Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-08-29


ment. Hence their petition to dissolve
the Union on account Of slavery; hence
their resolutions encouraging the slaves to
rebel, and TO cut the throats Of the women |
and children Of the South, and hence the /
proposition, at the last session Of Congress,
to permit the negroes Of the District Of
Columbia to participate in the decision
whether or not slavery should be abolished
in that District.
Following Immediately upon this pro-
position came that Of Mr.. Colt, intro
duccd for the same purpose, and out Of
which SO much is now attempted to be
made Mr.. Smith did not vote, either for
or against the proposition, and in this
consists the whole OF his offence in the
eyes of those sincere opponents Of s!a-
very, the supporters Of Cass and Van
Buren,!
That our readers may the better under
stand the course pursued by Mr. Smith on
that proposition, we give the whole Of the
preamble and resolution. See Congress
FSOudA NsIoDe page %.
Mr.. GOTT offered the following reso
luton. and demanded the previous qucs-
ton thereon:
Whereas the traffic now prosecuted in
this metropolis Of the Republic in human
beings. as chaiiels, is contrary to natural
justice and the fundamental principles OF
our political system, and is VIGOROUSLY "a
reproach TO our country throughout Chris.
tendon, and serious hinderance to the
progress Of republican liberty among the
nations of the earth: Therefore,
Resoired. That the Committee for the
District OF Columbia be instructed to re-
Por. bill, as soon as practicable. pro-
hibiting the slave trade in said District.
1t vii! not be co,tended that the pre- am
BILE to this resolution was necessary to rem
der the resolution itself more obligatory
II not, why was it placed there! As "a
mere assertion Of what the writer believed
to be true, if nothing good could be ac-
complished, it ought not TO have been there;
there when every man Of common under
standing knew that it would retard the
very object (if sincerely entertained) con-
templated by the resolution itself.
1t will be observed that the mover Of the
resolution, at the time he introduced il,
called the previous question. lie did SO
TO prevent the striking out of the preamble
to force a vote on the preamble and re-
solution as it then stood-Ths was a re-
petition of the base trick that forced mem
hers TO endorse the infamous falschood
that Mexico had commenced the late war,
or TO vote against sending aid TO the gal
liant men under the command of the glori
Gus Old Hero, then in peril in foreign
country.
il was placed there for the very pur-
pose Of defeating the resolution, SO that
all those ia the North who did not vote for
it might be denounced as ORATORS
Regarding i, in tina. light, Mr.. Smith
and several other Northern Wings deter
mined not TO vote OIL the subject.-They
were favorable TO the resolutions, but OPP
posed TO the preamble, as unnecessarily
assailiny the citizens Of one half Of the
States OF the Union, and did not desire TO
endorse it by their votes; nor did they wish
to record their votes against the resolution.
The schemers who attached the pream BILE
10 the resolution knew that such would be
its effect. 1t is not pretended that the
person who introduced it was its sole au-
thor. Although its production did not re-
quire any great degree Of mental exertion,
it is understood that even that little is not
within the province of its putative origina-
tort was the result Of the deliberations
OF such men as Giddings and Hale, who
cunningly devised it for the purpose Of
keeping up an agitation without which
they knew they could not long enjoy poll
teal existence. Immediately upon its
passage, Mr.. Steuart, of Michigan. moved
the reconsideration of the vote. His mo-
iion laid over under the rules of the House.
On the 9th of December it was taken up.
\ motion was made to lay it OH the table.
II did not succeed, the vote being SO ayes
and lO7 nays. See Congressional 6iobe,
cd session 3oth Congress. page 1917
Mr.. Smith and other true friends OF the
resolution voted i'll the negative, because
they desired the reconsideration for the
purpose of striking on, the preamble. The
large negative vote shows conclusively the
opinion of the House in relation to the
preamble, because. had the motion 10 re-
consider been laid on the table, the prean,-
bic and resolution would have remained as
the deliberate opinion Of the House.
The question on the motion Of Mr.. Vim
ton (who had voted for the preamble and
resulution) was postponed for two weeks.
On the 10th of January the motion to lay