Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-04-15
DEBATE
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
MONDAY. April 10. 1913.

Senate rendering the congpions Of the American TO the
French people
Mr.. AsHMUN said. When resolutions presen ted to
this House days this subject by the gentle
man from Ohio (Mr. CumMIss that gentleman stated that
the resolutions drawn by himself They not from
standing committee of this House, fact which had elected
ed remarks from the gentleman from Virginia, MR.
BAYLYl-and he (Mr. A. was induced to move amend-
rnent Now these resolutions come the House differ
en form. They come from the Senate another branch of
this Governments and they ale not therefore, subject TO the
criticism which the gentlemen from virginia (Mr BArLr)
made those of the gentleman from Ohio lMr CuMMISsl
days ago. They stand in different position, and
they here entitled to more respectful consideration
On previous occasion which he had referred the rcsolu
lions came neither from the Senate from The Executive nor
were they based any Executive resage yet had they
had me ccdsraon Of sasspg col Of tais Louise
and, consequently they wtfr S e d eonsid-
Grafton that the resolutions now .the House en
tied to- With these views he had moved the amendment
which bad brought down upon him the remarks and dennn-
citation of several gentlemen onth floor But for the course
which gentlemen had taken in those remarks ne should have
been silent He should have been content to have had the
taken his amendment the proposition to refer
them the Committee Foreign Relations that that
mittee might report them back in such form hey in their
Judgment might think proper But he free to that he
deemed those resolutions they presented this House,
premature. There that would more
oce than himself to republican form government con-
sodated in France. No this floor would more gladly
mingle his with others congratulations, he could
France maintain her rights and not France alone but all
the peopeof Europe. He should rejoice civil liberty
prevail throughout the whole world and when by their
eons the oppressed throughout the wod shall have achev
ed their liberties and asserted their rights he should be ready
join with the foremost in the expression OF their consrau
aons But he confessed that he objected to the resolutions
of the gentleman from Ohio the other day and he hestaed
to in the proceedings contemplated this day. because
France has yet achieved republican liberty They had
been told that republican government had been formed In
France that had been already achieved and was now ex
sng The President Of the United States in his to
Congress had announced this fact, that France had been
suddenly transformed into republic The President must
have singular ideas Of what constitutes Republican Govern
ment Indeed his conduct the Executive of our unon
in his frequent usurpaon opowe room TO doubt whether
he well understood the true spirit OF repubcansm But how
the present Government Of France established Where
the charter of that Government Where its ccn
tuition Every body who had read the proceedings IN France
knew that the present Government formed by the intro
ducon Of mob into the Chamber of Deputies In the midst
of turbulence soldier took bayonet and, piercing piece
of paper with upon it, held up, and with Shout
the that paper proclaimed to be the Govern
ment Such the history of the transaction That was
the charter Of France the present moment Ii was bay
onet Government II not Government established by
the exercise of constitutional liberty The Of France
exercised by few gentlemen but where the char
70 limit their power 1t did exist On the contrary,
the papers of this morning brought the intelligence docu
ment issued by the Minister OF the Interior that those few
individuals sovereign and independent and that their
discretion the limit OF their power In such case,
them might not be that the power which constituted
them the Government of France might turn them out and put
others in their place He Denied then, that France had
achieved republican ibeTsy II nothing less than
btray desposm present 1t true that yesterday Sun
day. the 9th of April appointed for the election of nine
hundred French delegates and, if they have succeeded
may look forward the organization of National Legisla
but until that has been done, he confessed that nd
ydually, he had sanguine hopes of the result.
At the head Of the present Government of France there
gentleman Of the highest character and the greatest pu
ty but there others that he feared He was therefore,
induced pause If France shall establish for herself
stuona republic he should greatly rejoice, and he should
be willing this House recognising government by
which the inalienatle rights Of maintained He
understood say though throughout his remarks he
very mpeectly heard, that in the altered circumstances in
which these resolutions before Them he should vote for
them without renewing the amendment he submitted 10 the
resolutions of the gentleman from Ohio Mr. CuNNISs
for he ready admit that he wished resolutions Of
this kind not only cheeruly but unanimously adopted He,
however should avail himself of this opportunity TO make
remarks in reply to the attacks which his amendment
had brought down upon him from the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr BArLr) and others France, the ncpent stages Of
her government had given hope that she would
emancpae the slaves her colonies and that there would
be there slavery involuntary servude, except for
crime. For congtatuatng France that suspicious
ment he had been most unsparingy denounced First how
the indignation OF the gentleman from Virginia MIR.
BATLT) poured upon the gentleman from Ohio Mr.
GIDDINGs but il afterwards transferred to himself and
he with pleasure accepted IT, and promised that be should not
return in the temper although he should speak with
the perfect freedom He claimed live under repub
can Government, where all entitled to equal privileges
and equal rights and member of this House he claimed
the right freely to discuss any topic that egiimaey
within their action, and the gentleman from Virginia greatly
mook his character if he supposed that either denunciaon
abuse could deter him from the exercise Of his rights
He sympathzed with the downrodden humanity Of France,
and the expression Of his sympathy the exercise Of egi
innate right when such resolutions before this body
Why, the resolutions of the gentleman from Ohio (r Cum
MINs might be supposed TO contemplate the precise object
which he had in view in preparing his amendment The gen.
teman from Ohio his third resolution expressed the hope that
the downodden humanity Of France might succeed in break
ing down all forms Of tyranny and oppression; and what
that but prayer that slavery shall Did the gentle
from Ohio, the gentleman from Virginia, any other
gentleman that the 300 900 slaves that in the French
West India Islands down-odden humanity If
those gentleman did deny H. he would sk their attention
description given of it by gentleman who now held high
position in the Goyernment OF France He desired them
TO listen what NJ Lamane, the French Minister OF For
egn Affairs had said Of in wellknown book which he
had published
Mr. AsHaUS here read the following extract from work
of NJ. de Lamartinc entitled History Of the Grondists"
vol. l. p. 3l2;
q San Domingo, the richest Of the French colonies,
swimming in blood France punished for its cgotism.
The Constituent Assembly had proclaimed IN principle the
liberty Of the blacks. but in fact slavery still existed Two
hundred thousand slaves human cattle thou
sands OF colonss They bought and od and and
mamed as II they inanimate objects They kept
by speculation out Of the civil law Of the law.
Property, family marriage, all forbidden to them Care
taken 10 degrade hs brucs unions furtive
favored by cnpdiy formed amongst them the wife
aud children belonged TO the They were sold
ratey without any regard tbs ties nature all the attach
ents with which God has formed the chain OF human ympa-
ties, we're rent asunder without commiseration."