The Northern galaxy, and Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1843-1844, 1844-01-03
An Executive Session


following Joint Resolution of the last Leg
islature of Massachusetts, presented by
Mr.. Adams. viz:
Resolved. That the following amend
ment to the Constitution Of the United
States be and hereby is recommended TO
the consideration of Congress, TO be acted
on according TO the fifth article. The Sd
clause of the second section of the first
article shall read in the words following
Representatives and direct taxes shall be
apportioned among the several States
which are or may be included within this
Union according TO their respective num-
befs of free persons, including Indians not
taxed.
Which resolution Mr.. Adams had NOV
ed to refer TO Select Committee.
Mr.. Hudson of Mass moved suspen-
sion Of the Rules TO permit Mr.. A. to
speak.
AR. r. D. Davis claimed the floor, if
sny one was TO have it, but the Speaker
aid o.
AR. W. Hunt of N. Y. asked the Yeas
and Nays on Mr.. Hadson's motion, which
were ordered and taken Yeas 1873 Nays
46-viz:
GAlmost all the Members holding seats
in violation Of the law. voted against al
lowing Mr.. Adams to be heard in his own
defence, with four from this State but not
one Whig.l
So, twO-ihirds voting in the affirmative,
the rules were suspended, and leave was
granted to Mr.. Adams 10 address the
House. Whereupon-Hr. Adams said it
had not been his ia:entioa, nor was 1t now
his desire, TO ttespass On the time of the
House, nor would this be a fit return for
the courtesy just extended unto him. A
proposition bad beea made to refer the re-
solutions Of NE Legislature Of hassachu-
sets, presented by him las, evening, to the
Committee on the Judiciary to such
disposition of them be should very willing
" submit and there had been another to
refer them TO Select Committee, to con-
s;st of one member from each State: nor
had he any objection 10 that. lie was
willing that they should go TO any appro-
pirate committee. And if the House
should send them to select committee be
was willing that the Speaker should omit
his name,as being. under the circumstances,
scarce likely to act with perfect impariial-
ity upon the subject; and, besides, lie had
DO desire whatever 10 act in any way on
these resolutions.
hlr. A. would take the liberty TO remind
his good friend from South Carolina sir.
Holmes) of this, and to express his hope
that that gentleman would strip of the
glitiering armor in which he had clad bim>
self cap-a.pie that he would throw aside
his cpaulets and take off his sword-ay,
though il might be as great as that of Du-
randana in ancient fable, or capable Of
even greater miracles than the far famed
weapon of Orlando whether lnamorata or
FurIoso Much laughter.
The gentleman surely must agree, on
little reflection, with the opinion of his
friend from Virginia, (Mr. Wisc) that this
vas not the place TO brandlsh that sword.
Mr.. A. said this because these gentlemen,
and others who had spoken on the subject
after this most terrific threat TO PROSTATE
the Union, had all resolved themselves at
last into the position that they would stand
upon the Constitution. and by implication
seemed to intimate that the abolition pc,
titions (for neither of the gentlemen re-
ferred at all to the resolution of the Legis>
lature of Massachusetts, the reference of
which was the question before the House,
were violations of the CONSTITUENCIES,
that petitions were violations Of the Con-
stitution! for that was what it came to.
The gentlemen, in the very midst of their
military fury, all declared that they were
most deeply, most devoutly, to the very
bottom of their Utmost souls, attached TO
the union of the States, and seemed TO in
innate that the Legislature of Massachu-
sets, (hough they made no direct refer
ence to the resolutions of that body.) and
more especially the aboltionists who sent
their petitions here, were not attached to
the Union. Sir, (said Mr.. Az | am not
here 10 answer for the purpose or views of
any abolition society, or ofany individual
boltionist-though | am, in one sense,
an abollionis. myself; IN that sense in
which Thomas Jefferson. in the seventy
seventh year of his life, deliberately com.
mitted to paper his opinion. which he ad-
dressed 10 all the shareholders Of the coun.
try, namely, that abolition must come !;
that the sooner it came The better and if
not, that worse would ensue. Whoever
will read his life and writings,as they have
been published by his grandson, will find
in one Of the volumes Of that publication
this sentiment avowed, word for word, as
have stated it. Fate" he adds, % has
dccreed the freedom of that people. >
" Fate has decreed u will change the
word-the God Of Nature has decreed the
freedom of that people, and He will make
them free in His own time-not, as ex-
pect, in my day. but some day hereafter.
In that sense. then. that Thomas Jefferson
was an abolitionist, and was so all his life,
l am one. l hope with all my soul that
the day will come when slavery" shall
be word without a meaning in the En-
glish language and in all other languages
when there shall not be found slave up
on all the earth. This, in my judgment,