Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-02-02
SPEECH OF Mr.. PHELPS,
OF VERMONT,
ON THE SUBJECT OF Slavery DC.
IL sssArE, 1JAsuAnr 2s. 1850.

ON THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY DC.
Ix SEsArE, 'JAsUARr 23. 1850
Yhs having resumed the consideration Of the motion
IA nrnt The resolutions Of the General Assembly of the State
az Vermont ON the subject of slavery which time
since presented by Mr.. UrHAM-
Mr.. PHELPS. AAer the few remarks which made the
other dsy entertained the hope that should not find my
self under tho necessity at present Of participating any u
ther In the debate this question But s alter what mas
fallen c the other side OF this chamber feel II Que 70
se and due the State which in part represent 70 oer
some further remarks in vndcaton OF my course ana ner
course 80, =,
ir. have been called upon !" face the music have
no disposition Mr. President to avoid the facing Of any
omusc !" but must be allowed TO say, sir that think we
have very bad "music on 'nis noor nave pesn
which am not prepared meet and trust my consituents
will make no issue here which am not prepared g meet
Nay sir am prepared to meet the approaching issue Preg
nsnt as Il 4 with consequences to this country.
Sir il has been said By gentlemen onhs other side othis
ohafber that his gsest issue wss forced upon ne
ROT however bsen oscsd upon heby the c1eiousnss of
any portion Of hi. coan = an issue wnlcn nas loicea
unwecome 1t presents itself Of that tran Of conse
quences which many Of rs oresaw and resisted comes
here the consequence,he necessary consequence-of
train of measures which for have resisted from the out
set II is one Of the fruits Of that spirit Of aggrandzemen
and conquest and military acquisition, which seems to have
infected and infatuated every republican Government s
il Of the fruits Of our Mexican warhe fruits q tnat
policy which originated in the disposition to extend the area
of our power which carries in its train the element which
may in the end dissolve this republic Sir lam not surprised
at this II is what have long anticipated 4 Is an issue
which we cannot avoid and here lies its difficulty and
is dapeer-t is question to be settled but hoW settled
man this floor now can anticipate
Sir in approaching this question: not forgetful OF the
pledge which gave the Senate on former OCCASION ha
should approach it cooy deliberately and with feelings Of
Cancellation that should approach it with an ardent at
tachment the constitution and to the Union Sir shall
not be diverted from this determination, whatever may be the
C Il. Io~nt tc frtnf fboth
many considerations Of them Of great magnitude press
ing upon depart in the least from what CONSIDER
COOL and dpassionate, and rational consideration Of this
question
harmony and stability Of that Union and topic which
tends endanger either should in my Judgment be discus
sed here in anger.
Sir these professions may doubted My professions the
other day seem not to have carried with them the most imp
cit confidence the part Of gentlemen S, Il proof
were wanting Of the sincerity of my professions on this sub
jec is be found in the history Of my public me- There
are passages Mr. President in that life here which Senators
ought not to have forgotten is but few months since in
the situation where stand advocated the measure al
luded to by the honorable Senator from South Carolina
aude to the territorial bill reported by the select committee
commonly called the Clayton compromise The honorable
Senator from South Carolina the other day pronounced that
bill satisfactory the South His expression was that It
framed to the honor Of the South sustained
that bill and under what circumstances Sir, knew from
the the position about to take IN consenhng 10
be member Of that committee knew that was no en-
viabe but perlous position. knew well the difficulty OF
reconcng the excited feelings Of different sections OF this
country was not ignorant Of the danger Of any
sion with to compromise knew, SIR, the temper OF
the people Of d.cnt SECTIONS c this Unicns an that every
concession on either side however small would be viewed
with extreme jealousy Sir might have avoided this posi-
ton might have gone further and when the bill was re-
ported might have consulted my own popularity by going
with my friends of the North, and in following the crowd IN
denouncing the creature of creation. Sir, was
unanticpated that in consequence OF my course upon
that BILL my should be associated with terms OF re.
proach that opprobrum personality and, SIR, may add,
personal insult should be cast upon me- But sr trust
was Influenced by higher and better motives than the
love of popularity had duty to perform here desired
to this troublesome and dangerous question settled and
in the discharge Of that duty came boldly TO the vndca
ton that BILL while denounced by the almost unan-
voice of the North, and, may add, by the almost
unanimous voice Of my constituency stood alone OF
all the people of the North followed the dictates Of my
judgments and say in all sincerity that Judgment
is what it was them
Sir regret that the bill did not pass and believe the
country will yet regret it. willing, if necessary to
make myself sacrifice in order attain the great object OF
harmonng this Union, and Of putting end forever to the
question which agates and alarms II that object
could have been attained by the sacrifice of my public reten-
sions would have considered the object cheapy pur-
chased Sir, when gentlemen from other sections Of this
Unon when gentlemen from the South will place themselves
IN gap between the excited feelings Of their constituents
and the harmony Of this Unionwhen hey dsegardng the
excitement the will breast themselves to the storm
Of popular prejudice hazarding their popularity and their
good name with excited constituency, promise those
gentlemen will do them the injustice to doubt the
sincerity Of their professions.
viii pursue this subject no further MY object satisfy
the Senate that what have said in relation to the culva
of harmonious spirit whatever professional have made
of disposition harmonic the different sections OF this
Union and settle forever this troublesome question, sin
ce proved the have heretofore taken in my
action on this floor
sir one object have in addressing the Senate the pre-
occasions vindcae the resolutions presented herr
em the State which in part represent Those resolutions
have been the object of very concistory comment AL
most every ephet in the whole category Of opprobrinm hal
been bestowed them Sir believe vindicate those
resolutions before the Senate and before the wod They
have been sir rscsnceved here and nos grossly misre
presented elsewhere. They have been pronounced th
hocr offensive, violent opprobous, vituperative unjust
insulting, reasonable, and untrue Sir if there any tne
left in the category Of approbrum bestowed upon them
II may well be regarded sorpusage
Let revert to- the resolutions themselves. Ihave sac
that they have been misconsued Sir theyave beer
egregonsy misconoeived have the capacity
Judge They drawn not perhaps skilluly they
ought to be- The language is perhaps not precisely what
others would have employed express The sentiments
fsvll resd them. The first resolution asserts--
sThat slavery isarme against humanity sore evil
the body polite, that excused by the trainers the Fede
raj a. crime entailed the country by their
preecessors and tolerated thing necessity
The other day took the liberty Of emaking that the
ment here expressed was the general sentiment of the civil
ned wosd. In making this remark really regarded II
Eaher commonplace Il seems however, have been re.
ceved offensive, and considered probably
the resolutions themselves considered convey
sive imPutaon Sir, when made the remark, considered
that these cast mputaon portion Of this
Union. regarded the resolutions merely expressing On
abstract opinion directly duplicating nobody and having this
view Of their pupo felt liberty endorse them although
il had regarded the resolution containing offensive i'm
putaon any portion Of the Union should probably have
avoided the But these resolutions merely express
e,strect onnion What In slsvc,v