The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-03


tits. Does he deny in call upon him to meet
The point directly, and to assert either that Mr..
Calhoun did not make that speech, or to admit
the position which is assumed In IT.
Mr.. BUTLER. After this parenthetcal episode,
hope may be permitted to proceed. l believe
that an episode is defined to be that which neither
accelerates nor retards the main action OF the poem
Laughter Mr. President, | was about to ex-
plain, had not my friend anticipated me with
rather too much eagerness. The speech referred
to will stand without any admission of mine.
do not feel bound TO meet or oppose II was
never in the habit, during Mr. Calhoun s lifetime,
of hesitating to entertain my own opinions, and
ayowing them as such, whether they concurred
entirely with his or not; nor do deem II incunl-
bent on me now, whenever l express an opinion
or utter sentiment, to show that such was the
opinion or the sentiment of the distinguished
statesman Of South Carolina. II was my good
fortune generally to agree with him upon points
of importance in our national policy, but not
always; and | never supposed myself under any
obligation to appear to do so when such was not
the case. l take this occasion now, once for all
| hope, to repeat what have said here before,
that when speak of Mr.. Calhoun | refer to him
as an historical character-a man whose reputa-
ton is consigned to the history OF his country; as
a statesman of the nation, rather than as my i'm
mediate colleague while he was alive. His opin-
IONS and measures are common property, and
are far beyond the necessity of my keeping or
vindication. I could add nothing to them, and
could not make them clearer by any explanation.
Indeed, doubt whether the reader who peruses
them would not prefer to dispense with explana-
when Mr.. Calhoun is appealed to as the authority
by which we are to be guided, beg to appeal to
his published speeches. As was said by the dis
tinguished Senator of Massachusetts of his own
State, "There they are; they speak for them
selves; they require no eulogy." They will not
bs affected by either the assaults of enemies or the
advocacy Of friends.
from Mississippi Mr.. FooTE has assumed doc.
trine which, as far as ! know Mr.. Calhoun
never expressed, and to which be was never in.
clined, and which think he would not maintain
in the present emergency, if he were now among
us. He never advocated any such system of non.
Intervention that which is now attributed to
and advocated for him, and which is that of total
non-intervention by Congress. He required Con-
gress to do its duty in giving constitutional govern
ments to the territories with general legislative
authority to pass laws, and without restriction or
prohibition. His idea was that territorial gov
ernments should be formed with restrictions
whatever in regard to slavery; leaving them open
to the people of all the States to go there with
their property while they remained territories,
and leaving it to the territories, after the urisdc
ton of the United States over them was with
drawn and leave was granted to form their own
State constitutions, with or without slavery, as
they might see fit They were to have the ordi-
nary chart Of territorial governments, and nom
Intervention was doctrine which was applied to
them while they remained in the territorial condi-
ton. He, sir, recognised in its utmost amplitude,
the right of every people to provide their own
form Of government, under such constitution as
they should adopt, when they were in a consttu-
tional condition to deliberate on the formation
ola constitution-when they had leave to become
a State.
And let me say to my friend that do not in
tend to debate this subject now. join heartily
the people of New Mexico. do not care by
what influence they have been induced to assume
that attitude in this confederacy, and apply for
admission into this Union. They have but fol-
lowed the pattern of California, and what has
been said Of the one may be said of the other.
same remark to California which is applicable to
New Mexico, if she shall assume the attitude
which California has assumed. The second edi-
ton does not seem palatable to certain readers
was the first edition, but it is the same doc
trine. There is no real difference. II California
comes into the Union under the present aspect of
affairs, it will be upon the same footing with
that which New Mexico would assume. The e.
ample is dangerous and leads to confusion and
anarchy. If such political communities shall
claim the rights Of sovereign States by their own
violation of rights, or through agency and in
fuence unknown and hostile to the Constitution,
they will come in, not through the legitimate gate
by which others have entered, but through a
breach in the Constitution, made by connvance,
and sanctioned by numbers, under feeling that
has gone far to undermine the rights Of those
who have vainly claimed its protection.
But these are remarks rather apart from what
saying of Mr.. Calhoun and his sentiments.
l believe that he was in principle opposed to the
Missouri Compromise, and so strong were his
convictions that he said he could not vote fori But
know this much with certainty, that he was
willing to acquiesce in the votes Of those who
could go for it; and go further and say, that he
was extremely DESTROYS of things going to airy
extremity. In the early part of this controversy,
he wished to stop it by any honorable means,
and said he could acquesce in the Missouri line,
if adopted by others. What others could do he
could not, but what they did he was willing to
abide by. He sincerely wished the controversy
adjusted before its agitation should make issues
that could not be avoided. His anxiety was
known to many. He was imam without disguise,
and rarely, on public questions, withheld his opin-
ions from any one.
may have occasion to give my own views,
and therefore is unnecessary to G i've them now.
At one time | would have settled this question on
mere point Of honor; but everything like re-
specting even Southern sentiment, much less
Southern rights, has been dsregarded Issues
have been forced upon us, and | will now cavi on
the ninth part of hair
MIR. DAVIS, OF MISSISSIPPI. When became |
convinced that this bill could never be so amend
ed by the Senate as to receive my vote, deter
miaed not to trespess further on the patience of
Senators with any remarks Of mine until the bill
should have reached its final stage. l therefore
rise now to address the Senate reluctantly and it
shall be done briefly; reluctantly for the reason
have just given, and more reluctantly still because
the speech ofmy colleague requires from me re-
ply. | would gladly have been spared this task.
have studlously avoided it during the progress
of this debate; and had it not been that to day,
with more than ordinary violence, he directed his
arraignment against those who entertain an opin-
ion which had the honor perhaps most promi-
nently to announce, should have allowed this
occasion to pass, like others, without any exhibit
ton on my part Of the opposition of opinion be-
tween my colleague and myself.
Mr.. FOOTE. My colleague must permit me
to say, in justice to myself and to the understand
ing which exists between us, that did not intend
to include him in my remarks.
MIR. DAVIS. | do not intend to charge my
colleague with desire to assail me, but he GER
tainly attacked opinions which l explicitly an
nounced upon this floor, and in language that
was certainly offensive Now he says he is
Mr. FOOTE. will state frankly that the
opinions which assailed were first promulgated