The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-18


RIr IEAKE next addressed the House After some
Introductory remarks he went to say that he had sup
poed the time had not yet come when gentlemen from
The south would not scorn to harmonze with that fell
pirt of abotionism which had already laid its sacre-
gious hand the altar of regiou and now threatened
10 rend the Union into pieces. He, for one sick OF
compromises. His State (Virgina) had bled at every
ore IN consequence of these compromises. They had
rompomsed on the slavery question in 1870, and had
faithfully adhered to that compromise in letter and in
spirit They had scrupuousy refraned from anything
that might even jar the peace Of the country But all tina,
under foot The acraving and giant spirit OF aboli-
onism sought now to assail the constitution itself The
vote Of that morning evidence not manifested in
the heat of excitement, but in the solemn form OF vote
that the compromises OF the constitution were no longer
| 10 be adhered to.
Mr. SAWYER wished to know if the gentleman
intended to charge those who had voted against the prop
osion of the gentleman from South Carolina MIR Burt
with abolionsm a
Mr. LEAKE replied, that if the gentleman from Ohio
would hear him out he would learn what his (Nlr Ls)
Mr.. McCLERNAND (the floor having been yielded by
the gentleman from vrginia said that he had been for
two weeks seeking the floor in order to express his views
on the subject under discussion He wished to state
that in voting against the amendment he was not to be
at all understood opposed to any compromise which
might or could be effected By that vote he intended to
express his opposition to the agitation of the question
now He had voted against the WILMor proviso at
last session. and would vote against it for the
reason he had voted against the amendment which had
the House un0er question
by the gentleman from South Carolina
Mr. BURT denied that he had 'thrust the amendment
on the House." and spoke Of the purity of his motives
Mr. WICK (the floor being again yielded by Mr..
EAKE said he had voted against the amendment because
it was rider" brought in on question to which 1t
ought not TO be annexed He did not vote on the
WMor proviso at all, but if he had, would have voted
against it on the same ground He should vote
against all these 'riders, brought in there to bring up
the slavery question--perhaps with good motives but
with bad effect
yrT-N Al. A.
eman from Virginia to lecture him for his votes there,
but he would say that he had deliberately resolved
to extend slavery one inch where Congress could pre-
vent it..
Mr. LEAKE said he could have anticipated that re-
mark They had all heard the utmatum OF the north.
Let them hear the uhinatum of the south. He
spoke for himself alone, but he felt that he spoke
from those generous impulses, and that spirit OF devotion
to their glorious institutions, which he knew characterized
every southern man, without distinction of party If,
them the north determined that the Wimot proviso,
called, to be engraed upon the legislation
OF the country OF its settled and wedefned prn-
cpes, he would tell them once Tor alldealng in no
threat-wha the south, in sef-detence, must do. She
could not and would not submit to it, Ia voice. ''Wel
what will you doil Now let them hear it. He threat
ened no dissolution of the Union They would have dis
solved it BY their own act when they violated the COM
mitted that fell spirit to usurp the place Of the constu
ton and control the of that body who would have
dissolved the Union He would not dissolve the Union
Rather would he lay down his life for it. He would not
end asunder that compact cemented by the blood of their
fathers He had supposed, indeed, that the members OF
the confederacy had been bound together by too many
and too powerful ties to be thus easily separated The
eternal mountains, which grasped in their giant embrace
the twin sisters of the republic proclaimed IN the mute
but emphatic eoquence OF nature, that what God himself
had Joined the petty efforts OF sc9Tvy politicians should
cared by the vote on the amendment that the Missouri
compromise no longer existed
Mr.. HANlLIN asked the floor for explanation
DIR, LEAKE sorry he could not give way.
could he established
through foreign erritoryi
Mr.. LEAKE replied that that was was not the propo-
stion before tbs House Oregon lay north of So deg 80
min, he (Mr. L. supposed the gentleman from Maine
might possibly have discovered in the of his very
profound researches on this question; and he held,
If he mlstook not that they acquired it by virtue
What was this WnMoT proviso, of which they had
heard much He recoflected well the manner in
which was denounced by distinguished member from
Massachusetts, last session He remembered the course
pursued by that gentleman, and others alluded to by his
Trend from South Carolina yesterday He remembered
when that gentleman denounced the two million BILL as
containing in itself dangerous doctrines, because gave
the Executive a dangerous discretionary power He
could hardly have forgotten the in which the
same gentleman on the opposite side had denounced the
Mexican war to acquire territory as inconsistent with
the spirit OF the age But sooner this abstract
principle introduced into the bill than the fanat-
iclsm OF the gentlemen got the better of their
sympathies with Mexico, and they were quite
willing despoi her in order to get opportunity Of en-
grating this principle on their legislation They were
willing TO give two millions in order to get territory, al
though they said it would be despong Mexico But they
were now ready appeared, to do what they had char
acenzed as great wrong, in order, as the gentleman
IRON New York Mr. GoRDoN said, that they might draw
Gordon round the southern States Of non-savehold
ing States There were two parties to that question The
honorable gentleman then went to contend that,
any territory that might be acquired, the question as
whether slavery should should not exist ought TO be
decided by the people themselves alone. Why, if gen.
temen had such holy horror of slavery that they could
not have territory two thousand miles off where il exist
ed how could they associate with aryland South Car
DINA, Georgia. Alabama Would they not be as glad
get rid OF slave territory as to acquire it 1t was an
entire msconcepton 10 suppose that the south desired to
acquire slave territory. They had not said that the terri
tory must come in as slave territory. All that
they insisted was, that the question should be left to
the people of the territory Could they really expect the
south to vote for such BILL this Oregon BILL present.
ing il did prohibition of slavery without even
recognition OF the Missouri compromise He could not
and would not vote for it. and he trusted that southern
man would vote for IT. He uttered no denuncations. He
wished not to speak IN spirit of excitement He did not
wish TO exaperae the feelings or appeal to the fears of
northern men. He would scorn to do that No Amer
cltzen unless might be pary sneakinr abo
tlonst, who had no hear-no man deserving the name
OF an American citizen, and he was happy to see MANY
such there from onslave holding States-coud be in
Inundated by threats But he trusted that an appeal TO
their patriotism and justice in favor of the institutions of
their common country would not fall, as upon the ears
of night He told them there danger-there
was serious danger. He spoke IT solelnny He spoke
i in full of the weghty responsibility Of the sta
ton which he now occupied He spoke il represent
alive in free American Congress, sent there by por-
ton of State worthy at least of being heard If this
thing to be pressed they might see the beginning OF
the end but who could tell where the end was to be
Gentlemen, then, must moderate their feelings. They
must curb this reckless spirit of fanacism which had
already almost run riot on all that sacred in their
institutions. Yesterday they had heard long homy
from the reverend gentleman from Indiana, Mr. PErrTl
in regard to the State of Virginia But he did not see
that gentleman in his seat and therefore he would