The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-06-02


committee by my own colleague, Mr Downs i and frou
the emphasis and relish with which be urged that fac
against me. could not bui be struck with the exraord
nary pretension II implied, that ought not, that
count TO have questioned either its orthodoxy, or its
cluslveness. Whether this circumstance was brought
wh Il bu an II % ~ must ans
all other senators here he holds III have understood bin
arghD that bis position upon this floor is one Of absolute
senatorial independence and that he is responsible to bis
own Judgment and conscience alone for whatever he
and does here AT early day Of the session. and upon
the point now under debate we all heard him excaim
with ardor and warmth that brought down from the
galleries loud plauds. that he 1ouid vots and that
no earthly power should induce him vote. for the
admission cf sauery into Territories free Whether
the senator's views OF senatorial responsibility right
or wrong is no business Of mine, and meddle not with
H. But while he holds these opinions how does be-
come him to ebake other senators for exercising that free
judgment and senatorial Independence which be claims
/ Tor himselfl And when he unceremoniously gives
the obnoxious clause after having doubtless concurred
70 its insertion in committee, how can he pretend to hold
me fas not 70 any opinion OF mine, but TO that OF my
colleague Be, sr be the paternity Of that clause where
may how can its merits dement's be enhanced or i'm
paired by it. when il comes here with the sanction OF the
committee. and must stand fall by it's merits alone
/ A fresh sanction has been claimed for this clause
as being couched in the identical terms adopted by
promise This undoubtedly true Of the original pro-
Jft OF that measure which have before In the
very words OF the new compromise, which 70 are SO
Objectionable declares among other things that laU
shalt be passed respecting aaUery" But my colleague
overlooked altogether the important circumstances that
this language proved quite dstaseful and exception
able TO the Senate OF that day as think, will prove to
the Senate Of this. The obnoxious words stricken
out, and on motion Of senator from Maryland [Mr
JoHNsoNl the following substituted respecting the pro-
hibition or the abolshment Of slavery"
But why carry this argument further The question
is setled the battle over our adversares have
on Psoq1
kindly handed us this morning amendment profered,
understand, with the sanction Of the honorable senator
from Kentucky and his Misunderstanding, my hum
BILE ludgmeDt DrOvIded DendlnQ
amendment Of the honorable senator from mississippi,
Mr.. DAvs,l and accepted by him in lieu Of his
for allowing the territorial legislature the power
which the amendment acknowledges by implication and
this on the ground that slaves being property the laws
ply and extend to them. When my honorable colleague
comes 70 consider more seriously Of that matter, have
81 . S
erty interests in two particulars only the one is, that
under the constitution and laws they are equally proper
but the laws regulating and plosciins either. widely and
necessarily differ from each other, nay colleague will ad
mlt when be casto mind the great number Of laws we
have in louisiana regulating the functions OF slavery and
protecting the right Of the the services of the
slave Why. sir the act OF 1793 providing the exradi
ton Of from service were repealed and Congress
iecl, and all laws in the free States touching the
were abolished, would the general laws Gin Pennsyl
vania for iGs,ance protecting the rights Of owners with
new fcrnunes. - I l-,
[Mr FOOTE made few remarks which are reserved
= Mr. DAVIS, Of Mississippi do not intend to, argue
the question Certain il is that this bill came IN charged
with an odous discrimination between slave property And
other species OF property Equally certain is that offered
an amendment and that that amendment Is now nnaiy
acceded Beyond this is certain that, whatever may
have been talked OF in private, amendment was o.
tered, with view TO meet views, until onered my
amendment II s, indeed insisted on the other AIDE OF
This question that the amendment was on 70
no importance at all. Let II be So.
Mr. FOOTE. Allow me, only for moment. 4 SIM
ply mean to say this sir that although my solsnSus en-
between the two amendments, we all entertain ours 'nal
there and il my colleague will SIMPLY look a. my
very IDEAS mboded in this amendment as il stands
arecontaned in long before this discussion was CON-
mencednamey, that territorial legislature can only
legsate for the preservation OF slave property
Mr. HALE. do not know what the honorable sena.
tor from Mississippi MIR. FooTEl meant when ne said
that this amendment had been PASSED all around ihe
Senate for approval think he must have meant merely
that they passed TO the leading senators, Tor they
certainly never came to me. Laughter
Mr.; FooTE. said al! around the Senate chamber
toning particular senators who had seen IT. and approved
Mr. HALE. simply wished to know wh.. the hon. hon.
that gentlemen from his section often look upon
the whole North rather an unimportant division OF
the country and being certain that the a%endmen. bad
Il
willing to res, under wrong implication that i bad; for
am opposed to these amendments. one and all prefer
the original bill as il from the committee Let us
have the whole thing. j want to take the thing as
whole. [Ianghter.1
Mr.. S0ULE am much surprised. indeed, that my
slight merit as TO have seconded with their feeble aid
the able effort OF his honorable colleague, Mr. DAVIS
whose sagacity first unmasked the mischies lurking IN
this ambiguous section, and TO whom s due all the credit
and whatever OF triumph there may be in bringing the
matter TO the Senates notice. My contributions TO the
victory were but those Of the humble cleaner in we'll
reaped 6eld and my worthy friend claims the epoils
the triumph, LEI that be ours and the other eirs II The
senator would have considered Tor moment, oil the dis
advantages and embanassments which besct me al every
term OF the sentence, the whole progress OF the argu
ment, on account OF my speaking IN q language mol
originally my own-how the pent-up thoughts crowd
on one another, in awaiting the words which are u
give them utterance--f, moreover, he would make
some allowance for one who with ali these imperec-
tons and deficiencies, is found engaged in coniici
where he has encounter all the strategy OF the mos
consummate marshalshipalas, he would no Longer
mpute TO me vain thing hope oil triumph
ing over such odds a. I have before me
We are told that the amendment in debate - not
deemed necessary for the protection OF slave properly
the Territories My honorable friend forgets that very
strong argument urged on yesterday, on me
ton that unless the obnoxious clause against winch
have been debating had been inserted in this section
slavery would have been in imminent and constant per
there supposins that il could exist under the constitution
for INV Colleagues went far 10 say, that without IT
there was nothing prevent the territorial Legislature
from meddIlnx with slavery and aboshlng u, nor Con
gress from interposns is veto, should the .srnors
;nsis,ed that the clause ought to remain as protection
.ssaied for guarding that very legislature from