The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-08-22

come up Ior our Adoptiou. i stated In the outset
that 1t was not myself who was responsible for the
premature presentation Of the proposition
this BILL IL II pssses is bill which is to sbut N
doors against New Mexico when she shall coma
here with her Constitution In her hands, and w;,h
her delegates here, to maintain and support no.
rights She is turned adrift without MAKING h..
appearance, and therefore 1t is that am prepsrad
for one, upon the information | have, 10 % ~,
her admission in order to secure her her r;oht.
Other Senators may act they in their discrs,;o.
may think right and proper. They will hava
their own reasons, have no doubt, to Justify ,hsr
selves to their constituents in regard to the W.T.
they shall give WV
MIR HALE. concur with the honorable Ca,
ator from New Jersey in what he has said in -.
gard to the amendment Of the Senator from NJ
York, asa for not voting forit cannot VOTE
for the proposition for another reason, which he
has not adverted to- and that is, because tbosa &c
US who have contended against the piline Of in.
congruous measures in one bill, should preserve
our consistency If it is worth preserving. II do nor
myself consider 1t Of any very great valuel and 90
against increasing the load for If California;
back was bent by what was already piled unon
it, this certainly would not tighten the burdsn
For that reason would have preferred that this
proposition should have been presented in A df.
ferent shape.
But there was one remark of the Senator from
Maryland that | wish to advert to. | do not
know that understand the precise offence which
the Senator from New ork has committed. for
which the honorable Senator from Maryland has
suggested his expulsion Ii il be the announce.
ment that there was higher law than the Consti.
tuition, and which We are bound to obey at ALI
times and at all hazards, myself ought to be ex
PEELED, because believe it. ] thought when the
Senate went into the choice of chaplain to per-
form the ceremony of offering prayer and sup
plicstion, that we did recognise that there was
higher Power over US, and l have not heard of
late years that it was crime to recognise power
higher than human power.
Mr.. PRATT lin his seat No one denies that
Mr.. HALE. do remember, recorded in ancient
and sacred history, an occasion somewhat analo-
gous to this II is recorded that on certain oc-
casion the princes and governors and mighty men
of the realm got together, and suggested to the
king Of Babylon to publish decree that whOev-
er should put up any prayer or petition toany
other than the king for the space Of three days,
III was limited to three days only, let il be
remembered) should be cast into den of
lions and l have not heard that that decree
was enforced but three days. The operation was
such that it never was renewed in the kingdom Of
Babylon; and have never heard Of any country,
civilized or savage, where ii has been cff6e 70
acknowledge, as individuals or as members Of an
organized Government, that there is o Power
higher thar your Constitution there is q
King of kings, and Lord Of lords, before
whose face the stubborn pride Of the Republic
must bend the knee.
Mr. FooTE MIR. President, will the Senator
allow me to ask him
Mr. HALE. will get through in a moment
Mr. FooTE. 1t is only a short question.
NJ otr / ~so Ne linz Ia n,,f
distinctly before us. wish we might, as individ-
uals understand whether it is necessary to seat on
this floor for US to put the provisions Of our Con-
stitution above the behest of the King Of kings.
What an idle mockery it is to stand up and rev.
erently kiss the Holy Book, and call upon Him
to help us to maintain its preeepts, when in our
hearts we maintain that our Constitution is above
even His supreme authority Sir, il this is crime,
am criminal. If the Senate is to be expurgated
Of everybody who believes that sentiment, let the
work commence, and let it commence now. Let
the preamble show the offence of which they are
guilty; that is, that they believed, high and ex-
allied the sentiments they entertain Of the wis
dom and power of the Constitution which our
fathers formed-that they irreverently believed
that there was Power higher even than that
power, to which republicans as well as kings must
bow in submission II 1t be a crime, sir, plead
guilty to it. will not put the Senator from
Maryland nor anybody else to the trouble of
proving it. admit It, believe II. Sir, l be-
leve that you have nc right even to bring the su-
premacy of your Republic into conflict with the
commands Of the Most High. believe that SEN
timent In its broadcast sense, and have heretofore
supposed that in the action Of our Government
and the sentiment Of our Government, We had not,
in the plenitude of our power and in the unbri-
bled state Of our pride, come to that pitch Of pre-
k,r~~ &k-o - - a..
against the Constitution to bow reverently to the
power Of the Most High.
Mr.. PRATT. 1t is very easy matter, sir,
when an argument based upon one state of facts
is made, to answer it by making an argument
upon another state of facts which was never
dreamed Of by the party who made the argument
in the first case. Does the Senator from New
Hampshire say in his place that he understood
me to say did not believe in Supreme Power
that objected to the Senator from New York for
looking to Supreme Power as higher law than
any human law2 Did the Senator so understand
me? He knows he did not and yet he has got
up here, in the manner in which he usually ar
CUES using set of phrases which, however well
they may suit certain occasions and however
they may exhibit the talents of the author Of
them, will not apply to every occasion, and have
not Just as much application to one state Of facts
as another He assumes the facts to suit the
phrases, and not his speech to suit the facts.
Now, sir, | never said and am sure there is
not Senator who hears me who does not believe
that have higher respect for that Supreme
Power, whose name is so frequently desecrated
here, than the Senator from New Hampshire.
Mr.. HALE. Order!
THE Reporter feels called upon to state that
he understood the Senator to say "whose name
is 30 frequently desecrated by the Senator from
New Hampshire and so he took down the words
at the instant they were uttered; but, upon fur
ther reflection, considering that the sentence
would have been incomplete by inserting the
proposition by" and that by the Senator's let
ting his voice fall after the word Anew Hsmp-
shiren he intended to finish the sentence, the
Reporter is forced to the conclusion that his ear
was mistaken.
The PRESIDENT. The Senator must not make
any reflection.
Mr.. PRATT. | have not made any
MIR. HALE. call the Senator to order
Mr.. PRATT. have yet to learn that telling
the truth is out of order.
The PRESIDENT. The Senator will take his
seat until the question of order is stated by the
Senator from New Hampshire
MIR. HALE. understood the gentleman TO cay
that frequently desecrsted the name Of the Most
High.
Mr.. FooTE lin his seat He did not say 80.
The President. The Senator from New
Hampshire will reduce his words to writing
Mr. HALE, having reduced the words to wri-
ting, passed them TO the Chair.
The PRESIDENT The words, as written down
by the Senator from New Hampshire, are, that
" the name Of the Most High is frequently desc
Grated by that Senator
MIR. Hale. | have not had time to put down
the connection in which they occurred, but thss
is part Of the language | understood him to
utter.
Mr.. PRArr. said $50 frequently desecrsted
in the Senate
Mr.. CHASE Msy1 be allowed to suggest thsf