The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-29
Vol. 4.

all, will seek to excite the spirit Of party,
so potent for evil, at crisis like the present.
Suffice il to say, that the war was sanction
ed by the voice Of the nation; that the South
contributed her full proportion Of men and
means for IFS successful prosecution; and BY
every consideration, which can appeal to
the justice and magnanimity Of the North,
she claims an equal participation in the
fruits Of our common struggles. More than
this we do not ask; less than this, nothing
but bad faith and spirit of hostility will
hesitate to grant.
Anxiously concerned as have been, to
settle this dangerous controversy on terms
honorable and Just to every portion OF the
country, my sense Of duty constrains me to
withhold my support from every proposition
which has = YET been rendered by those
who have the control Of il in their own
hands. As to the sos-Gction policy Of the
Presiden1 ] Win sply ~ thsa 4 xysld -
ceive no iavOr from me-, even u II had not
been repud ated by those who brought him
into power. And as there is no likelihood
Of its adoption by the posifire action Of Con
gress, shall pass to the consideration Of
he measure Of adjustment reported by the
Senate Committee OF Thirteen A mea-
sure which, permit me to say, has sum-
moned to its aid an amo-ht Of zeal and in
dustry, both within and without the walls ol
this Capitol totally disproportoned to its
merits, and worthy of better cause. Z
In this connection, Mr.. Chairman, as an
act Of Justice to myself, turn aside for a
moment to animadvert upon the course
which newspaper published in this city
/" The Union"-has thought proper to pur-
sue, in its advocacy Of this measure. do
this with unaffected reluctance, from the
high respect have alwavs entertained tor
the age and experience of its veteran editor,
and fom sincere gratitude tor the distin-
guised services he has, in past times, rem
dered to the cause of popular freedom.
From my earliest boyhood, | have been. ac-
clstomed to draw instruction from his con-
tributions to the stock of public information,
and it is with pain that, upon an issue so
vitally important to the whole country, and
more especially to that which represent in
part, feel it my imperative duty to part
with him. Sir, am not alone in the cours'
pursue; but many, very many of the most
gifted, most true, and patriotic sons OF the
South-botl, in the Senate and House
men distinguished alike for their wisdom in
council and their valor in the field, are with
me, marching under the same banner that
floats, ! fear, over forlorn hope Of the
South, in this dark hour. With them | ex-
pect to stand, despite the Misrepresentation
Of enem es, or the unkindness OF friends.
wish to call the attention of the COM
mittee briefly to an editorial contained in the
number dated June a, 1850, in which am
referred to by name, together with others,
with whom it is my pleasure to co-ope,ate.
The object of the article is to draw paral-
lei between what is familiarity known as he
(" Clayton Compromise" of the last Con-
gress, and the adjustment now proposed by
the Committee Of Thirteen; and at the same
time to exhibit the imputed inconsistency OF
those who voted for the one but, now OPP
pose the other. The article closes with this
paragraphs:
"It is all a mystery-all a mystery-whicf
arrays Southern States right men in the Senate
side by side with Messrs. Hale, Chase, and Sew.
ard, under the lead of Col. Benton, and arrays
Southern States right men in the House of Rep
resentatives by the side Of Root, Wentworth,
Wilmot, and Horace Mann, under the'lead OF
Joshua r. Giddings.'' .....
Sir, that editorial, with at most unklnd
most ungenerous, most illiberal, and most
disngenuous paragraph as penetrated to the
district represent, and been read by the
gen arous constituency who have honored me
with their confidence. My self-respect will
not permit me to pass in silence the inuendd
contained in it; and if the purpose was to
imply any factious purpose on my part, oI
to impute to me any completely, either in
purpose, motive, or design, with those in
whose company, and under whose lead, he
has thought proper to classify me; or If the
design was to refer TO my action to any
thing other than an honest wish to- prote,
toe rights Ct the injured and prescribed South,
repel the insnuation as alike gratultous and
unfounded. And venture to assert further
that he who psnned that offensive article
knew at the time, that therewa no 'mys,
tern" in the seemingly anomalous conJunc,
ton between Southern Shareholders and
Northern Abolitionists IL. knew, as every
one here knows, that they are the antipodes
of each other, and opposed this measure f.om
totally different considerations. .... .a...
Mystery, sir Why, where stands the
vetern editor HIMSELF BY whose side, and
under whose lead, does he march' BY the
side, and under the lead Of him against
whom he has warred for forty years-the
great compromises, who now rejects all com
promise who exhibited himself, even within
the list year, as a practical emanc'pator
seeking to convert slaveholding State tc
the principles Of Abolitionis:n !; and who, at
the very moment that he tenders his plan
of adjustment to the favor of the South
tells her she will be excluded by the law o
Mexico, which he refuses to repeal; anc
calls on God and man to witness that he
will never vote for any measure. which vii
enable the Southern master to carry his slave
on one inch of the territory in dispute b
there no " mystery'' in that' Sir, iseek tt
impute no improper motive to the edlto
or the JTnion. because of his conjgnctloi