The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-29

wisdom ana power or the Constitution which our
fathers formed; that they irreverently believed
that there was a Power higher even than that
power TO which republicans as well as kings must
bow in submission, If il be crime sir 1 plead
guilty to oitl I will not put the senator from Ma
ryand nor any body else to the trouble of proving
it, l admit il; believe il. Sir, believe that
you have no right even to bring the supremacy Of
! your republic into conflict with the commands OF
the Most High. ! believe that sentiment in its
broadest sense, and have heretofore supposed
that in the action Of our government, and the
sentiment of our government, we had not
vet. il, the plentude Of our power and in the un-
br;dled state Of our pride, come to that pitch Of
presunlption that il was to be considered an or
fence against the Constitution to bow reverently
TO the power ofthe Most High.
Mr.. PRATT. Itis very easy matter, sir.
when an argument based upon one state of facts IN
made, to answer it by making an argument upon
another state Of facts which was never dreamed Of
| by the party who made the argument in the first
case. Does the Senator from New Hampshire
say in his place that he understood me to say did
not believe in supreme power-thnt lobjected to
the Senator from New York for looking to SUI
preme power as a higher law than any human
/ iaw Did the Senator 80 understand me? He
knows he did not; and yet he has got up here, in
the manner in which he usually argues, using
set Of phrases which, however, well they may
suit certain occasions, and however they may ex-
hibit the talents Of the author Of them, will not
apply Ia every occasion, and have not just much
application to one state Of facts as another. He
assumes the facts to suit the phrases, and not his
speech to suit the facts
Now, sir, T never said and am sure there is
not Sanator who hears me who does not believe
that have higher respect for that Supreme
Power whose name is SO frequently desecrated
here than the senator from New Hampshire.
| Mr.. HALE. Order! A.''
[The Reporter feels called upon to state that he
understood the Senator to say :" whose name is so
! frequently desecrated by the senator from New
Hampshire" and so he took down the words at
the instant they were utteted (; but upon further
reflection, considering that the sentence would
have been incomplete by inserting the proposition
"by and that by the Senator's letting his voice
fall after the word " New Hampshire he intended
to finish the sentences the reporter is forced to the
conclusion that his ear was mistaken.l
The PRESIDENT. The Senator must not
Mr. PRATT. l have not made any.
Mr.. HALE. call the Senator to order.
| Mr.. PRATT. have yet to learn that telling
the truth is out Of order. tA itii ~
The PRESIDENT. The Senator will take his
seat until the question Of order is stated by the
Senator from New Hampshire.
Mr.. HALE. understood the gentleman to
say that frequently desecrated the name of the
Most High. rlt.8l a:a tnls ,3es. 3t "a .5 sg,9
Mr.. FOOTE, lin his seat.) He did not say So
Il The PRESIDENT. The Senator from New
Hampshire will reduce the words to writing.
Mr.. HALE, having reduced the words to writ
/ ing, passed them TO the Chair. ,S,'..rf 4,..
i The PKESIDENI. Ihe words, as written
down by the senator from New Hampshire, are
that : the name OF the Most High is frequenuy
desecrated by that SENATOR
| Mr.. HALE. have not had time to put down
the connexion IN winch they occurred, put that
1 ia a pqrt Of the language. ! understood him :"
Mr., PRATT. Isaid $50 frequently deseerated
In the Senate. B1l. .
Mr., CHASE. May pc allowed 70 suggest
that the words heard by the Senator rom New ",
Hampshire @ were $50 fe9uenty desecrateo herea
/ ihe PhESlDENI. Inc Char VIII make its
decision, and tnen !! VIII pe N order @ Ior genue-
men 70 appear from II Y tney choose. ne Wolus
set down py the senator from New namPsniis'
applying remark Of this character TO an indiyid-
1al senator, would certainty pe oat OF oraer; out
the Chair did not so understand the senator rom
Maryland, or ne would nave lelt y ms guy 20 eau
MN 20 order, as tne Cnair rareiy snrhns lroii i
what ne believes to De discharge OF ms DUTY.
| Mr. HALE. i hope Will be understood py
the Senate that the words nave taken qoWn
were not intentionally misunderstood: put
them down as they struck my ear and the ears OF
several gentlemen In my vicinity;
Mr. ~ rhALi, A., resnmhg nov, WI nj nt.I ,hs
dent, the higher law OF which spoke was not the
DIVINE law TO winch the senator refers; ana pc
~ pa sras ~. %;.,',a ~ or1;n.ssd 70
hs he swsn,rted fron ths nost,op in whieh he il
placed. his advocates here must sumo this I: that
the Constitution of the United States is violatve
Of that law-thnt here is the Constitution Of the
United States, which violates the law Of the Su-
preme Being, and that therefore person may
swear to support that, although ne does violate IL
with the mental reservation that he is only TO sup
port il so far as he does not violate il: Now, the
whole result Of the position in which the advo-
Gates Of the senator over the way place themselves
| is the one which have stated. l CONCEIVE that
his position is not altered for the better from that
which is taken by his advocates. Now, if the
senator from New Hampshire entertains and avows
the opinions as,he now expresses them, and as
| expressed by the senator who sits behind HIM,
Mr. Seward, then If ! make motion to expel
the senator from New York, shall include HIM
in the motion, and move to exPel HIM also, with
the utmost pleasure in the world Laughter
Now, Sir, are we here acting fairiy together as
qeuais look at the Constitution ofthe country.
see nothing IN It vioiative OF any law when am
pledged to obey IN preference TO it. senators say
that the portion OF the Constnution OF tne onited