The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-08-24
THE UNION.


certainly have the eject be has stated OF exhausung the
national treasury Therefore. say. lament that. without
factory TO my mind-our friends OF the South Il sail them
friends in cordial sense) not able 10 to sat
isacoy understanding in regard To what rs expedient
and right for them TO do for the accomplishment OF this
great purpose, in which constituents anxously in
iefesied While that question remains unadused, IN
few of the States OF the Union that feeling OF excite
nent irritation. and, 10 some extent OF Ill VIII towards
the Union cannot be allayed | verify believe, Nh.
President that all The other important que slons will have
been adjusted in ten days by the action OF the House oil
Representatives Our opposition TO faction North and
South Will en have been eteetual, IN obedience 10 the
impeous demands of uprising, enlightened people,
who apparently Weakened up to perfect understand
Ing OF their rights and resolved 10 enforce the claims
they feel themselves entitled 10 enforce in the two houses
OF Congress ~
terms than opinions. My colleague has made an agu-
men in regard TO the propreiy aud expediency OF exPena
ing money for the purpose OF restoring ugiuve slaves
This Is not proposition TO expend money 10 restore
slaves; is not proposition 10 carry out the constitu-
tonal provision for that purpose but opay Tor slaves mat
are moi restored Now, my colleague argues, and very
concusvey, that this government never can constu-
onay undertake TO transport the free negroes IRON the
United States TO Africa because there is grant IN the
where The grant in the constitution for anypower TO
appropriate money to pay for runaway negroes Power
given TO tax the people, 10 raise money BY mposts o
enumerated purposes, and the provision OF the consu
ton requires runaway slaves TO be restored to thelrnas
tiers but lind nowhere provision that II they are mol
restored they shall be paid Tor Those who have argued
fraction by foreign nations and Indian tribes 10 that
think sufficient answer has already been made have
will be passed in the House OF Representatives for the
transportation OF free negroes to Africa referred 10
what was known, supposed, to everybody The Propo
son is there and whether this bill passes not the
House OF Representatives may enact that to which re-
ferred 1t is we'll known that the savehoding States
object to the presence OF negroes among them and the
OF an act get rid OF them, think it the number oil
free negroes increased upon them, they probably
would be by this BILL then they having the power would
and the treasury would have TO furnish the means
by which those free negroes would be transported to Al
rca and we OF the South would have pay dspropor
ionale share OF the tax for that purpose.
AS TO what the South will feel OF irritation or other
wise should say tar the vote OF the Senate Is an
indication, should expect the South to object to the ex
ercse Of This power as one not granted IN the consa
ton Let ME suppose that III aay State OF this
Union proposition should be made before ITS Legislature
the whole people OF the State to guarantee any par
tcuar species of property within it, Is there State OF
this Union that would agree TO III Is there Legislature
which would pass a law to guarantee any particular
species OF property except against foreign enemy
suppose there none and the Taxpayers OF the country
will be as little likely to agree to II out oil their own
State as III IT.
Now sir the State of Mississippi is slightly in
terested this matter my friend from Maryland sup
poses. Negroes do escape frequently and with great
facility from Mississippi and get into Ohio and when
they so escape great dlthcuy has always been ound ~
their recapture. We seriously concerned IN this mat
ter; interested IN the laws which shall compel
their return and those who, like MYSELF reside upon the
great highway Of the West. the Mississippi river, are
most exposed We therefore desire laws which will be
efecual, but at the time within what believe
to be The constitutional power OF Congress. would ap
ply the most stringent impose the heaviest PEN
allies TO effect their return II question oil consiitu
ona construction, and certainly did not intend 10 CEN
any Tor The division which Is among south
ern senator's 1t has been only matter OF surprise 10
me that those who have the interest should
scribe any other motives for difference OF opinion than
the pures and most conscientious onesany other reason
for opposing mode OF redress for COM
mon evil than dictates which above interest prelu
dice.
Mr. FOOTE Mr. President have been some what mis-
understood think, by my colleague. spoke OF the gem
eral Of operations of such law this did not
speak of any specific instances II is apparent 10
TO my colleague, that in case where money rs actually
paid 10 indemnify Tor any particular slave, that particular
slave not restored by that act OF payment at ALL But
what say that the general operation OF such law
will, my opinion, be such that the people OF the free
States will get sick OF this business of encouraging ug.
tive slaves 10 within their limits they will get
sick of giving them protection when they compelled
pay of their pockets their proporonate amount OF
the value of the slaves, and they will find that il is not
much their policy to carry this business they
have heretofore TO some extent regarded to be- lhey
will shift their attitude, so as TO make IT correspond TO
their interests sprngng up under this law il this
bill shall become law Therefore, the general opera
ton of such law will be, as have said to cause res
had it's full operauon-when Its true modus operdndi
shall be asceriained by experience in the free States
there will be change effected in the public mlndrsuch
as induce hearty cooperation among their citizens
in the restoration oil iugitives from the Southwith-
out which cooperation as was well remarked by the
senator from Massachusetts, Mr.. WIsTHRoP,l il is
reasonable expect that thS will restore 10 their
slaves that escape from their masters Thus 1t is
most apparent that this bill is such will, If we
adopt it, have the effect the object OF the con
stuiion
say again that no one has yet risen to suggest how il
possible Tor TO redress these grievances half well
by this bill IL is the general acknowledgment that
all other measures that have been spoken Of prescribed
here elsewhere likely TO prove wholly inefficient
Now, sir, my colleague seems TO think there is some
analogy in the OF transporting free negroes, al the
expense OF the government 10 the coast OF Africa and
this case. cannot IT, In the there is no
authority under the constitution, and IN the other there is
ample authority. Now, II bill should be introduced in
this the other house for the purpose OF transporting free
persons OF color TO Liberia, II would at be deemed by
every oil sound and unpre JUDGED mind as an
unconstitutional measure. The two are not anaa
gous In the there constitutional authority,
and in the other there constitutional command. What
ask is that shall do duty the constitution pre-.
scrlbes and adopt such measure will be likely
| to prove edeciua.
But my friend from South Carolina seems TO suffer from
my speech, which admonishes me that
| Mr.. BUTLER Qn his seat) was not thinking OF
your speech.
/ Mr.. FO0TE know the honorable senator has mani
Tested an indifference, # not strong opposition to the
measure. do not by any means intimate lhat any parc.
ular motives have operated with him. with other gen
tlemen OF the South besides those which would be k civ
| to operate on southern men generally, | would by no
means suggest such thing Ii is, perhaps, natural
for the people OF South Carolina and their representatives
to feel rather apahec upon this subectto feel rather
Indifferent, and very much inclined to engage in debate
upon proposition for the extnguishment OF evil from
which they are almost entirely exempt The people OF
South Carolina rather interested in the subdI.
vision oil California, in defeating the Wmot Proviso,