The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-03-06
sPEECHE
n. L. sClingman, of N. Carolina,

IN DEEESCE OF THE SOUTH AGAINST TIE AG.
'0REssIvE MofEMEETs or THE NORTH.
Mr.. CETNdMAN said, that the COM
mittee was we'll aware that he had, on
yesterday, iratimated a purpose to dis.
.cuss the questions involved in the prop
.osi.ions relating to the Mexican terrific
sry. That subject was regarded by the
whole country as one of such immense
Importance that he offered no apology
for debating it.. To prevent miscon-
ception, (said .he) say in advance,
that I havfe great confidence in the
judgment, pntegrity, and patriotism of
tho President. / further admit fully
the right tsf the citize,s of each State,
to settle 15r themselves all such domcs.
tic questions as that referred to in the
message. But who arc the people enti-
tied so to decide, as we'll as the time
!, and manner Of admission and boundary
Of new States, are in themselves ques.
tions f,r the judgment Of Congress un-
der ali the circumstances Of each case.
The territory Of Louisiana, our first
foreign acquisition, was rcuined nearly
ten years in that condition before it was
allowed to form State constitution. =
In the case ofTexas her people being
composed almost entirely of citizens Of
the United States, and having had
State government Of their own for ten
YEARS. was admitted at once as a
State into the Union. In the present
case, there are considerations Of the
greatest Importance connected directly
and indirectly with our action on this
subject. While adverting to them, as
fully as the time limited bv our rules
will admit, I ask the attention Of the
House.
With reference to this matter, I was
placed at disadvantage before the
country by q publication made some
time since. lis generally known that
there was. onasthe Saturday evening
!. before the tire for the assembling of
;sth $ House, ; preliminary meeting %
! etssssiiass sssfn ,ss & ess Sss have usa
ally been kept private. Contrary
however, to the former usage in this
4 respect, some individual present furn
ished to one OF tho New York papers
what purported to be report of the
proceedings. This report being in
jj&7some respects authentic, was copied
into other papers. The writer gave
very fully the specchesof those persons
whose views conceded with his own
but, thought he made arcferencc to nv
position, he did not think proper to Sc,
out what I did say, 80 as to make that
position at all understood. 1t will be
remembered by those present on that
occasion, that, at the very outset of my
remarks, stated that had that morn.
ing had q very full and free conference
with the gentleman from Georgia,
EMr. TooMBs,] who had moved the
resolution; that there was, in relation to
the whole subject embraced in it, as
we'll az with reference to the mode of
action proper to be adopted by the
South, an entire agreement between
that gentleman and myself. In fact,
that there was not, as far rs | knew, any
difference Of opinion between us, except
,,as to the expcdicncy ofmaking the issue
at that time, and that I thought it
preferable to await legislative action
and stapd on the defensive purely. -
This, among other reasons then given,
induced me to request the withdrawal
of the resolution. 1t is proper that
should say that, in my interview that
morning with the gentleman from Gcor-
gia, and With his colleague, Mr.. STE.
pHENs,] gave my reasons at length,
founded chiefly on my recent obscrva,
ton Of the state of public sentiment in
the North, for believing that collision
was inevitable, and that the sooner it
.came on the better for all parties; but
that to enable us to make our demon.
stration in the most imposing and sue
.cessful mode, it would be better to await
:, THE organization Of the House. | ex
pressed the fear that if we moved with.
out the concurrence at the outset of a
majority of the Southern members, VIC
might place oursclvcsat disadvantage
before the public, and prevent our uni.
ting the whole South in such course
Of action as it might be found expcdient
to adopt.
Looking over the whole ground, how
ever, am not at all dissatisfied with
the course which things took. There
has been no such division at tho South
as would be at all likely to impair eff
cient action hereafter From the tone
of the southern press, as we'll as from
other indications, it is obvious that the
South will, at an early day, be sutG.
cicntly united TO insure the success of
whasever measures itmay be necessary
to protect ourselves from the
saion menaccd BY the North. AS
cAsnr oe Sr,nnl, a., tLa