Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-03-28
THE SENATE.
[rnoM oun DAILY PAPER OF FRIDAY

FROM OUR DAILY PAPER OF FRIDAY.
"LooK TO THE SENATE - These words were
uttered by late radical print from day to day, in
spirit of distrust and alarm. We adopt and repeat
them, but certainly in very different spirit. We
look to the Senate, not an assembly in which
national rights are likely to be sacrificed the
tonal honor tarnished but as to wise, deliberate,
and dignifed body Of men, now standing high in
public confidence, and called to act in an important
and delicate exigency in our public affairs. Most
undoubtedly the Senate is regarded at the present
moment with very peculiar interest. No lover of
honorable peace. no friend of his country's welfare
but thinks daily of its importance and the high ma
ture of its present duties. In its ultimate decisions
we have confidence, and that confidence has been
increasing from day to day. It's discussions have
been, recently at least temperate, considerable, and
able; such as became a body Of its high functions
and character A sober and anxious spirit appears
to us, especially of late, to have psrvaded its men,
bcrs and we have no doubt that the strongly pre-
ponderatng sentiment Of the body is for compromise,
settlement, and peace.
Weadverted on Thursday to the declaration of Mr..
CHALMERS, made in his speech of Tuesday that
hreefou of the friends of the President in the
Senate, and fourJyihs Of the whole body, were in
favor Of compromise. We thought we confess,
when the honorable Senator from Mississippi stated
this fact, that the statement might prove TO be lit
tie too strong. But subsequent occurrences con-
vince us he was right. Among these occurrences
we give prominent place to the speech Of Mr.. Sc
WEIR, on Wednesday. This gentleman is an ardent
supporter Of the Administrations Of its chief
southwestern pillars. He is well known to be
among the foremost and the boldes on all occasions
in maintaining what he thinks his countrys rights.
He has been reckoned, too, among the q 6fty-four-
forty men and we doubt not is SO, in his opinions
and feelings. But, Notwithstanding all this we have
greatly misunderstood the scope of his observations
on Wednesday, unless he be now ready to take
line of boundary substantially like that offered by
the United States in 1925. Mr.. SEWER does not
like the word Compromise" He thinks it i'm
plies, or may imply, something like cession. But,
objectionable phrascology being out of the way, we
greatly err, if the honorable Senator did not mean
to be understood that, for the sake Of peace, he
would be willing to stop at forfy-nine.
We need hardly say to our readers, who know
the standing Of public men well, that this ayowal of
opinion (if we are not mistaken in supposing such
an avowal to have been made) is of no small impor
lance at the present moment 1t makes the pros
pect of ultimate Unanimity--or near approach to
Unanimity-so much the brighter We certainly
rejoice in it ; and call on that distinguished lover
of Unanimity, the editor of the Union, to rejoice
with us.
We ought not to omit noticing the fact that Mr..
SEWERS speech was delivered four-and-twenty
hours after Accommodation to the Senate of the
Presidents message. In that speech, which we
hope TO publish at an early day, he maintains thai
the President is not committed by any thing done
either by himself or by others, as to be precluded
from negotiating on the principle of compromise
lie, therefore, evidently does not regard the Pres
dents message as changing the state Of things.
Now, let us ask, with all respect, and in all hui
mty, why should not the one or the other Of the
two Governments Immediately propose TO reopen
The negotiation, if it be not already re-opened on
the basis to which we have SO often referred! Is
not this plain duty resting on each and both the
Governments' Why should agitation and alarm
be continuedi Why should useful commercial en-
terprise be longer embarrassed WHY should both
countries and both Governments be longer disturb
ed and annoyed by controversy which i, is now