Democratic banner., 1850-02-04


joy and qualification. The northern Sena-
tors, with the exception of few, voted
against it on its final passage. and attempt
ed to defeat it indirectly, by engrafting upon
it such amendments as they knew would kill
it with its southern supporters. Thisis one
Of the stratagems of legislative warfare,
and often resorted to by those opposed to
the passage of particular measure. By
loading the bill with amendments, uupalata-
BILE and obnoxious to its true friends, the
pretended friend Of the bill may appear to
favor its passage, when he is in reality do
ing his utmost to defeat it. This was illus
trated on the passage of the Clayton Com
promise Bill through the Senate. The Com.
mittee, composed of southern Wings, south
ern Democrats, Freesoilers from the North,
Western compromise men, and every other
complexion of political opinion had matur-
ed the Bill with great care, and made it ac-
ceptable 10 the majority of the Senate
With one exception, the Freesoilers were
opposed to it, and he was on the committee
shat reported the bill. To engraft ron this
bill Hale's free-negro amendment, or the
amendment offered by Mr.. Clarke, of Rhode
Island, providing that the people Of Ore
gon should never have power at any subse-
quent period to establish slavery, without
the assent of Congress, was in effect des-
troying all hope of its passing the Senate
The latter was in direct conflict with the
whole object and design Of the bill, while
the first was such that no Southern man,
not paudering to the abolition influence Of
the North, could stomach. The loss Of the
whole bill would be preferable to its pas
sage with these or similar amendments
Col. Benton was the only Senator from a
slaveholding State who voted for these a.
mendments, and he afterwards voted for tie
bill on its fnal passage in the Senate. His
sincerity in voting for it, and after having
voted to clog it with these amendments,
which he knew would kill it with the South
ern Senators, may well be Questioned
But Ihave permitted myself to digress from
the object with which took up my PEN
I desire to call your attention to another
amendment, offered by Baldwin, Of Con-
necticut, for which Col. Benton voted in
company ,UiM no other Senator from the
sLauehOiding States, but in company with
IA Northern Senators-embracing every
Abolitionist and Freesoiler in the Senate.
Messrs. Editors, ! write by the card ] have
before me-the Journal OF the Senate for
the year ls4s, and the Congressional Globe
Of the same year-and shall state nothing
as fact which can not be proved by the re-
cord. My infsrences from these facts, will
be with you and your readers. @
The amendment offered to the bill by Mr..
Baldwin, of Connecticut, may be found on
page sol Of the Senate Journal Of lS4S.-
It was to amend the bill by inserting the
following additional section:
"sec. 81. find be it further enacted, That il
u6 tBIo Oosy VI VIC 1AbSotuSJ Iob rd1u
ritories, respectively, on the complaint of any
person held in involuntary servitude therein, "a
make application in his behalf, in due form Of
law, to the court next thereafter to be holden in
said Territory, for writ of habeas corpus, to be
ldirected to the person as holding such applicant
in service as aforesaid and to pursue all needfu
measures in his behalf; and If the decision oi
such court shall be adverse to the application
or il on the return of the writ, relief shall be
denied to the applicant, on the ground that
'he is slave held in servitude in said Terrific.
Try, said Attorney shall cause an appeal to be ia.
sken therefrom, and the record Of all the proceed
ings in the case to be transmitted to the Supreme
.l'Court Of the United States as speedily as may
'be, and to give notice thereof to the Attorney
General Of the United States, who shall prose
scute the same before said court, who shall pro
I'ceed to hear and determine the same al The frs
term thereof" ~ r -. T.
;! The vote on this amendment was ID for
to 81 against It. Col. Benton is the on5
Southern or slavebold,ng Senator who vo'
], ted for it, and is found in company will
! Corwin, Hale, Baldwin, Greene, and Ham
t,lin. Seven Senators from non. slavehOldinl