Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-02-22
Thursday and Friday, Feb. IA, and Is,

Clay's Resolutions.
Mr.. Davis, of Miss, resumed and CONCLUDED
his remarks, in reply to Mr.. Clay. con,enJne
that slave labor would be necessary ard profa.
Bile in California. lie advocated and defended
the course pursued by the South upon the Sla
very question, and said she would continue in
the path marked out. He denied that she preach
ed dlsuniun, or had threatened any such meas.
ule.
Mr.. Downes next took the floor, when the
further consideration of The subject was post
poned until Monday.
The Senate then resumed the consideration
OF the Presidents Message transmitting the
Constitution Of California.
M. Douglass expressed his willingness TO
assent to proposition to refer the Message.
and all other matters connected with the subject
OF Slavery. to Select Committee
MI Clay would cheerfully vote a reference
OF the Message to the Territorial Committee.
but he submitted that it would not b. right to
combine the admission OF C iliG,rnia with all the
other questions connected with, or growing out
OF the proposition to establish governments in
the territories, and throw the Consideration of
the whole OF them upon one COMMITTEES. He
did not design now to argue the question of the
admission of California, or her boundaries, but
he submitted that Congress ought to decide up
on the question Of admission, one way or the
other at as early day as can be, with due de.
Liberation.
Mr.. Fooie expressed his great surprise at the
remarks OF the Senator from Kentucky the
Senator had excluded himself, according to his
own account from all the world, concocted a
series of resolutions which he presented TO the
Senate in a speech evidently prepared with great
elaboration. and yet now lie resudiated the yery
idea which forwarded his resolutions, ard want
ed to take up one of his propositions, separate
from the series which he had prepared The
Senator had designed 10 settle all the disturb
ing questions connected with the institutions of
Slavery. Mr., Foute made these suggestions
in order TO give Mr., Cay an Opportunity II cX-
plain this apparent inconsistency between his
speech Of the other day, and his present propa-
s,ton. IL then proceeded with Il personal at
tack ny n Mr. Benton, whom he noticed the
other day to go over and ho!d conversation
with Mr. Clay. ile was proceeding with some
alIusion to Mr.. Fremont, as the son.in.law of
Mr.. Benton, when Mr.. Dodg ;, of Iowa, called
him to order.
Mr.: Benton turning to Mr.. Dodge, said
By of you to let him 70 or.
The Vice president directed Mr.. Foote to take
his seat.
MI. Dodge said he had called Mr. Foote to
order because he had denounced the PROPOSE. |
ton to admit California as Il scheme. For one,
he approved Of it; would vote for IT. and call |
ed upon the Chair TO protect the friends Of the |
measure from an aspersiun Of their motives.
Mr.Foote discamed any intention of impug-
nlrg the motives Of the friends o. the measure
Mr.. Clay said there was nothing novel in the
snpposlon that he was IN favor Of the adm>-
sion OF Cn!ltbrua into III Cni0n. The Sana-
Tor from NJ s'isSipp bad charged him with ncon-
sIstencv III having, as lie asserted, changed his |
course npon certain question. If disposed to |
reta'ia upHA that Senator, he might say that
By his own confession lie hat himself been in
consistent, having changed his opinion upon the
same subject. lie hal just said that year ago,
when California had no Constitution, he was in
favor OF admission into the Union; whereas now
he opposed the same measure when she appears
here with Constitution. in the same manner
that Florida, Louisiana, and other 5 aleS had |
represented themselves.
Mr.. Fooe nlerposing, inquired whether the
Senator, coming as ne did. from slavehodny
State, felt himself authorized to vote for the ad-
mission of California az she now presents her
self!
Mr. Clay replied, with much warmth that it
was not the first time that he had been remind
ed that he represented slaveholdng consttu-
ency. Sir, (re said) | tell the gentlemen that
know whence came know my duty also,
aad am ready to meet any responsibility which
my course may incur. (Applause.) Much had
been said about allegiance to the South, and
neglect of, and treason to, her interest. For
one he knew no allegiance 10 the South, as IL
section,-le owed allegiance to two sovereign.
ties ;-onc the sovereignty of the Union, and
the other the sovereignty Of the State o: Ken
lucky. To these sovereigntcs he acknowledged |
allegiance, and to their interests he felt himself
pledged; bntif gentlemen supposed that lie ac-
knowedged any allegiance to IA Southern con-
iederacy now, or in the prospective, he would
tell them that he utterly rcpudiated such allegi-
ance-he would not live under such conled-
Grafton, (Applause.) His duty to the Union,
and to his State, he was prepared to do at all
times,and having performed that TO the best of his
ability, according TO the light that was given
him, he was prepared TO sustain all the respon-
slblIities which attached to his acts. lie would
say further that he received last night, resou-
TORS passed by the Legislature Of Kentucky,
one OF which expressed the hearty concurrence
of that body, in the whole series of propositions
which he had submitted to the Senate. The
resolution had been passed without word of
animation, on his behalf-for he had not writ
ten single line to any officer or member Of his
Legislature SINCE the coWmencement of the ses-
fslon. lie begged hat gentlemen would, in the
continuation of the debate, restrict themselves
within the limits Of Senatorial decorum, avoid
ing all personalities. For one, if the contrary
practice was to be continued, and offensive per-
sOnaliiies were to be INDUCED in, he did not
and could not. know how far he mi ght be able
to trust hipself in yndcatiqn of himself from
the personalities of any man, no matter who he
might be. But lie had risen to vindicate him I
sell from tho charge ofnconsisency, and desir- {
ed now to say that he bad designed, in the
event of The Senatv's acting aflimativey upon
lhls resolutions, 10 propose separation or clas-
1fcation of ihe various subjects embraced, for ,
|the purpose of giving each its appropriate and {
separate reference.
HOUSE OF REPREsENrATGvEs.-M Mr. Peck {
moved 10 reconsider the vote by which the reso-
luton giving the Supreme Court an inveslgat-
ing CLERK was passed which prevailed, and the 1
resolution was laid on the table, I
MIR. filIllard resumed his speech, which was !
commenced las, Tuesday. lie treated slavery
not as moral, but political question. He was ,
unwilling to admit California, unless the other /
nestlons be settled. His mode Of settlement
las thls-he preferred the Missouri compro- ,
fse line there was "A moral nOWpr alta chad 10 q,