Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-12-22

pTOpIldlt 70 inthleblNtS a idFBb " NoiN"S'S
territory which has never cost them a months
service nor a drop of blood, should wish to
take this country and institute a separate and
distinct government over it, as proposed in
this petition. However,I shall cast no re-
Elections upon their motives. They have a
right, if they can, TO get il away from usi--
but it belongs 10 the State Of Texas. we
have an indieputable right to the territory,
which we can never surrender.
Mr.. BENTON. | rise, sir, merely to pro-
test that ] brought in this petition 10 a man
ner which | deemed the most judiclous'.-,
Certainly it was my opinion that 1t wouIa
avoid one single word being said about II OF
this kind. II presents questions when WIN
occupy our consideration, sir, when we arrive
at them. There is no necessity Tor antlcl-
pating their discussion. ] did not even make
a statement of the contents Of the petition,
because that statement could not be better
made than in the document itself. simply
asked to have it read, aud it was read
asked 10 have it printed and referred, not
making one word of remark. All THIS was
! doing lust as little as could be done TO COM
ply with the parliamentary forms, OF gethng
a subject before a legislative body
But it has been assaulted, and eplthe's APP
piled to it. The Senator from South caro-
lima has said it was natural for me TO MINK
of the petition as | did, and for him TO thinK
of it as he did. Sir, the only opinion eX-
pressed about it was, that it was a petition
for The rights of the petit toner's, and respect
fully worded and presented, and that the pc
t~itioners were not subject to the imputation
of insolence; but since the imputation has
been made, and persevtred in, | will say,
that if any part of that paper could be es-
teemed i%nsolent, il must be that which re-
lates to the subject of slavery. If so, | will
say that, perhaps, without knowing II, these
petitioners have used upon this subject the
very words Of the petition of the General
Assembly of Virginia, in their petition TO
George ILL.,, before the breaking out of the
American Revelation and although George
III. did not grant their petition, | never heard
that he said it was i~nsolent IN the General
Assembly to present it.
Mr.. CALHOUN. l made no charge
against tho manner of presenting the memo
rial. My objection was 10 the petition itself.
The Senator sees in that petition no disre-
spect to one half Of the people of this I'm
ion; hut ! see the greatest disrespect. The
Senator endeavors TO assimilate it TO the case
of the petitioners of George III. but they
are antagonistic they bear no comparison.
Sir, We Of the Southern States claim the
right, under the Constitution, to 60 into that
Territory with our property. These memo
~rialists are a conquered people-conquered by
the arms Of the United States, and especial
ly by troops drawn from the Southern States /;
and for them now to turn round and propose
TO exclude us, it is the very height Of inso-
l%ence, if the Senator from Missouri does not
see it.
Mr.. BENTON. | wish 10 know what
the Senator means! will give him time to
reply.
Nh. CALHOUN. My meaning is clear
to every Senator. do not interfere with the
Senator from Missouri. | have stated the
ground upon which | consider the petition
disrespectful. 1t is disrespectful, coming
from a conquered people, and because it in
iringes our constitutional rights. If the
Senator does aot see that there is found ation
for my opinion, it is no fault of mine.
Mr.. BENTON. The term "insolent y
has been applied to those who present this
petition. Sir, deny the imputation. ] as.
sert that only the constitutional rights Of
these people have been represented in this
proceeding. Conquered or unconquered-a
portion of New Mexico or Texas-take them
as you please-l say they have a ~constitu.
tional right to present their petition here
And | say more, sir; | am quite sure tha'
every subject which these memorialists have
presented in that petition is a fair subject TO
legislation, and they have presented them il
> respectful terms. They have done wha
! they had a right 10 do. And | will not hea
= the term "insolent applied to them, whel
. have presented their memorial, withou
saying and repeating, in a manner such a
: shall be heard, that the expression is gratui
c tous and unfounded.
Mr.. CALHOUN. The Senator ought {
understand that | rose TO make a remar
! against the petition itself, not against its re
!" ference or printing, nor the manner of pre-
senling it. l had a right to remark on ever
{ part of that petition. There is nothing ur
parliamentary or unusual in my course. Bu
{ he seems to think that himself and the SEM
= tor from Delaware, Mr.. Clayton, are re
. sponsible for every word and expression tbs
X it contains. That is not my view of it :
all. | did not say the petition was uncor
d slitutional !; for petitions may be presente
here, constitutional or demonstrations bu
] do say the petition undertakes TO exclud
; one-half the Union nearly from territory thi
belongs 10 the States collectively the Cor
; s~titution declares the territories to be the te
ritories of the United Siates-ihe States i
{ their federal capacity. And | say such
petition, coming from a people recently sui
: dued by our arms, and under our control,
insolent; and whether the Senator from Mi.
souri, thinks SO or not, it is to me a matter c
perfect indifference.
Mr.. WESTCOTT. 1t seems to me, MI
President, that the importance of this docu
\ ment presented 10 the Senate, is much over
. rated. Its character is misconceived. | de
: sire, sir, 10 attract the notice of the Senat,
and of the country 10 its true character.
do not intend that, through newspaper re.
ports of what occurs here to-day, the public
mind shall be misled. intend to disabuse
ii in advance of the idea that this petition
speaks, as it %pretends to speak, the voice OF
the seventy five or the hundred thousand
souls it states are in New Mexico. 1t is
J presented here assuming, and it states, thai