The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-13
by others, II have understood him correctly
lie may now correct me if | have misunderstood

TX
lie may now correct me if have misunderstood
him. T-I 800 q
/ Mr.. DAYTON. Mr. President, do not find
II necessary to explain to correct ANYTHING IL
Is enough Tor me to answer the proposition now
before the Senate. IL was to that proposition,
and to that only, that addressed myself. When
another proposition shall be presented | win
address myself TO that and will have no difficulty
in making my friend understand distinctly what
] shall mean upon that subject | venture to say
But, until that is done, beg he will not, by any
inference or otherwise, imagine what will do
under a given state Of circumstances. w et
He says the thirteen or fourteen slave States
are under no obligation TO me. | do not come
here with view TO get obligations from the slave
States. do not intend they should be under
obligations to me. believe no State is under OBJ
gation to senator from another State when he
votes according to his judgment. have never
taken that view of an official duty. | simply in
| tended to express myself as to what course
thought advisable, and discreet, and right at this
time; and that was between me and my own
State, and not between me and the thirteen or
| fourteen slave States. That is all, sir.
Mr. ATCHlSON That is all, sir The sena-
tor has aro,ced precisely uhat understood him TO
say--what believed he had said.
| Mr.. MASON. Mr.. President, the rules Of the
Senate, believe, require every senator to vote
upon all questions upon which the yeas and nays
are taken, iafg
The PRESIDENT. Every senator must vote
if required. That is the rule of the SenIte
Mr.. MASON. II is with extreme reluctance
that vote upon this question. confess between
the two propositions now presented should have
great difficulty IN choosing. The Senate haring
refused 10 strike from the bill that ,ohich affects the
property IN shares IN The Dsi,iciof Columbia, can
not but look upon the one as eilecting directly,
however Intended, what the other must effect IN
directly One cuts The ichoie cord aud The other cuts
only one strand | shalt be at a loss how to choose
between them, but | shall be governed by my best
| Judgment.
Mr.. CHASE. Mr.. President, il seems to me
there IL great deal of feeling exhibited in this
| chamber which the circumstances Of the case do
| not warrant We have a bill before us to provide
for the abolition Of the slave trade in this District
II has been correctly said by the senator ,cho sits nerf
TO me MIR. MAsoNl that IL is step tora,ds the aboii-
tion Of slavery Itself and gentlemen deciepe themselves
fthey suppose is the last step. For one, Mr. Pre-
sident, am prepared to act upon the principles
avow. am prepared to act upon them at this
time, well any other. | shall not seek to ex-
cuse myself from voting for a proposition which
commends itself to my judgment on the ground Of
time, or place, or circumstance. If the District
slave STANDARDIZATION bill, reported by the Com
mittee of Thirteen, had retained it's original FORM
| should have been glad to give it my support
But it has been altered by the addition Of prov-
sions which, in my judgment, are not right in
| themselves or germane to the general object One
1
sonment in the penitentiary for acts which have
been heretofore punished in this District only by
a pecuniary mulct, and which, in my Judgment,
should never, even were they violalive Of rights
of property as gentlemen from the slave States
contend, be punished by severer penalties. can
not consent, with the senator from Connecticut,
to vote for measure here in the hope that it may
| be amended elsewhere as TO satisfy my views.
Measures for which | vote must commend them
| selves to my Judgment and my conscience. For
| measures which do not commend themselves to
me shall not vote l cannot vote for this bill -
The senator from New York has proposed an
amendment. tits, in my Judgment, better than the
\ bill. 1t does not meet my views i'm all respects.
|; cannot be expected that aproposilon embracing
provisions shall be acceptable in all respects
| to all those who may yet feel themselves bound to
vote for it as an amendment of another PROPOSE
ton | repeat that in my judgment, the pro-
| posed amendment is better than the bill as it now
stands. 1t proposes TO do directly-at once
what the bill proposes to take the first step in do
! ing. see nothing unconstitutional in the mode
by which it proposes to reach its object do not
1 like the provision for compensation or that which
makes its operative effect depend upon the vote Of
the inhabitants of the District. do not feel my
| self at liberty to withhold my vote from the amend
ment on account of these objections.
Gentlemen tell US if we adopt this amendment
1t will dissolve the Union.
Il Sir, the Union has stood mann shocks. and be-
liere it ,ciH stand this, II ube shock at all. We
are also told that gentlemen advocate this amend
ment, or the general line Of policy indicated by
this amendment, because they have not the talen
or character which would enable them to rise ir
the old party organizations Of the country. Sir
if | am to Judge Of some specimens | have seer
Of the representation Of those organizations il
high places, must conclude that neither taen
nor character are indispensable requisites to nd
vancement through their favor. Sir, see me,
of high talent and high character in many station
nrd of all parties. | see men Of little characte
and little talent in all parties also But, using u,
reproaches myself, / slull permit none 10 NOV,
me in the least from the course mark out for my
self. trust they will deter 10 man from pursu
J ing the plain line Of his duty repeat | shall
vote for the amendment because believe il to b.
better than the BILL and because the bill, as nov
stands, cannot receive my vote.