The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-06-18

Mr.. VENABLE. That is all very well, and
outside of this matter. Perhaps the gentleman is
entitled to much more credit for being an Ameri-
can citizen now than myself, as he is from choice,
and am by birth and of necessity. But ! am
persuaded that have many reasons connected
with the past the present, and the future, TO value
the Union as he has. He tells us that ne has
done much service to the country, and alludes TO
his achievements on the tented field and legisa-
tive halls. | am not inclined TO detract from
his renown. He has served his country in sew
eral capacities. He was at the same time
colonel in the army Of operations against Mexico,
and occupied his seat on the floor of this House,
and military honors bloomed in the garland which
encircled his brow. When gliuering in military
command he occupied seat in this House. The
record of this House and fhe reports of It's COM
mittees disclose that he enjoyed both the honors
and emouments of the stations which his services
so emnently adorned. have no purpose to dis
parage him or them. 1t was only In reply to
sneerng question of the gentleman on yesterday,
as to where the South would go in case the pres
sure Of power above and against the Constitution
rendered the connection intolerabe, that made
the remark that we would stand by our homes and
our possessions, and would not seek protection
where the gentleman came from. He speaks Of
threats. Sir, they not agreeable things neither
are they very dignifed in those who make them.
But gentlemen ought not to mistake complaints
against injustice, remonstrance against inJu-
rious purposes for threats. They should remem-
Der that they are in majority, and that a ma
iority can do justice with dignity Nr can make
concessions without the loss Of self-respect. Not
sotwith minority They must protest, they
must resist or else they are left to certain and
hopeless degradation. The gentleman ought to
remember that his colleague from Illinois, Mr..
BIssELL, spoke of the terrors which a fewregi-
ments from his own State would carry to the
South in case of open resistance on our part.
This was hard enough to hear from him, but it
was not less offensive when the gentleman himself,
in speech, endorsed the menace, as understood
him. l regret that another gentleman from Hill
nois Mr.. HARRIs] should have considered it ne
cessary to have come to the rescue of his col
league, [Mr. BAKER.l They were brother officers,
and it was, suppose, mere labor of love, as his
colleague is surely able to take care of himself.
The combination of two military chiefs against ono
poor civilian was fearful odds The gentleman after
exalting the achievements of his colleague decided
that they would adorn the page history, when the
deeds, and even the names OF such as could assail
him as | had done would be forgotten. 1t may
there the hammer fell and Mr.. VENABLE was pre-
vented from finishing the remarks which he has
now written out] but so, the gentleman has not
improved in my estimation as prophet since
| the meeting of the Nashville Convention. He,
| in a speech which he has given to the public,
| foretold that the members OF that Conven-
ton would be met by the patriots of Nash
vile with tar and feathers, and due pro-
ton of stale eggs As his foresight has been
at fault here, he will me for distressing il
| in future. Whilst doubt not that the civil and
military renown of all three of the gentlemen from
Illinois will go down to posterity fresh and fair,
have no doubt that the humble civilian who enters
his claim for the rights of those whose interests
he repI esents-who will assert those claims in the
face of majority--who will demand the protec-
ton of the Constitution and its guarantees, even
| though the honest avowal of the consequences be
called menace, and may excite rdlcule from some
heroic men--will receive some consolation in the
appreciation Of his own conscience, and the same
appreciation Of his services by those to whom
he Is responsible.
The gentleman Mr.. BAKER] denies that Mr..
Clay had said that the Missouri compromise
ought to be regarded as desirable division of ter
ritOry between the North and the South. give
his own words on the admission of Florida, in his
speech, IN 1887:
"By the compromise which took place on the
| passage Of the act for the admission of Missouri
into the Union in the year 1920, it agreed and
understoodthat the line of $50 30 of north latitude
should mark the boundary between the Free States
and the Slave States to be created in the territories
of the United States coded by the treaty of Lousi-
ana. But Florida is south of that line,
and consequently, according to the spirit of the
understanding which prevailed at the period alluded
to, should be Slave State. 1t may be true that
the compromise does not in terms embrace Florida,
and that it is not absolutely binding and obliga,-
DRY; but all candid and impartial men must agrt
that it ought not to be disregarted. T"
The committee can Judge who is in error, the
gentleman or myself.
Mr. v. withdrew the amendment.
Mr. McCLERNAND renewed the amendment,
and said that stree the different constructions had
been placed on the vote rejecting the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Kentucky, it was
due to Mr.. McC. that he should offer brief eX-
PLANTATION. He had voted for the amendment upon
obvious grounds-because he believed that it be-
longed to the States exclusively to fix the charac-
ter of their municipal NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ad-
hitting or excluding savery-and, after having
done so, Congress could only constitutionally in
quire whether the State applying for admission
into the Union had republican form of govern
ment, and if so, she was entitled to admission.
Upon this principle, of course, he could have no
objection to the amendment offered by the gentle
man from Kentucky, which only proposed to
leave it to the people OF the territories Of the Uni
ted States south Of 36o So to come into the Union
with or without slavery, as they might decide by
their State organizations.
He-withdrew the amendment.
On motion by Mr.. STRONG, the committee
then rose, @'
And the House adjourned.
Il