Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-02-27
ADMISSION OF CALIFORNIA.
DEBTAE CONCLUDED.
Mr.. CLEMENS made some reply to Mr.. Clay
: SENATE, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 90

SpITlt
ness; brought no charge of Inconsistency against him
dd not comment upon his Nicholson letter, say
that II meant one thing, and his speech the other day
meant another. did not intend to aude 10 that mat
term any way. But, Mr.. President must inform the
Senator from Michigan that the construction which he
now puts upon the Nicholson letter never put upon
| it by his party liz the State of Alabama. must tell
him that il his present construction the right one
have been greatly instrumental in misleading the minds
| OF the people ofmy State in advocating his claims.
denied that the construction he has now placed upon
his letter the true The construction he placed
upon it was, that the population of Territory, when
sufficiently numerous TO form State should decide the
question OF slavery for themselves. That sir was the
construction put upon it by myself and by his party.
am sorry if have misunderstood him, because | did
not mean to make the question theme of discussion in
| the South.
| must remind the Senator Off fact which, from his
own knowledge OF public affairs can scarcely have es-
capped his attention must remind him Of the fact that
leading Democratn the other House was read out OF
the party because he said precisely what the Senator
himself has now SAID about the Nicholson letter. We
| put the ban upon him Tor such construction and ex-
cluded him from the ranks of the Democratic party in
| Alabama. allude to Mr.. Yanoey. He was not the
only one; there were some half dozen distinguished
members OF the same party in Alabama who shared a
similar tate Tor putting the construction on that letter
which the Senator from Michigan now puts upon it.
But he tells us he has right speak to US because he
has Gefa bf9k ken down. poeny Tor standing up for
does that assertion mean Does it not prove-if any
thing at althat all hope is gone for the South when
| ne has been annihilaed for doing only what he has
done for standing up only far as he has stood up for
the rights OF the South What can we then hope TO
| receive from any compromise that may be offered!-
Does 1t not prove, sir, without shadow OF doubt, that
all hope has gone forever! Why, sir he proposes to
! admit California. He procaims a doctrine that will
exclude slavery from all the Territories OF the Union
and yet because he will not come out and say that the
Wllmot provlso IS constitutional act he tells US his
political existence IN the north is terminated. We
want, sir no other prooio show that all hope is at an
end.
Mr. DAVIS Of Miss By the courtesy of my colleague
who has yielded me the floor will proceed to make
an explanation in regard to what was said by the hon
orabe Senator from Michigan. rose for the purpose
when the Senator from Michigan closed his remarks
now intend to execute that purpose. Before doingso
however, must remark that then obtained the Hoor
and should have had it; and although may be always
very willing as matter OF courtesy to waive NV right
to older Senators, it is not for the presiding officer to
decide when that courtesy shall be shown
The VICE PRESIDENT. The voice of the Senator
from Kentucky first fell uponmy ear.
mr. DAyIs am glad the presidng officer thought
ator from Michigan in abiding TO me accuses me of
having charged him with Inconsistency Icertainly in
tended TO make no such charge. The Senator from
Michigan warns me that he speaks 10 in a spirit of
kindness That have no reason to doubt. More, sir,
think might claim as much from him, even if kind
ness were not the prevailing characteristic of his heart
l,slr, make no charge of Inconsistency against the
honorable Senator from Michigan. ALWAYS construed
his Nicholson letter as ne explains now and because
never would concede that it contained any such doc
trlne as that the political power within Territory
should be turned those who first reached the
Territory, was sneered at by my political friends ]
always read that letter TO when ready to form
State was rebuked because would put no other con-
struchon uponit. thought understood the Senator
from Michigan, in conversation before he wrote that
letter, and knew, too, at the time when occurred,
OF the conversation to which he has alluded to- day with
the Judge from Ohol understood the opinions of the
Senator to be then, as understand them to be now
They have never had my approval they have not my
approval yet.
| approved OF so much OF his opinion as denied to
Congress power over territory beyond that which was
derived from the necessity OF the case Congress being
the trustee OF the public land had confidence in the
character Of the Senator, and have now held that
his only conneXon with the far as related
to his election to the Presidency of which we had then
some hope his only connexon with it would be that.
when bill passed Congress, it would be subject to the
Executive veto. And on that ground alone was will
hing to trust him. AS to the power OF the inhabitants
OF territory to organize government for themselves
the opinions OF the gentlemen of the same charac-
ter that they The position that men without
authority OF law gathered together from every quarter
OF the globe, might claim to snatch the sovereignty
from the United States and assert it in their own per
sons, that was the necessary consequence OF the doc
trne oil the Senator from Michigan and that doctrine
perceive is most warmly advocated by those who
have heretofore ferceIy denounced it. did not
introduce the opinions OF the Senator with a view OF
commenting on them In terms OF censure introduced
them merely to show that this power, if asserted is
mere power OF revolution, and when he pretended to
derive it from Almighty God, wentback to a source
WHICH is above all earthly government. | then told
HIM that 1t he meant the power OF revoutionthe pow
er to take the territory from the United States and to
make use OF it as they pleased. would not attempt to
gainsay IT. but II he meant to derive the power from
Almighty God, he meant nothing that was within the
Scope OF my comprehension.
But the Senator speaks OF ianaticism at the South
which requires the introduction OF distractions against
the institution of slavery. know OF no such feeling
| do knoW that Southern politicians as body did sus-
tain the Senator'S position though the abstract ques
ton OF slavery he was always against 1t was not
his abstract opinion to the operations OF Government
that we deprecated. Give us our constitutional rights
give us the free exercise of our equality in the Union
and matters not what his abstract opinions are tell
the Senator them as far as know the opinions of the
people OF the South that he rests his argument basis
which does not exist Occupying the floor by the cour-
esy OF my colleague will no longer trespass on the
| time OF the Senate.
| Mr.. FooTE spoke two and half columns He de-
Tended his former alusion to private conversation be-
! tween Senators BENTON and CLAY; quoted speech
delivered by Mr. CLAY in 1889, strongly denouncng the
Abolitioniss, and affirming that "unon on the one side
1.-THE NORTH would beget union on the other" (the
South)
Eleven years ago (said Mr.. F. the honorable Senator
predicted, wesee, that "union on the one side would
bege union on the other' he might have added with
Edmund Burke, "tohen bad men combine good men
must unite and now, when that very union is con-
certed which eleven years ago he regarded so natural
and inevitable that he felt authorized to phophesy it in
advanceat union, so necessary to the safety oil the
South-he now ardeny depores and almost dennounces
it. Now, when adversares have threatened us with
utter destruction; now, when the machinery Of ruin
has been all arranged and is ready pour into our
midst the missiles of insult, degradation and of DEATH
now, when we might well say with Virginia orator
OF revolutionary times our chains already forged"
their canbngmay be heard upon the plains Of Boston
"the first gale that sweeps from the North may bring
to ears the clash OF resoundng arms " now in this
moment OF real peril, when the evils that he des-
cried in the distance years ago at least almost in
sight now, when all hope OF honorable compromise is
well nigh extinct and all the horrors of civil war are
almost upon us and in midst the honorable
Senator beseeches us to he patient and moderate and
kind to trust to the mercies of those whose hearts
seem steeled to all the tender charities OF le and to re-
main ingorously inactive whilst the letters of degra-
ding thraldom are fixed upon our free iimbs-and in
justice such as high spirited people ever bore unres-
tingy imposed upon us by those whom we have here
totore recognised our friends and brethren Theho-
norable Senaorin the year 1899 said that when such
evils NOW eXneriencnG shnuld have hean