Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-09-21


urb improperly existing relations If then meets my judg
ment viii certsiny vote for it, believe that public sen-
ment requires some legislation upon the subject and that
jndconsy framed will conduce to the interests Of North
South, East and West 1t will give to the institution the
rights that belong to it and these wish adequately
protected As to abolishng slavery in the District repeat
my Judgment is not to be thought Of tolerated under
society is organized as at present.
Mr. WINTHROP. perceive, Mr.. President, that my
use of he1word ndiscet Yesterday in relation to the
amendmenf proposed by the Senator from New York, (
Sew AID, yhas ranked little in his bosom Sir, would
willingly retract that word. would willingly acknowledge
that whseyer the Senator does wises vtuouses dis
creeest best Bumy difficulty in doing so at this moment
10 in the fact That the honorable Senator himself has formally
admitted the charge He has first pleaded guilty, and then
has gone INTO an argument to prove his innocence The
Senator rose this morning and asked leave Of the
Senate to do what Why, sr withdraw his amendment,
was out OF me because unreasonable be-
he desired do that to-day which Idesred do yester
days ove an opportunity for passing the main body of this bill
the two original sections of the bbefoe he insisted on
pressing amendment which he knew embarass, if
not defeat ih passage Well sir, regretted exceedingly
that the Senator was not allowed withdraw his amendment
with rce liz I, and had asked leave Withdraw IL but the
yeas and nays having been ordered and obec
tons being msde the Senator compelled to leave it
where And now, forsooth, is this settled,
than he proceeds argue that entirely season,
trely suitable that there objection to at this time
or any other time, and that in using the word "indis
yesterday, quite overstepped the propees OF the
occasion Nay, more, sir the honorable Senator,
what sung apparently BY my application Of this phrase
which certainly regret if it gave him oenceproceeds to
argue by way Of retaliation that am in favor Of this bill
stands your table in quasi committee He charges that
was opposed his bill being substituted for the original
bill, with view Of saving the bill as it stands in COM
mttee, not yet reported to the Senate
i Now, s might well charge the honorable Senator
with want Of generosity, with want of candor, with
want of iusice towards on this point. That Senator
both the amendments of the Senator from Maryland (Mr
PEARcE That Senator knows perfectly well that through
out my whole course in Congress, in either wing of the
CAPITOL have beef uniformly opposed all provisions Of
law like that contained in the last and most obnoxious Of
these amendments That Senator knows perfectly well that
the original bill reported by the distinguished Senator
from kentucky, which intend to support, and which de-
to save, BY opposing the unreasonable and nudicious
amendment which he has thought proper TO propose Sir,
shall not yield the Senator himself in the earnestness Of
my opposition to The amendments which have been adopted
committee on mdion Of the Senator from Maryland; and
have been anxossy waiting opportuniy-he only op-
portuny which an be fairly afforded-when those amend
shall be reted to the Senate to make that opposition
again manifest.
AS however, acomparison of the whole bill with the sub
stue which has een offered by the Senator from New FORK
now the legitimate subject Of consideration, suppose
may be allowed I'd say word two those amendments
Certainly, sir all opposed the bill stands upon
your table, if tho amendments TO be persisted in re-
the amendment which authorizes the corporations OF
4
ton county to prescribe exile and drive Of their repec
tive jurisdictions certain class of reemenfor they are
called freemen in the bill selfas utterly unconstitutional,
and utterly unjuifabe. Why sir these amendments are
of nature change the whole character Of the and
this BILL in the form in which il stands your table at this
moment liable to be made the instrument Of policy as
odious and oppressive the very traffic which It originally
proposed suppress Instead Of being bill to abolish the
in slaves it seems rather about to be made bo create
aac in feemen for you allow the two city governments TO
what To remove, to exile, to drive out from their
specve jurisdictions any free coored persons whom they
shall not think fit to have among them and in case any such
persons should exactly comply with certain laws
aons which may be prescribed the subject Of their resi-
dence or removal you authorize these authorities to mprson
them at labor And all this the mere ground OF their color
all this on Of their compexions Why, the very
% the very depot which has been rendered 50 odons b ns
domestic traffic in slaves which the Senator from Kentucky
to Suppress may be used for mprisoning these free
negroes and turning them into virtual slaves BY making them
work the public service against their will and for no fau
but that of their skins therefore cordially unse win
the Senator from New York in his opposition to that part Of
the bill, and shs gladly cooperate with him IN striking 1t
out But his amendment goes further proposes TO strike
out the whole bill Hproposes to strike out the two original
sections by which, and ny which aone the slave trade can
be abolished repeat again. that the Senator in this case
risks the substance for the purpose of signalling himself in
vain attempt to grasp the shadow He knows that at the
present session of Congress no bill like that which ne pro-
can possibly be passed through the two Houses BUT
sir even If it should be passed. what would be the result
Wby if the people Of this Dstrctas in my judgment, am
sorrv 70 cav think they woud-shoud that slavery
shonld not be abolished this District six months notice,
and the precise terms which the Senator proposes then
what becomes Of the bill for suppessng the slave trade
The Senator pes upon the vote Of the people OF this Dis
trict the whole question at ISSUE the people shall declare
against emancipation, then we are neither to have slavery
abolished nor the slave trade suppressed Sir, tor enc,
cannot consent to such policy. The Senator may feel ust
ed IN declaring that slavery shall not be abolished here
unless the people Of the District say But can 60
with him in no course which leaves the suppression Of the
slave trade in any degree contingent upon popular VOTE
/ Mr.. President would gladly do every thing in my
power 10 promote the interests and true welfare OF the District
of Columbia desire for the two original sections
reported by the Senator from Kentucky desire to save
those sections possible by voting against all other matters
which NAV interfere with and embanass their passage But
Ii canno, violate great principle. cannot establish what
hold n be an unconstitutional discrimination between differ
ant classes of American eemen order to subseIve mere
ocal As to the difficulty which has been sug-
oesed with regard the influx Of free negroes into this Dis
trc why you have the of dealing with them as
Won have with all other persons who come here they
vicious disordey and oou they have been represent
ed be- you have all the moral and legal remedies at
command against vice. disorder and rioousness If they
are vagrans you restrain them they are paupers you
can put them labor II they guilty Of breaches OF the
peace or crime Of any kind you arrest them on pro-
rer evidence and mprison them due conviction in your
ais and penitentaies You have your workhouses for
them by day, and your houses for them by night
And you have ought have the better security Of schools
and churches for their reformation andmprovement What
ever you can do for Others you do for them And s
should like to ask what clause there in the constitution
and what authority there TO be found any where for max
ing distinctions between class Of eemen and another class
of freemen in this country It has been repeatedly asked
here where we get authority for discriminating between dl-
ren classes of property, between slave property and other