Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-02-04
Congressional Proceedings.
WEDNESDAY,. Jan. &c.


WEDNESDAY,, Jan. &c.
SFNATE.--Mr Benton gave notice that he
would tomorrow ask leave to introduce bill to
amend the Goth and 9lst rules of the Articles OF
War.
The Ten Regiment Bill was then taken up,
and Mr. Dix addressed the Senate upon IT, He
raised the old bugbear of European intrigucs in
Mexico, and was in favor Of maintaining our
troops there.
The HOUSE passed the joint resolution from
the Senate, authorizing the erection OF monu-
ment to Washington on the public grounds at
The subject of the reference Of the Presi-
dents Message was resumed in Committee of the
Whole.
Mr. Palfrey addressed the Committee. He
began by referring to the speech delivered here
by a gentleman from North Carolina, (Mr Cling
man, as constituting new era in the discussion
Of this question. lie accepted the omen; and
hailed with satisfaction the time when the sub
ject Of American slavery was to be freely and
finally discussed lie referred also to an article
in the Southern Review which was ms excellent
in temper as it was faacious in argument; and
he was pleased also to learn that it had been
proposed in the South to establish at this place
a journal for the avowed object Of maintaining
the institution of slavery, while paper advocG-
ting the opposite principles was in successful OPP
GRAFTON here. 1t has been said by a member
from Maryland, that this was an improper sub
ject to introduce in our debates, but the question
was brought before the Committee by South
ern man, representing slave State, on the first
day of this discussion. The discussion was
courted by the South.
The slavery question was the great question
OF tie day und had underlain all other political
questions for half century, and terminated in
their solution. He referred to the statement
made By the member from n. c., (AIr Cling
mani of the relative strength of the slave hold
ing and non-slave holding States in Congress,
and pursuing the comparison further stated the
disparity between the number of free white citi-
zens, and the number of slave holders. The
number of the former was fifty to one of the lat
ter.
The concentration of efforts and Of political
views produced by the institution of slavery was
a chief element in the political power and influ-
ence of the South and had enabled the South
for so long a time to monOpolize the Offices of
profit and honor under the Federal Government
The influence of the laws regulating slavery,
he went on 10 argue, restrained the liberty Of the
citizens Of the United StateS. What was the
liberty Of speech or of the press on this subject
in many parts of the Union Free children of
Massachusetts,, men who had as much right rs
the proudest man in the land TO tread the soil of
olina, and scourged, and imprisoned, and sold
into slavery, under the laws of South Carolina,
and an agent sent from Massachusetts, to inquire
whether this was law, was expelled with insults
and threats Of violence.
What could Massachusetts do? She could
not launch ship, nor raise n regiment; for all
that power had been given up to the general
government. Two senators from a State uucon-
sttutionally annexed 10 the Union, decided the
question in favor of destroying the Tariff of
1912. The same principle of supporting and
propagating slavery had placed black page up
on our history-a page of sorrow and Disgrace
by waging war against Mexico.
But the gentleman from n. G. had said that
slavery was natural to man. He Mr. P.) thought
it was in the opinion of those who thought that
might made right. 1t was on the same principle
that the majority of this House could enslavc
the minority. 1t was natural, in the sense that,
according TO a Scotch philosopher, it was natu-
raj for man to 60 on all tours. But liberty,
justice and truth were natural TO men, liz the
same manner that it was natural for men to cal
culate eclipses. Mr. P. alluded to that part of
the speech of the gentleman from North Carroll
ma, which asserts the inferiorily of the blacks
Mr. p combatted the doctrine, and asserted that
emancipated and cultivated slaves had exhibited
great deal of capacity. Frederick Douglass
was an illiterate slave, but now wrote and spoke
with great energy and ability. He denied also
that emancipation had failed in the West Indies
Eight hundred thousand men and women had
been elevated in the scale of moral existence
obtained freedom Of body and SOUL Was that
failure? lie would call it triumphant success
1t was true that the English proprietors did not
obtain so much profit as formerly.
He answered the argument that slavery did
not injure the South, but that emigration injur-
cd it. 1t was slavery that caused the emigra-
ton. The non-slave-holding States suffered less
from emigration because labor in them was hon
orable. The contest was not between the slave
holding and non-slavcholding States, but between
the vast mass of free people and the very small
body Of shareholders. He argued that the fra
mers of the Constitution considered slavery as
an ephemeral theory Gen. Washington GER
tainly thought it was so.
The first abolition society was formed in | 1855.
Franklin and Lafayette were abolitionisis. He
defended the character of the aboliionsts pa
per, and of the political abotionisls or Liberty
party. There were also great number OF men
in the Democratic and Wing party, who were
opposed 10 the extension of slavery. This was
the Massachusetts, doctrine--on this platform he
stood.