Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-01-03
From ihs Baltimore 4mericaR.s S
Congressional Pro ceedings,s
IpAsuINeToa Dec.23y I84S

a meeting ol Snutheiu NIils'ineis, Nl1s @ otfe'ue,
Two Houses, Elearn ,nok place last even.
inc ,:inabe Senate Chamber, il, reference
lsto Sonihesfnn rights anJsSouiheru in1erests,1
os c6innecie with3 the question Of Slavery.
Ii was iulsuledah besconfined entirely TO
lmembcrs tronsihe slave holding States,
antlreporers and The public were exclu-
ltIed; Ihough h resolution understand, was
adopted, 10 publish The proceedings. eG
ciaiiy, hereafter 80 .
Elk GoVernGf. lIe,calfc. Senator Gom
kentucky, presided, assisted by Senator
Aichinson aud Ex Governor Gayle. a
| Representative from Alabama, as Vice
President. and Mr. Venable. Representar
live from Norib Carolina, as Secretary.
Betwoen sixry and seventy members. OF.
The Two Houses, ! am informed. were
| present.
MI. Bayley Of Virginia offered a series
Of resolutions. | am informed, embracing
essentially, in regard TO the rights Of The
Estates and The powers Of the General
! Government, the principles Of The resnlu-
,ious of 1888 They do not recommend
! resistance. but insist uponaa firm NANTES,
nance rslhe Constitutional rights. of the
South, and asseY the rigllr!ol The people
| OF the States 10 resist. in such manner as
| they may deem proper, any constitutional
! acr Of the General Government in regard
10 the institution Of Slavery. The resolu
lions fnrlhar propose the appointment of5ai
committee to draft an address to The, pen:
pie of the Slave holding States. merely
showing. ms ] am infnr:ned, the progress
of aboliuonism. aud not suggesting any
mode Of remedy, leaving that TO be devised
bv the people Of The States and the State.
legislatures.
These resolutions, Mr.. Stephens Of
Georgia, after some remarks. moved To
refer 10 committee of one incmher from
each of the sIuve;hnlrling Siales, I" report
upon The whole subject involved. at an:
adjourned meeting to be held 18Th Janua-
~ ensuing
An animated debate ensued, in which
Messrs. Bayley, Stephens. Toomhs. Fople,
Pendle,on. Woo~ard. Butler, Tnmpkins.
Chapman. Morse. Holmes, Rusk, Cal ,
huun and Westcpit, and nne or two others,
whose names have not ascertaiued par
Iiicipaled. !;
Mr.. Calhoun, ! understand, approved
of Mr. Bayley's resolutions. ui-coincided
generally ,in,he proprifty of'he rcferegce
proposed by Mr.SSlevens. He made, J.
am assured, ono OF The ablest and mnsl,
eloquent speeches. moderate for him IN /
lone. containing nothing lntcnded. to exeie.
the SouIh, butIittle perhaps calculaled 70
produce such result, and muchsto5nniie.
them in firm and unwaseriirg main.
tenance of their consli,uionasr shlssss,4a !.
The meeting, am informed d:Was Gun:
,ducied will great order and decnrum
throughop,. very little excitement being
smanifested, even the 3.ullraaS beng very
moderate in The expression Of their semi
mems. 49,
ems r 2nsk one of The Senator'S from;
Texas. II presume from the in{prmalions
sstus-
ces, must have expressed The senlimenis
ofthe maturity ofihelmeeling Like those
of Mr.. C CaIhoun, his1ren,arks were lislene1
to with the most profound attention.
He. said thai some seemed 10 think that
the objecrfor whicifitey had assembled
was to inlorm,the people: :ofthe nnwarran--
liable steps taken within hellastlew days,
in deroga,ion of theIrish,s Of ahe?Sou,hern
portion Of The conlederacv. and Of the
rights Of the people ia tie District of Co.
lumhia.
If this were So, The resolutions fell far
sInr, of the object intended. for they did
MOI pretend to sci out The aclion Of the
House of Representatives on these sub
jec,s. A true account of that action was
now travelling through the press to all
parts OF the Union.
lie deemed the ohjectof the meeting 10
be however. to devise some means by
which to check blind and Prejudlced
majority in Congress from IrampIipg upon
the constitution. and Violating The consi-
tuiional rights oil ono half Of. the States Of
this Union.
How. he inquired. was this to he effect
ed Was il to he The act of one. or 'wo'
or any select number Of men? Was il 10
he The act OF one. or few States Was
it to effected by passion. vinlent language,
and precipiiale action? All these. If re.
sorted to, would fail.
|. mist bo effected, hc insisted, by eau
tious, prudent and firm action upon the
porl Of all interested. To lie Of any service
there must he unanmity of feeling and
action, under the guidance of palriotIsm
and not Of passion.
They had just cor,c ou' Of a heated
political contest. in which they had hecn
divided into TWO parties-mutnaI crmlna-
ton and recriminaiion had taken place
no time had elasped in which 10 pour oil
ou tie troubled waters.
He did not wish 10 be understood az
condemnine The resolutions Of Mr. Bayley.
hut he thought j, premature to act upon
them now. The call, even 10 meet. was
not twelve hours old; not more than two.
thirds Of the members from The Southern
States were present, and action, then.
would not only be precipitale, but would
be mre likely to produce division Than
harmony.
lie was therefore obliged to The gentle
man from Georgia, (Mr. Stevens:a for his
motion TO refer these resolutions and ad.
journ until The 18Th January. There was
TO his mind a$manifest impropriety ia mas.