The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-04-26
lF,o~ Ho~sso.'. Official Rspoyts.l

y ~ From Hosssos's Official Rsyoytsl
Mr. HANNEGAN. No man in this Senate can more
Gacefsy rsgTsa haa DO the DIFFUSION OF this most per
nicious question into this body to-day II has fallen upon
h.a sas. the halls q sIo a. Ny
principles upon the subject have been expressed at differ
en- periods in both houses Of Congress during the last
presume, be carried by me unchanged to he grave.
cannot fully concde in this instance. with my friend
from Illinois, with whom most occasions / am
happy 10 agree. admit a fact here, that
the senator from New Hampshire in sgating this ques
ton at this nopportune and most inauspicous moment
whatever may have been The course Of others, has
increased the number OF his supporters among the en-
ghtened people Of this country do not ink that the
which he has pursued this day. has been IN the
slightest degree, calculated to advance his views ne
the PRESIDENCY Neither do mpeach the motives OF the
honorabls senator in bringing forward TINS PHI mus
noppciuney is to De presumed tnaa Ine OIL mas aS
he has embarked in this cause, as IN AL otherS wncn ne
embraces will not for instant suffer myself to sup
pose that ANYTHING Improper turks beneath behind this
movement Nor or the other hand. do lind fault with
the manner in which this movement has been met,
the part of gentlemen representing in this body the rights
and Interests of the people of the South. II they had
failed to meet it and denounce it, they would have been
recrean to their high rusrecreant their sacred
obligations to the constitution of their country
Has there not been Just of excitement in the breasts
of those gentlemen 1.-THE enacted in the last week
furnishes justification for that excitement should like
TO know Wnat cOu0 Lei pause, PRESIDENT,
moment and look al this pratica vessel steals
into your river bearing the false colors of honorable
merce anchors at your wharf, and receiving on board
nearly one hundred Of the domestics OF this District
makes all sail to carry of its cargo Of plunder Was
the South sit in silence and without alarm behold this
audacious outrage AS well expect man to fold his
and remain unmoved, when the serpent which has
crawed into his abode, uncos itself upon his hearth
sone, and its deadly Kisses ring the OF his chill
drept As well ask him to SIT still and exhibit excite
men as to call upon one half of this Union to be I'M
moved in the circumstances which surround us .
Sir, had these gentlemen not manifested these feelings
they would, indeed. have been what the senator from
New Hampshire denominates those of the North who
conscienousy sustain the solemn obligations imposed by
that oath which you administered to support the constu
ton of the United States and all its guarantees-they
would indeed have been in that case craven craven
They would have been unworthy the companionshp Of
MEN!
have taken my stand on this question, and shall
maintain it at all hazards. may see all my own pot
cal prospects withered before my eyes, consequences
of the course which pursue on this question but that
If my constituents think proper to desert me on this
look the storm n the eye, and defy the 'hundebot If
SEEK no higher earthly MOI N nssns5s 10 the
appreciation Of he people Or The when my course
so long as am sustained by conscientious OF
duty In the spirit Of the memorable sentiment Of the
say at is true love popularity; but it s that popularity
which follows, not that which is run after" desire
that alone which springs from strict and steady adherence
to the dictates OF my own conscience
In this case Mr. President, we have commenced at the
wrong end. In the closing remarks Of my friend from
Illinois entirely concur; should desire to this
general resolution directed to the Judiciary Committee
whose first it should be to devise some law for the
this pratica robbery Of slaves That being DONE would
60 as far the senator from New Hampshire, or any
man, In the suppression OF mobs From the bottom Of
my heart, despise mobs. never knew OF mob, I
neve O a Ami in
which it originated, that did result in the commission
of atrocities at which humanity shuddered The laws
offences. But ! do not know that there has been any
riot in this District There has been violation of the
rights Of and asys no fears that the
high and enviable reputation community of lazy and
order. BY abstaning from everything like resort TO vio
lence and force They will. am confident abide in the
protection OF the law against any violation Of their rights
Mr.. DAVIS. of Massachusetts wish, before the
vote is taken, 70 say word or two for the purpose OF
very be carried away by any Of the exctemen's
that sometimes have existence in this chamber; and
cannot say at this moment that participate at all in the
gentlemen here What is the question that is presented
for this body to decide' stranger coming into this
chamber would suppose that we had some measure
of slavery; that about to pass judgment upon
question affecting that great Interests that
about to legsate upon the subject in some way that
would affect ii in injurious 10 the rights of those
who own property of this description Now, think that
whoever has listened to the reading Of this BILL must
be satisfied that there is such thing contained in
it. If understand it, it proposes nothing which has
any special reference, under any construction that can
be given TO il, to that particular description OF prop
erty We have laws which make municipal corpora
tons liable for damage resulting from violence done
to property by popular tumuts, where such corpo-
ration is remiss in its duty in enforcing order and
obedience to the law II understand the proposition of
the honorable senator from New Hampshire, he intends
nothing than TO give security to property He pro-
poses nothing beyond this. This is the whole matter
under consideration But gentlemen say this is un.
proptous moment to introduce question of this sorts
and why unpropitious! Because, If understand them
rightly and learn the fact for the first timea mob has
assaied the Office of newspaper in this city, and has
rendered il uninhabtabe. Well how does this connect
itself with the question of slavery Why it is said that
from this office newspaper issues which is called an
abolition paper Suppose all this to be true, it is added
by the senator from New Hampshire that this paper is
conducted in temperate manner; that it employs TEN
perate language, addressing itself to the and
plant has been made against it by the public. Well,
how far this mobocratic action is to be attributed to
another event which has happened in this District is not
for to say. Some gentlemen suppose that il
has some connection with it. If has, am unable to
see it. The senator from New Hampshire then intro
duces measure, and proposes to make the corporation
liable for the damages committed in they refuse to
do their duty and enforce the law. Well such law
lists in many OF the States But is said that this is
very peculiar state of things. Here abolition
press at work in this building: Let me ask gentlemen
whether in other words they propose to take away from
1t its reedem II seems to me that might learn les
son, ii we would, from what is going the other
side OF the Atlantic The agitation of this question