The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-14

I
preston opnoh By the senate which he THIS asy shn5
patcd would attention TO the shpjeet ,ns s
lead 10 happy teTninalion controversy which could
be safely kept open: Be that as y may sa,
maintain our ground five now yied- ths SENATE snui
refuse 10 act on the resolutions vote them down. We sur
render both right and principle, - 4, Z. ready a
say thst The rights OF South to the great mass o. IT'S prop
ey that which enter 80 dssPh Sto hsll Sch no
an ,bi wealth and their prosperity but peace and safety
be Ouawed and placed beyond the pale o
;bsr deseription Of properly, TO leave this
ons Unattended! The British minister acknowledges that
ought 10 he made for every other
0dsT similar circumstances and places the distinction be
tween this and others on grounds fatal 10 is existence
- sdmted is she right That Is the question: and ART
% r.sas 10 ,sy so BY your sotsIl II So il Is time
mould ksew Il ard shOsd speak out plainly and
aiis Ssd not supposed that there member q the
body that would be embarrassed By the resolutions % ths
nn,.,, ma ma. ed that all would have been pleased
win he eppouunity Ia ease SO rong and clear Of 70
cordng their votes IN favor and standing o. " On "
great question, In which we are particularly concerned as
have stood BY them on recent occasion where they
"i i. proud recollection for the South that she
halted count the cost Ofdanger when the interest OF
portion Of the Union. the moI remote called for defence
This is hs Ar. dcnlty with Glss. Britain Ia which we
Immediately Interested The war Of the reVou'
ton originated In causes much more northern than south
ern and .ti singy that the case in tbs last
ever devoted 10 the liberty and honor the country
its engagements poured out freely her means In
blood and money for the common csuse, without asking
whether she 70 be the gamer loser What asked
WAS that the ieaous and ardent support that have
extended 10 other portions OF the Union should now be
| tended TO on this OCCASION
| The gentleman (Mr. A. then went on to say had
| got his resolutions in-resolutions laying down a
law co-extensiye with the globe understanding
over land and sea- applicable alike to every harba-
rous power and every civilized nation applicable 10
all places and in all time. He had got these resolu-
| tons in with view OF their being incorporated as
| the Amerean Interpretation Of the law of nations
He had got them in to regulate the maritime inter-
course 9th universe-to operate more extensively
than had the British orders in council or the de-
crees of Napoleon because these extended only to
the commerce Of the belligerent nations. But the
resolutions more extensive than these DEGREES
or the orders in council; and that being so, when
the senator had got his resolutions in, he cried
aloud, "Now that they are here, il you do not pass
them YOU surrender the principle; not only the right
but the principles and therefore you must mark we'll
what you are about" Well, now, the senator from
South Carolina was not content with making that
short speech which he delivered in the running dis
cusson the introduction OF the resolutions, but lie
also made an elaborate speech the passage Of the
resolutions. The resolutions having been referred to
the Committee Foreign Relations, who had
charge of the subject-though he introduced them
not us from that committee, but had them referred
to it, Just now propose to do with regard TO the
resolutions now before the Senate-and having I'M
dereone a slight modification, which went TO limit
the extent Of jurisdiction, they reported back
| by the Committee Foreign Relations, and were
passed by the unanimous vote Of the Senate of the
United States. Here find the vote: "Yeas-Allen,
&c. Nays-none." Now, this was upon point
| of maritime law--that law by which the British
empire is sustained far more than by that thing
which ia called the British constitution-that law
which holds her vast commercial system together
| that maritime law to be affected by this inter-
pretation of it, But il all harmls SIS then!-nay,
| the senator from South Carolina ardent in
his advocacy Of the resolutions, that he took
sion to call all other parts Of the Union to
10 their support, claiming especial credit for the
South-that is the word-for having gone into two
wars upon what he was pleased to call more north
| ern than southern questions. You have heard, IN
the extract Just read how the senator had spoken Of
| the gallant devotion of the South-how they had
per,lled everything they held dear-that they were
always ready to 6ght-and therefore lac called upon
all TO come and stand up with the South In defence
of the resolutions, and sustain this great southern
| question. fight or no fight. All this was perfectly
right then. But it seems to be quite wrong in me
now. But nobody complained Of the senator.
| did not complain Of it then. do not complain of
il now. But do complain of the unheard-of, I'M
paralleed which he has undertaken TO pursue
| in regard to me, particularly in this business.
| And now for another precedent | will not un-
dertake to read this long speech of the senator,
| which teens with more matter calculated to excite
the wrath Of Great Britain than all the speeches
made on this floor since-a speech which went into
| the social organization of the British empire dis
|
| sing go much slavery and SO much freedom
! a speech that denounced her for holding one
eighth Of the human race in subsection as base that
in which certain class of persons in the South are
held-a speech more calculated to stir up the war
feeling than any ever delivered or likely to be de-
| livered on Oregon. The condition to which Eng
land had reduced poor Ireland was glowingly de-
pcted by the senator in that speech; the wrctched
condition Of her own people at home was por-
trayed; and the great mass of the population Of the
Sad
the exception of some three or four hundred thou
sand in England, who held the elective franchise,
But 90 not into that; and, let repeat, that do
not indulge in these "reminiscences by way Of CEN
sure state these things in order that the language
and spirit Of the senator himself may justify me
against that very senator's censure now. But ]
l will go to other authorities-to cases that, fortu.
naely for me, touch the matter in hand exactly-to
cases that look directly to the principles involved in
\ this resouon-both cases occurring in the House
Of Representatives, when there were, perhaps, as
many strong men in that body at any former oil
subsequent period. One Of these occurrences arose
upon the message of Mr.. Monroe, from which my
4 friend from Michigan has just cited a memorable
passage. In that message tbis.very subject Of Eu
ropean interference was presented to Congress, and
resolution was based upon that calling on the
President to state the particulars. Here is the min
ute Of the proceeding:
From the Journal of the House Reps December 1923
"Mr. MALLORY laid the following resolution the ab
for consideration tomorrow, viz:
"Resored That the President of the United States be re
quested lay before this House such information as he
possess (Which be disclosed without injury to the pub
lie goo relative to the determination OF any sovereign
combination of sovereigns TO assist Spain In the subugato
her late colonies the American continents and whethe
government OF Europe disposed determined to op
pose any aid assistance which such sovereign comb
OF soveregns may afford to Spain for the subjugato
OF her late colonies aforementioned.
THE resolution was agreed to-"
Well, that resolution passed the House of Repre-
sentatives, far see, without a dssenticn
voice. II went to the President; the President an
swered the resolution stating that he had infor
} nation not already communicated to Congress
which he could communicate with safety to the pub
lie interests. That is what he stated. Did any maj
, imagine at the time this resolution was intro
) duced by mere member Of the House of Repre-
sentalives--not an a chairman of committee, no
as the organ OF a committee, but on his own inli
vidua respopsbility--a resolution which w~nt TO di
rect action; which proposed to do something on tn
instant; which called for facts which had not beer
communicated in relation to this very came subjec
embraced in the resolution now before this body
that any impropriety was committed Well, III
:, Houen If natives have stated.