The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-05

The question being then taken upon the resolution as
modified il adopted.

The question being then taken upon the resolution
modified, II was adopted
\ PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR
! On motion by Mr.. FOOTE. and by unanimous consent
the ladies were admitted upon the floor OF the Senate
j ORDER OF THE DAY-sLAvERY.
On motion by Mr. BUTLER the Senate resumed the
consideration OF the resolutions proposed by Mr. CLAY
for the settlement OF the various questions in controversy
between the States OF the Union, arising out OF the lns-
Mr.. CALHo6N rose and said Indisposed as | have
been. senator's have felt It my duty TO express my opn
ions upon the great question which has agllaed the
country and occupied your attention. am under particular
obligations to the Senate for the very courteous manner
in which they have afforded opportunity OF being
heard to-day had hoped i would have been IN my
ments upon this subjects but was prevented by being at
tackled By the prevailing cod which retarded the recoy
and experimenting might not be in my power to deliver
my sentiments before the termination OF this debate,
have reduced what had intended to say to writing.
friend behind me [Mr MAsoNl to read il for me-.
| Mr.. MASON. shall comply very cheerfully with
the request Of my friend from South Carolina.
The manuscript reads thus
have senator's believed from the first that the agita
ton OF the subject OF slavery would, not prevented by
some timely and effective measure, end in dsunion En-
endeavored call the attention Of both Of the two great
parties which divide The country to adopt some measure
10 prevent great disaster but without success The
agitation has been permitted to proceed, with almost no
attempt resist il, until it has reached period when it
can no longer be disguised or denied that the Union is in
danger You have thus had forced upon you the greatest
and the gravest question that come under your
consderaion-How can the Union be preserved
Togive satisfactory answer to this mighty question:
il is indispensable TO have an accurate and thorough
knowledge OF the nature and the character OF the cause
| by which the Union is endangered. Without such
knowledge j is impossible to pronounce, with any Ger,
tainty by what measure It can be savedjust as It would
be impossible for physician to pronounce In the case OF
dangerous disease, with any certainty. by what
remedy the patient could be saved, without similar
the disease The first question: them presented for
sideration, in the investigation propose TO make, in
order to obtain such knowledge is-What that has
endangered the Union ?
To this question there can be but one answer: that the
immediate is the almost universal discomfort which
pervades all the States composing the southern section Of
the Union. This widely extended discomfort is not OF
recent origin 1t commenced with the agitation Of The
slavery question, and has been increasing since.
The next question: going one step further back is-W hat
has caused this widely dused and almost universal dis
content! I!
is great mistake suppose, by some that it
originated with demagogues who excited the discomfort
with the intention OF aiding their personal advancement,
with the disappointed ambition OF certain politicians,
who resored to it the means OF retrieving their for
tunes On the contrary all the great political influences
oil the section arrayed against excitement and ex-
ered to the utmost to keep the people quiet The great
OF the people OF the South were divided as in the
other section into wings and democrats. The leaders
and the presses oil both parties in the South very
socitous TO prevent excitement and to preserve quiet be-
il that the effects OF the former would
cesSdfily 10 Wedken destroy,
which united them with their respective parties in the
other section. Those who know the strength OF party
ties will readily appreciate the immense force which this
exeried against agitation, and in favor OF peserv
ing quiet But great il was, il was not sufficiently
pre- the spread discomfort which per-
vades the section No; some cause far deeper and more
powerful than the supposed must exist 10 account
Tor discomfort wide and deep. The question, them
ours, What is the OF this disconientl IL will be
found in the belief OF the people Of the southern States
prevalent as the discomfort sef that they cannot re-
main, things now are consistently with honor and
safety in the Union The next question to be considered
is, what has caused this beliefi
One o the Causes undoubtedly, to be traced 10 The
long continued agitation oi the slave question on the part
OF the Noh and the many aggessions which they have
made on The rights OF the South during the time will
not enumerae them at present. as 1t will be done hereaf
ter in its proper place.
There is another lying back OF it, with which this is
intimately Connected that may be regarded As The great
the equilibrium between the two sections in the govern
ment, il stood when the constitution was ratified and
the government putin action, has been destroyed AT that
time there nearly perfect equilibrium between the
wo which afforded ample means 10 each TO protect itself
against the aggression OF the Others but as now stands
one section has the exclusive rover OF controlling the
government which leaves the other without any ade-
Quae OF protecting itself against its encroachment
oppression To place this subject distinctly before
YOU have, senators, prepared brle statistical state
pent owing the relative weight OF the sections in
the government under the first census OF 1890 and the
last census OF 1910.
According TO the former the population OF the United
States including Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee,
winch then in their ncpent condition oil becoming
Staies but were not actually admitted, amounted TO
3,c29s27. OF this number the northern States had
,g77 500, and the southern ,0J2 072-makng differ
ence ol only s27 in favor OF the former States The
number OF States, including Vermont, Kentucky, and
Tennessee sixteen; OF which eight, including Yer.
mont, belonged 10 the northern secton, and eigh in
cluding Kentucky and Tennessee, to the southernma-
king equal division OF the States between the two
tons under the first There small prepon.
deance in the House OF Representatives, and in the elec
osa college, favor OF the northern, owing to The fact
that, according TO the provisions OF the constitution, in
estimating federal numbers, i've slaves count but three;
bui IL small to affect sensbly the perfect equb
rum which, with that exception, existed al the time
Such the equality Of the two sections when the States
composing them agreed To enter into federal Union.
Since then the equilibrium between them has been greatly
disturbed
According the last census, the aggregate population
OF the United States amounted TO i70633 OF which
the northern section contained g2 and the south
ern 1884, 3l,431-inakiBg difference IN round numbers OF
240o00. The number OF States had increased from six
teen TO tweny-sx making addition oi ten States In
the mean time, the position OF Delaware had become
doubtful TO which section she properly belonged Con.
sIderlng her neual. toe DorheIn states will have
thirteen and the southern States twelve, making differ.
in the Senate Of two senator's in favor oi the former
According to the apporonment under the census OF lS40
there 2l3 members ol the House OF Representatives
OF whom the northern States had 1875, AMI the southern
States considering Delaware neutraD 81, making
difference in favor of the former in the House OF Repre-
seniatves Of as The difference in the Senate OF two
members added TO this gives TO the North in the electoral
States have been added TO the UniUn: Iowa, Wisconsin,
Florida, and Texas. They leave the difference in the
Senate stood when the taken but add two
10 the side oi the North the House. making the pres.