The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-05-24

hold high council for the preservation OF the South ana
OF The whole republic. predict that Recommendation
the least obstacle to an equitable adjustment Of all pend
ing questions venture to prophesy advance that all
the deliberations Of the body will Be characterized BY
nexble devotion to southern rights sincere regard for
the union OF these Stes and anxious desire to aid the
houses q y ssons as blessings opsass
which alone are now wanting to make US the happiest
people tsat a. 4 the q ss,, Sun ever shone upon.
Mississippi has totally misunderstood what said and
must ask the indulgence OF the Senate correct him
But before proceed let ask for what purpose has the
e the constitution which somebody going propose
Nashville! Who here has proposed such amendments Z
Who Is there here that has not expressly repudated the
idea OF them Was intended to intimate that some OF
US were n favor of amendments the constitutions not
withstanding our public declarations to the contrary
seeking something which be calls trcasonable Sir The
senator from Mississippi has right give utterance to
any ntmations OF this character. So Tar as am
ce,nsd have expressly W denied any purpose Of seeking
| Mr.. FOOTE ! intended to make no such charges
against AIN n The T%TMs honNTsbe Tsas senator
point to the last half hour Of the speech Of the honora
Mr., FooTE II the senator will allow me. will
state that did not intend to charge honorable senators
with any such intention. But meant TO say that II any
such views entertained by others-and that they
were,l had no doubt from publications which | had
seensin my opinion they would never be accomplished
considered for the purpose Of showing what il was
practicable 70 obtain for the South and what il was not
MI. CLEMENS Very well |; with that have nothing
to do Mr. President, the senator has seized upon an
msh h into il ssg the 70
dorsed on it. passed the House Of Representatives jan
uary 49, is47 and accordingly took i for granted that
tor will certainly recoiec That distinctly stated al The
time that did moi produce the provso for the purpose Of
charging him with Inconsistency not for the purpose OF
showing that he supported it, but for the express purpose
Of showing that the proposition was nothing new 90
stated at the time 10 language plain it possible
10 Although the senator did not read former
speech OF mne as he has said yet he did read that
He had the opportunity Of knowing that had explicitly
stated that my sole object in reading that proviso
Mr.. FOOTE. The honorable senator says he knows
read his speech. How does he know il I
Mr.. CLEMENS. know it, because handed il to
the opportunity, and, If he did not choose to avail him
self Of IT. the iault his He ought to have read it
before undertaking reply =
Judge and jury, and have aTaigned him for trial.
and intmaes q hope that will not hang him.
Mo- seh M as M ays sea sH @
do not expect to be his executoner The senator from
New Hampshire mr. HALEl has. think. prescriptive
right to perform that Office its performance should ever
be required. [Laughterl
Again. sir. the senator has said that propose to try
him by my speech. Now, made no such proposition
gressiona recod-by speeches which he had not only
deliberately made but which he revised
and corrected is true that did read extract from
speech OF mine TO show that the senator endorsed it. and
also TO show the strongest language had ever used The
senator expressed astonshment that had such
i vivid recollection of my own remarks.
All, Mr. President. have recollectsd more than that
have recoected the speeches Of the senator from Mis-
sssippi, and doubt very much whether anybody else in
this country did do recollect what have said.
because not in the habit OF giving utteance to
timents which have not well considered The senator
says he approves all he has ever said this subject
han 4 aefran IN ma hotv ho hta
compromise which he now 90 earnestly advocates. II
strange TO that although he has declared that the
admission Of California would be worse than the Wmot
Proyiso itself, he can yet approve of that admission
These things cannot comprehend The says
have charged him with supporting this administration
made no such charge. charged him. however, with
supporting this particular measure OF the administration,
or rather with advocating doctrine which led directly to
the conclusion that the President could not do anything
else than that which he has DONE did say that he
was supporting this administration, but did say that II
essie for the Territories was corpect the
could have done nothing else bat recommend 10 Congress
not to take any action the subjectthat the Pres
dent agreed with him that Congress had constitutional
power egsate for the Territories, il the
duty of the Executive recommend TO Congress not to
interfere said to that extent and to that extent alone,
from Kentucky MR. CLArl opposing IL. 1 did not say
that he the supporter and the senator from Kentucky
the assailant OF the administration ALI my remarks ap-
/ piled TO one measure, and one only
The senator says he will not suspect the propriety of
his until he finds himself in company with free
soilers and abotionsts All, sir, is that the rule by
which he judges OF right and wrong Does he propose
10 inquire who is for measure, and who against 1t, be-
fore making up his mind to its justice Sir, he ought
to bear mind that some OF those with whom he is
acting not altogether free from the taint II
may well be that the final vote shall find myself in
company with some OF those he has mentioned but il
he does not understand the reason, explain il to
him in a very few words They demand the Wilmot Pro-
viso direct the bill the senator favo only proposes to
give il TO them coverily. They demand one.half Of
Texas; the bill only gives them little more than
third They demand that fugves shall not be given
up; the compromise only throws around the the
shackles of trial by jury. Hence their opposition.
Mine arises from the fact that too much is conceded
The abolihoniss propose 10 ensIave at once; the
compromise arrives at the end by circuitous
route shall resist both but il the truth must be told
| | prefer the direct TO the indirect attack.
Again, the senator from Mississippi arraigns me for a
declaration which made the early part Of the session.
most unfairly and most unjustly, Think. He says
denounced the whole northern democracy being inm-
ical to the South. Sir the senator cannot have for.
gotten that interrupted in the middle of that
speech he cannot have forgotten that 1t partly al
his own instance 1 concluded not to 90 on with
il. He cannot therefore, say how far | intended to
charge the whole North. He cannot have forgotten
these things; and think il s manifesting proper
sense OF fairness to araign me for sin which at best
was only half committed.
But, sir, the most singular part Of the remarks with
which we have Just been favored BY the senator from
Mississippi is the declaration that this northern COM
promise northern compromise What northern man
| has proposed a compromise What northern man has
submitted q resolution here, or anything in tangible
forrn -rh;ch could he termed n conpomse Sir. the