The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-03-12


ures that looked to War and | declared
myselfin favor Of measures FOR the main
lenancc of Peacel
But ] cnge thc honorable member
and lis friends to fnd explanations for
themselves I, is enough for me to pro-
nounce the charge 10 be false, and to
prove it to be so. Having done this, |
now hold it up to the House and oihe
country as fair sample of the charges
which have been arraycd against me
from tho same quarter. Er mn, disco
omncS.
Sir, have done with these. personali-
ties. They have not been Of my seek,
ling. They are unnatural and rcyoltng
to my disposition. am entirely new
to this style of debate. During ten
years occupancy of seat in this Hoase,
| have never before had occasion to re-
sort to it. Itrust that may never have
another such occasion But | could no
longer submit in silence TO such gross
aud groundless aspcrsions. Gentlemen
may vote against me, whenever they
please. There is no Office in the gift of
the House, Of tho people, or Of the
President, which coyet, or for which
would quarrel with any one for not
giving me his support. But no man
shall SANDER me with impunity. No
man shall peryert and inisrcpresenl my
words and acts, and (alslfy the record Of
my public career, without exposure.
+ That career has been one Of humble
pretension, and presents no claim ofds-
tlngushed service of atty sort. But
such as it is, am willing that it should
be investigated. Examine the record.
There may be votes upon it which re-
qure eXpl. nation votes about which
honest men may differ votes as to hich
| myself may have doubted at the time,
and may still doubt. But examine the
record fairly and candidly nothing ex-
tenuate, nor set down aught in malice
and you will find that | have neither
been false to the North or to the South,
to the East or to the West. Nnu will
find that while | have been true TO my
constituents, have been true, also. to
the Constitution and to tile Unlon. This,
at least, know, sir-my conscience this
day bearing me wiiness-that have
been true TO myself, 10 my own honest
IjudI dIment, to my own clear convictions
Of right, Of duty, and Of patriotism.
And we all remember how justly, AZ
well as how nobly, it has been said;
This above ALTO tlac oan self be truo.
And it must f,o., as the night the day
Thou can.t not then be fal.c to any man.
And now Mr. Chairman, would
gladly turn 10 some serious cousidera,
ton Of the great questions Of tie day,
but am adwonished that my hour is al
most exhausted and must reserve what
had proposed to say OIL these topics to
another and trus, en early opporluni>
ty.-llaviny once swept this offensive
rubbish Of personalities out Of my path,
shall no longer be obstructed in deal
ing with the wcightler matters which are
before MS. cannot conclude, however.
on this occasion, without few distinct
declarations.
In the iirs. place. sir, have no hes-
talion in saying, that the admission Of
California into the Union as a State un-
der the constitution which she has her
self adopted, is. in my Judgment, the
first and greatest measure to he accnm-
plished at the present session of Cons
gress. For that am ready and shall
bring to it whatever powers possess.
In the second place, do not believe
that slavery does now exist, or can ever
exist, in any ol the Territories recently
acquired from Mexico, without the pos
tive sanction of law. And such a sane
ton, |, for cne, shall never aid in giving
In the third place, sir, while reserve
TO myself the full liberty to act and to
vote upon every question which may
hereafter arise, as my Judgment at iha
time and under the circumstances may
dictate, have no hesitation in express
/ ing my opinion, that The plan proposed
by the President Of the United States, ls
the plan To which we must come at last,
for the settlement of these exciting and
difficult questions do not say that il
Is the plan of all others which some of
lis could have wished to carry cut. But
the question is not, what we wish, but
what can We accomplish. II to do,
were rs easy as TO know what it Wcro
good to do chapcls had been churches.
and poor mems cottages, rich mems pal
aces" We mnst aim at som1hin5
practical and practicable. The Prcsi,
dent has done So; aud by following cut
his suggestions. believe Southern sen-
bilities may be alaJed, Northern prln-
cples satisfactorily yindicaied, domestic
peace maintained, and the American Ur-
ION preserved
And, Mr.. Chairman, the american
UHioH must be yesvgcd. | speak ior
Faneml Hail. No, for Fanenil Hail,
occupied as ii sometimes has been, 10y
an Anti-Slsyery, or a Liberty party, CON
vcnlion, denouuoing the Consultation
aud Government under which We live.
aud breathing lhrealonings and Slaughter
against all who support them but for
Faneuil Hall, ihronged as it has been So
often in times past. and as It viii be so
often for a thousand generations in timoa
to come, by as intelligent, honest, and
patriotic people as lhe sun ever shono
upon IL speak for Faneuil Hall, aud
for the great masses ol true hearted A.
merican Freemen, without Distinction
Of parry, who delight To dwell beneath
lis shadow, and 10 gather beneath lis
roof - speak for Fancuil Han, when
say, "the Union of these States, must
ioI, shall not, be dissolved !"