN voting against
the Gag Rule, because we were sw9ra TO support
both, and because both are essential to the cause
Of Human Liberty" We arc sorry-pataed-to
record such instance Of want Of hloHty and
courage on the part of those who knew bet
ter. It was. We view IL, gross political er-
ror--a serious moral delinquency.
The Gag stands-and lot the blame rest IN tho
proper quarter. Upon examining the election
returns, ind that among tho Lacos, the fol
lowing members wero elected TO Congress, either
~ the Liberty men running candidates, or giving
10 these members their votes. From:
New Hampshire Burks, Rsdjng Norris. New
YorS-Strong, Murphy. Russell, Pratt, King
New JaE<ey--Fareo. Pennsylvania g In
gerso,j. Iost Ritter, BFodhea5, Bdiack, Black,
Wilkins, Hays Oa.)-Wel,er, ST John. Moore,
B-tukerholf, McCauslen Indaaa-John
Davis; iIhaols--R7Dert Smith, McC.enar5,
FickiIn, Wentworth. Douglass. lI0ge-
Now these members all voted for the Gag.
Erery Wig from tie free States opposed it, and
had tho Wing opponents OF these members jlst
named been elected, they rouIl hare united 10 a
in this opposition IT, therefore, the political
abo,tuonIsts mad sustained these defeated wing
candidates ut the East, and IN the West. erd
would have been put to the Gag Rule. and the
Right of Petition rescued from anv further assault
The umj5,y, therefore, Of orr Southern Wh5gs,
bat more particularly the mistaken policy Of the
Third Party, in making separate poiIuca! or
ganization, when that organization could only
elect The sulTtst pro~saycry men, has prevented
this result from being brought about.
And vel in this very matter the latter claim to
be the great advocates Of human liberty! as II
through this conduct they had not done tkat
cause harm. We PIT it, at least, TO the conscien,
tious among them % say whether their course
has been true or wise one?-Cia Ga-.