The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-20

to assign certain portions to particular classes OF
persons"
Again:
} Gan the power that can be exercised belongs tc
Congress alone Congress has power 10 make al
needfid rules and regulations But the wants Of all
communities are IN legal contemplation the same
The wants of the Territories may be, and in fact
are, just great those Of the States. II seems
TO me, then, Mr.. Chairman. with due Difference
to those who have given the subject greater CON-
sideration than have been able to do, that Con-
gress in egislating for the Territories y con,
trolled only by the Constitution of the United
States. II is equally true, however, that the peo-
pie of the several States are likewise controlled by
this Constitution. Whether acting IN convention
or through their ordinary legislative govern
9 ments, they can do nothing contrary TO IT.
- Congress, then, has the Territory Just such
poloes as lis Legislature iootd hare after a became
a State. Both are controlled by the Constitution
of the United States the supreme law of the land.
! As this Constitution is silent in relation 10 sla
: very, il has been argued on the one hand that
Congress can do nothing 70 exclude il from the
Territory. On the other hand, 1t Is asserted, with
equal confidence, that for the reason there is
no power TO establish the institution. These two
opposite views worthy antagonists. and shall
leave them to contend, not fearing that either will
ever obtain victory over tue other"
| "IF, THEN, CoSGREss POSSESSES GENERAL LEGIs-
! LATIvE POWERS OVER THE TERRIToRIEs, AS CON-
TEND, IT is IDLE TO DEsY THAT SLAVERY MAY
EITHER PERMITTED on FoRRIDDES TO EXIST
THERE"
In another part of my colleagues speech, he gives
uterance to opinions rather contradictory to those
just quoted. The inconsistency is glazing; but 1t
is fairer upon such subject to quote 1t than to
withhold it.:
:" do not pretend that any section OF the Union
can insist fairly that territory should be acquired
| for her benefit. We are doubtless all bound, In
| good faith, 10 adhere to the Constitution and
| Union, with such boundaries it had when we
| became parties to it. But do say, that if the
Government should acquire territory, it takes II
under the Constitution, for the benefit OF all and
decree that any section or its citizens, shall be
excluded from all such territory, would be as
great violation Of the Constitution as the Gov
| eminent could possibly commit Such is substan-
tally this proposed exclusion Of slarey from aH me
. territories hereafter 10 be acquired"
| If the author of this speech means any thing, II
must be this-that after territory is acquired,
Congress possesses general Legislative powers,
and slavery may either be permitted or forbidden
to exist there; but if Congress shall decree that
slavery shall be excluded sfrom all the Territories
hereafter to be acquired" 1t will be as great VIOLA
ton the Government could possibly commit!
Sir, cannot understand how these views can
exist in the same mind at one and the same time.
II looks as if part Of the speech was addressed
to Wing Buncombe and another part to Demo-
cratic Buncombe; one to the eastern Buncombe and
| the other to the western Buncombe.
| It reminds me of verse ! read somewhere in my
youth, made by one just beginning to write verses
and his first should have been his ast-who de-
scribed fight on the water, and wrote
" The stranger and his then storned the boat,
And all at once jumped in and all at once jumped
| And further, upon the constitutional question,
my colleague argued. very properly, that there
could be no difficulty; for, speaking OF the Mis-
souri, compromise, he said
! There was, however, settlement made at
length, upon terms which, though unequal to the
South, not at pariance toiu the spirit Of the
| Constitution"
My colleague is regarded now in some parts of
| the South--evcn in South Carolina-as very sound
upon the slavery question. have been denounced
as unsound for entertaining precisely the same
| opinions my colleague does.
| And upon the general Justice of the duty of the
! General Government to protect slave property, !
desire, in passing, to say, heard with pleasure
the able and statesmanlikc argument OF the gen
tleman from Georgia, MIR. TooMBs, made here
few days ago. II gives Inc more pleasure to add
my feeble tribute of commentator to this speech
though do not agree in all the gentleman said
because the gentleman's opposition to his own
friends, and his course in this House before we
we're organized, met with my decided condem-
nation.
And while this is in mind, l will beg to say one
word TO another gentleman from Georgia, (Mr.
! STEPHENs.)
Before we were organized, that gentleman was
understood TO call down curses on all those who
would not stand up for their section. made al.
lowance for the gentleman's excited feelings, but
heard the remark with pain. had read his elo-
quent speeches with profit and with pleasure, and
had anticipated the pleasure of doing my duty here
under his lead and, when he, and his friends who
acted with him, (Messrs. TooMBs, HILLIARD, and
Others in the southern caucus, voted against Mr.
CALHoUN's Southern address, and did not "stano
up for a section,'' approved their conduct. When
he, and the estmable and highly talented gentle
man, my predecessor, (Mr. DoSNELL,) and 81,
other southern gentlemen were denounced as
traitors for voting TO lay CLAyToS's compromise
bill on the table, i defended their course. And
without having had an opportunity, in the midst Of
professional pursuits, TO examine that BILL l de-
Tended their conduct at home, from my knowledge
of their character, and justified their not standing
! up "for a section" According to Mr. CALHouS's
platform of amending the Constitution, even the
Senator from Mississippi, (Mr. FooTE,) We have
within day two heard, cannot stand up with
/ Mr.. G.. for his section. Our worthy Speaker, in
that southern convention, could not stand up, ac-
cording to the address, for chs section" He
thought the doughfaces had not had justice done
them the address was against the whole North.
The author oft address, who endeavored 70 excite
| the public mind, only recommended 10 the South
"to be united" but has recently, by his ulraism,
4 disunited them, and | should be glad 10 know
which side the Nashville convention will take. And
should be glad TO be informed why those who cen.
sure others for not standing up for a section, did
not vote for southern Speaker, when the contest
was between a northern and southern Speaker But
hope the gentleman from Georgia will come back
and let the whole country have the aid Of his abii
tics; and express now the wish that in my
mind when the gentleman invoked his curses
hope "the accusing spirit blusbed as he gave it in
and the recording angel dropped tear upon the
word, and botted Il out forever"
desire to notice, very briefly, few re
marks Of my colleagues speech, delivered Thu
session. There some portions ofmy colleague
remarks which hope were uttered without due
consideration. He spoke Of collision as inevi
table, and the sooner il comes the better" Wha
kind of collision did Inc mean He made state
ments Of the "existing revenue system operating
hardly the South" How Does he mean thu
Democratic British tariff Of 1876 And yet HI
says Looking, therefore, at all these diferen
elements, in greater increase Of population more
wealth, and less poverty and crime, we have res
son to regard our people as prosperous anC
happy" Then, ! ask, how does the existing
revenue system operate hardly upon us For my
colleague says: Nor Is il true we poorer thar
the North for the saveholding States are muci
richer, in proportion to their population than tn
free"
should be glad TO know what facts has my col
league discovered, 10 cause him To change hi
opinions on the tariff question. In his speech, de
7 livcred this session, he used some phrases that
think have heard from MIR. CALHoUs and Mr.
2 McDuFFIE but, in 1874, my colleague made
. speech, in which he avowed opinions that did hin
: honor.
, have some quotations before me from that speec
which will print.
Extracts from Mr.. CLISGMAs's speech-(Fron
} tho Appendix Congressional Globe, 2sth Congress