The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-28
THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
WEDNESDAY,, March ~, 1850.
sENATE.


fore him now a speech delivered by MIR. Buchanan
in the Senate on the ratification OF treaty with
Great Britain wherein he said that the whole world
was leagued against the South, and that the best
defenders of the constitutional rights Of the South
the northern Democrats. In his State, Penn
sylvania hostility to abolition inscribed the
banners Of the party. I'm, This extract: sad Mr.;
country could judge how far II sustained the alic-
CATION made.
Mr.. KING said that he saw nothing in the
tract Just read from the speech of MIR. Buchanan,
at all Inconsistent with the uniform doctrines and
expressions of that gentleman MIR. Buchanan,
In various speeches, had taken the position, that
the northern Democrats were more reliable friends
of the constitutional rights Of the South than the
northern men who did not belong to that party.
That the northern democracy were the best friends
OF strict adherence to the Constitution, and con-
sequently the best friends OF the rights OF the SOUTH
for those rights of the South ask other protection
than the involabilty of the Constitution. This was
very different from the sentiment attributed TO him
by the Senator from New Hampshire, (Mr. HALE,)
that the natural allies of slavery were the northern
Democracy. He thought the Senator should say
now, Mt once, that he mistaken in imputing
any such sentiment TO MIR. Buchanan.
Mr.. HALE said that he had read the extract, and
that and the imputed remark would 60 before the
country together, and their difference identity
would be judged by the people.
The subject then dropped.
Private petitions were presented by Messrs. Ar
GIBSON, WALKgR, MANGua, DAWSON, and WHIT
come
COMMITTEE on FOREIGN RELATIONS.
Mr.. BENTON asked the favor Of the Senate that
lie be excused from further service on the Commit
Gee on Foreign Relations And the question being
taken, the request was granted.
Mr.. KING said that he regretted very much that
the Senator should have thought fit to make the
quest. But it had been made, he moved that
the Vice President appoint Senator to fill the va
cancy in the committee. And the motion was
adopted.
THE REPORTS OF Yesterdays PROCEEDINGS.
he ired N all he atfep
ton of the Senate to what appeared in this morn
ing,s National Tnteliigsncer. of the papers in
which the official reports of the Senate's proceedings
and debates are published. IL purports to be an
account Of what was said in the Senate on yester-
day. So far it purported to give what he said it
correct; 30 far as what was said by another it
incorrect.
He was ready to say, as Senators well knew. that
it the undoubted right of every Senator to re-
wise his speeches. his right to improve its style, and
10 improve the argument, when there was argu.
ment to be improved! But when the speech was Of
q different nature-when it was of a personal char
acter-there could be no changing, no alteration Of
words. Parliamentary law forbade it-he would not
say the law of honor-but the law of civilized man
for babe it.
Yesterday, after the scene was over, reporter
for one of the papers came to him. with the notes OF
refused to revise them; be refused even to read
them or TO look at them. He expected the reporter
had noted what he said correctly, and he was will
ing to believe they would be reported correctly.
them? Because he did not wish that he should APP
pear to have interfered meddled with the report
of personalities in which he had been party. He
had right to interfere with report Of them be-
fore they appeared Let the reporter set down
what said, and then if they should be reported
incorrectly, they could be corrected in open Senate
but not interfered with, nor altered before they
were published. The correction OF them should be
public correction of public personalities, in the
same public place where they were publicly ut
tered.
IL hoI al. tof h;o
marks when brought to him for correction. He
not only refused to correct il, but refused to
read it. The reporter asked him to fill blank
few words in an unfinished sentence at the com
mencement. He had filed up this blank-that was
all-he had not looked at any more. The report Of
what took place here yesterday, il appears in
Of this morning was, be be deesfedd 1 yng !ss afH
with every feature of lying report in the eye Of
gestio Jais 1t had those venal points about it
which would make it, if sworn to- case Of perjury,
No man has right to alter words used in per-
sonalities The words spoken are to stand, and
they alone are to stand the history of what was
said. There is TO be no changing Of them no sub
stituton of other words for what had been said in
personal debate. Words said rejecting upon the
feelings and characters OF others TO stand and
TO be submitted TO public opinion. There is no
other way; there must be no made up case.
The report in the Intelligence is not the report
taken down by the reporters; he absolved the
porters from all responsibility. The alterations
systematic, and are most evident to any one who
heard what did take place yesterday. In the
report many things that were said omitted and
IL contains many things which were not said. He
would not trouble the Senate by pointing out the
instances; any one could them who could
stomach the perusal of the report He was not go
ing to nauseate the Senate by reading il. MIR. b.
understood to say that the sketch Of the debate
which appeared in the Republic was substantially
correct.
The reporter was not responsible; he had pro-
duced his original notes the report which appears
in the paper a made-up affair.
He said he would read single sentence from the
report in the paper, and meant TO brand il false
before he left the chamber II was as follows
At present he MIR. BESToS) is shielded by his
age, his open dsavowal Of the obligatory force OF
the laws Of honor, and his senatorial privileges"
No such thing said yesterday the report
which says il was said is false. II this were said
il would be false. II was, then, a double false
hood-false in fact, and false that it said.
He was commenting upon the newspaper state
ment, and could not be called 10 order.
Mr.. FOOTE said he hoped the Senator would not
be called 10 order.
Mr.. BENTON continued "shielded by his
age" Let any one, said he, insult him in a place
where he could chastise him for his black guardism,
and he would soon find out whether he was old or
young.
tory force Of the laws OF honor" This, in the
sense intended was false, and false in any and
every sense. He had never made any such disa-
vowal avowal
II was not true that he had made any such
avowal. IL was after thought by him who made
up this report, to shield his own cowardice from
infamy. lie had never made any avowal on tho
subject one way the other.
Shielded "by his senatorial privileges" Hc
claimed no senatorial privilege 10 insult any one
He had never done 90 for the thirty years he had
been in the body. But IL persons began with him
they commenced personalities and pursued him
with provocatons--wbe they once induced him
70 take notice Of them, he would continue TO do 80
ill the matter was settled one way or the other II
the Senate permitted language Of vulgarty 10 be
used with impunty-ifit viii permit language 10
be used in Its presence which would disgrace the
lowest brothel on the Five Points, or the loves,
pot-house in the suburbs Of city--tben he an
nounced that from this time forth he will protect
himself, cost what it may.
The report Of yesterday proceedings is 10 &c
into the Register Of the Debates Of the Senate He
wanted 10 brand il now with the stamp Of false
hood, and would hold himself ready at any and on
all appropriate occasions to prove its falsity.
Mr.. F0OTE said that he wished the Senate 10
remark that the Senator had particularly declared
that IL was the newspapers that he attsc ked, and
not any in the Senate. This not correct