The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-24

have understood II. when we compare
the oral account of the negotiation, given
in the House, with the written instrument
as produced by the parties, we think that
one of them may have good reason to
exclaim with MAMMoN in the .4lchemiSt:
80 yes, but forgot. have believe it,
One of the treacherousest memories, / do think,
OF all mankind! 20
Let US look then at the tripartite bar
gain of Mr.. Brown, the Free -Soilers, and
the Soi-disant Democracy, in the light of
the various accounts that have been given
of it by Mr.. Brown. First we have Mr..
Browns version of what transpired in the
interview with KING and WILMoT, given
to Mr.. MCMULLEN, of Virginia. Itseems
that Mr.. MCMULLEN had heard on Tues
day night of the reported negotiations be-
tween Mr. Brown and the Free-Soilers,
and called upon the gentleman from In
diana in regard to them. From the report
of Mr.. McMULLEN's speech in the House,
on the day of the explosion, we cite the
account which Mr.. Brown had given to
him of the " transaction"
/. McMuLLEs ON THE BRowN PLOT.
sAnxious as he was to organize, he had his fears
as to the gentleman from Indiana. Last night
Madam Rumor mentioned the intelligence to-day
communicated to the House. He claimed it to be
his privilege to interrogate the gentleman, and
know from him his position. called, said Mr..
McMuLLEN, upon the gentleman from Indiana
this morning, not feeling quite satisfied in my
own mind as to his views upon the great question
which agitates the country; and told him that it
was rumored, and that he was charged with hav-
ing given pledge to the Free-Soil party of the
Housc4n relation to the organization Of the COM
mittees, and thatwe wanted to know lit were true
He stated TO me that no one had called on him upon
the subject, and that he had made pledge TO them
or of any kind, ercept that he had said that, in
constituting the Committees Territories and
Committee the District Of Columbia, he lcould
place the gentlemen Of this House tuhere he thought
they should be placed, and that he irould be gov-
erned in regard to the selection Of the committees
by the standing and ability Of gentlemen. | told
him that was pleased to hear this, and then
asked him if he had given pledge to the Free
Sellers that they should be placed on the commit
tees named; he answered no. left him satisfied
that could vote for him. | told my colleague,
Judge BAYLy, that he need not have any fear of
the gentleman from Indiana having made any
such pledge as he had been charged with MAX
ing. regret the necessity for my having felt com
PEELED by what had taken place to make this state
ment. / regret that have been thus called out to
state this conversation; but justice to my col
league and myself and desire that the whole
matter might be known, has induced me to occu-
he Of Inc lnnr
In this version of the affair, it will be
seen that MIR. BRowN assured the gentle
man from Virginia, that he had made no
pledge to the Free Sellers, and that he had
said that, in constituting these commit
tees, he would place gentlemen "where
he thought they should be placed" and
that he would be governed "by the stand
ing and ability of gentlemen" This, it
will be observed, was on Wednesday
morning, and the letter to WILMoT was
written on the Monday previous. At the
time of making this statement to Mr..
McMULLEN, then, he had made pledge
in writing that he would make commit
tees satisfactory to Mr.. WILMoT and his
friends, thereby meaning Mr.. ALLEN, Mr..
GIDDINGs. and gentlemen of that kidney.
He furthermore had pledged himself to
opposition to the extension of slavery,
and to the opinion that the Federal Gov
eminent should be relieved from all re-
sponsibility of slavery where they have
the constitutional power to abolish It.
Having presented Mr.. BRowN's story
of the negotiation to Mr.. McMULLEN, we
shall next give Mr. BRowN's account of
the matter to General BAYLY, on the floor
of the House. This was prior in time to
Mr. McMULLEN's development, but SUBJ
sequent to the statement to Mr.. McMUL-
LEN.
H. THE FIRST BRowS-BAyLy VERSION or THE PLOT.
From the Union.
"Mr. ASHMUN. Will the gentleman from
Virginia allow me TO put a question to him
"Mr. BAYLY. Certainly.
MIR. ASHMUN. Has not a correspondence
taken place between the member from Indiana
| (Mr. BRowS) and some member Of the Free-Soil
party, in which he has pledged himself to const
tute the committees in a manner satisfactory to
tbeml
"Mr. BAyLY. ! know Of no such correspond
ence IL the gentleman authorized to say that
there has been such an one II so, what il his
authority
! mir. ASHMUN. Common rumor.
Mr. BAYLY. And does not the gentleman
{ know that common rumor is a common liar ?
Turning to Mr.. BRowS, he said, Has any such
correspondence taken placer
Mr.. BRowN SHOOK HIS HEAD.
| Mr.. BAYLY continued ! am authorized 10 say
hat no sueh correspondence has taken place. Docs
the gentleman infer that there has been under
standing between this side Of the House and the
Free Sellers from the fact that some Of them have
voted with us, If so, what be more unfair, The
House is in a condition in which it il impossible
for it to be organized Unless they with one Of
the great parties composing il. Great complaint
has been made throughout the country, and justly,
that we did not organize, thus implying that they
ought 10 vote with one or the other Of the great