The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-04

tate the subject Of slavery. have adhered to that
declaration. have been no agitator. Ihave sym
pathized with no fanatics. | have defended the
rights and interests and principles of the North,
TO the best of my ability, wherever and whenever
have found them assailed; but have enlisted in
no crusade upon the institutions of the South !
have esehewed and abhorred ultraism at both ends
OF the Union. ga plague o. both your houses"
has been my constant ejaculation; and it is alto
gether natural, therefore, that both their houses
should cry plague on me! would not have it
otherwise. dote on their dislike. covet their
opposition. desire no other testimony TO the gen
eral propriety of my own course than their re-
proaches thank my God that he has endowed
me, if with other gifts with spirit of modera-
tion, which incapaciaes me for giving satisfaction
to ultraists anywhere and on any subject, Ifthey
were to speak well of me, should be compelled to
exclaim, like one of old, "what bad thing have
done, that such men praise me?'
The only thing which have to regret Mr.. Chair
man, is that these various charges could not have
been made against me in one and the same debate,
and on one and the same day. They would then
have effectually answered each other. They would
then have fairly shamed each other out of court,
and should have been spared the necessity of even
this brief allusion to them.
But, sir, the list Of my accusers is not vet COM
plete. Another honorable member from Ohio, (Mr
RooT,) has recently taken the field against me, and
has fit to make what if 1t were entirely pa Ria
mentary, should be constrained to call some very
mpertinent allusions to my in reference to
resolution of his, which recently laid on the
table. was accidentally in the Senate Chamber
when his speech was delivered, but nv attention
has been called to it in late number Of the Con-
gressional Globe
Sir, when the honorable member first offered his
resolution, some weeks since, united with my
friends of the free States in saving il from the fate
which it then merited, and which it has since re-
celved. thought 1t then most premature and
precipitate movement, and there are those near me
who can bear witness, that Notwithstanding my
exalted sense of the honorable members habitual
wisdom and Drudeuce i could mt
clamation-
"Thus fools rush in, where angels fear to tread!'
yielded, however, to the suggestion of those
around me, that it might be precipitate to lay it
on the table at once, as it was to offer it; and that
there would be no harm in taking time to consider
it. fortnight interviewed, and did consider it in
all its bearings. And as the honorable member has
been so plain and unceremonious with me, in
ascribng motives and calling names, shall be
equally plain and unceremonious with him. i'm tell
ing him what thought of his resolution
regarded it, Mr. Chairman, considering all the
circumstances Of Congress and of the country, as
one OF the most mischievous propositions ever intro
duced into this House. ] regarded it as mschiey-
in its inevitable consequences and as mischiey-
Gus in its deliberate design. | came to the concu-
sion that the honorable member for the sake of a
little miserable notoriety, had wantonly put in
peril the very of which he professed to be the
peculiar champion-that for the sake of playing
captain and marching ahead of the music, he had
been willing to take the risk of sacrificing the very
fortress Of which he assumed to be the defender /
believed, in word, sir, that if that resolution
were persevered IN, in the existing condition of this
House and OF the country, all hope of practical legs
lation would be extinguished-the great measure of
the admission Of California, a State into this
Union, would be impeded obstructed and finally
defeated; and that the session would be one pro-
tracted scene of strife, confusion and discord
And why, then, sir, entertaining these views of
the resolution, did not vote upon the second mo-
ton TO lay il the table9 For this is the part of
m conduct which he hon ,h.rh
in such especial dudgeon, and which he has
made the pretext for applying TO me certain contu-
meous epithets.
Well, now, l do confess, Mr. Chairman. that I
was little malicious in Withholding my vote on
this particular occasion. IL would have been 30
very gratifying to the honorable member, if he
could have only had me once fairly on the record,
where he has never yet had me- against a resolu-
ton containing, one of its elements, the Wilmot
proviso II would have furnished such an excel
lent apology for him and his friends for having
voted against Inc as Speaker, and for having
thrown the organization Of this House into the hands
OF a Southern Democrat IL would have been such
telling Free Soil card in the next canvass in the
fourth district of Massachusetts, 70 say nothing of
the twenty first district, think it is, Of Ohio In
deed, sir, il was certainly little cruel 10 deprive
the honorable member OF an advantage upon which
he had SO confidently calculated.
But believe il is Solomon who has said, ''Surely
IN vain Is the net spread in the sight of any bird -
Sir, saw the trap which the honorable member
had laid Tor me. knew that he and his peculiar
friends were lying in wait for me. ! knew that
they were seeking 10 find a justification after the
evenf, for an opposition 10 me for which they had
30 little apology beforehand. ! saw that he had
framed his resolution 30 that whether had voted
Tor II or against IL, we should be placed in false
position. II we voted not to lay il on the table,
and seemingly sustained the resolution we were
to be held up as abandoning General Taylor and
the Administration. II we voted TO lay il ON
the table, we were TO be denounced as enemies
to the principles Of the ordinance of 's7 under.
stand that the honorable member said, in advance
that he would either have our votes or our sculp,
know not the precise meaning which is 10 be at
tached 10 this humane and elegant expression II
he really used il. IL might be well, perhaps, to
refer II, for inquiry, 10 the Committee on Indian
Afairs. If he only intended, by this tomahawk |
threat. that he would deal few stabs at my thar
acter behind my back, he Is welcome 10 all the |
glory Of the exploit. But whatever he meant did |
not intend that he should have either nv vote or |
my scalp, If could help il; and seeing that my |
vote would make no difference TO the result, de- |
clned 10 crafty his desire 10 ensnare me And
now, because the trap Of the honorable member
failed 20 work, in the only case ia which IL was of
special importance for him that il should work he
dies into passion, strips of his neck-cloth, and
begins TO scold about dodging and skulkingl
Why, sir, the honorable member forrets him.
'elf Certainly, his speech forgets itseif--for in
he very same paragraph in which he upbraids me
or my course in this case, he describes his own
course in another case as entirely identical with
Dne, than that which the honorable member him.
'elf has furnished me out of his own mouth Hear
what he says, sir, 10 his conduct at the late
election;
" IL was nothing more (says he) but game al
he best. neither wanted 10 cheat nor 10 be
cheated. and hence took no part in H. Tsfood
,uf."
Does IL not lie admirably in his mouth 10 charge
'thers with skukng, and 10 exclsim so hcroicaIly,
1T 10 better 10 vote wrong than TO dodge" when
n the very same breath, he is boasting that he
kulked himself from the great Presidential strug.
RE
Nor is this the only instance Of the same sort in
he honorable members history. What else but
lodging was his conduct in the protracted contest
or the speakershipi What did he do, but throw
way his vote TO the end on an impossible candi.
late What did the eight peculiar Free -Soilers de-
ut pair off, four from each party and, by neu.
rslizng each other, virtually not vote at a-vir.
usliy dodge, by refusing to vote 80 AZ TO make
ny difference to the RESULT Sir there are those
ere who believe that the first great desertion Of
orthern principles at this session has been exhib.
led by those who have thrown the organization of
his House into the hands Of a southern Democrat.
" that, the honorable member stands convicted. ,
md, my opinion is, that any one, who considers
ne adroit and ingenious manner in which il WA,
one, by seeming to vote and yet practically not ,
oting at all-wil come 10 the conclusion that. II