The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-01

clplea advocated by the slaychplding states Ia re
laton Ia cheap labor and cheap goods The cotton
growing interests Of the slaveholdine States haS
united with the spinning interests OF England. ant
the result of this coalition the tariff act of 1916
which had proved so disastrous TO several portions
OF the country. lie concluded by recaptuIatne
the grounds OF his opposition to the bill, and th,
reasons why he could not vote for it,
Mr. COOPER said that he did not intend TO have
SAID any thing on this bill, but IL had been so grose
y misreprescnted and distorted, that he felt called
upon 10 state the way he should vote for tho
bill The bill had been most unjustly denounced.
and its provisions iiagranty misreprescntcd at the
North and else where, and those of the North who had
given TO ii their support, particularly the Wings,
had been denounced traitors 10 the principles OF
freedom, traitors 10 the President and the party,
and had been declared almost as outlaws from the
great party to which he belonged.
This bill had been declared as an infamous mca.
sure. Democratic Senators had also been de-
nounced; but he did not know what punishment
was held out for them. IL had been said that those
who would vote for this bill would forfeit their of
fees of honor and trust, and IT would appear that
those who set themselves up the proper judges OF
the conduct OF Senators considered that the loss OF
Office the greatest possible calamity that could
bciull public man. He alluded 10 the sentiments
of the people Of Pcnnsy vania, and to their deep
and unceasng devotion to the Union. He thought
that this measure, when properly explained and
laid before them, would meet their support. II was
not such bill, in all respects they desired or
they would frame, but il the best which, IN
der all the circumstances, could be obtained In it
principle which his State held sacred was vio-
lated, and the subject III which they have deep in
terest ID left open and free.
The Senator from Massachusetts (Nlr. DAvIs)
had taken the ground that the ordinance of 'S7 had
made the northwest territory out of which had been
formed hvc States, tree forever. He did not agree
with the Senator to the full extent of that remark
He believed that ii was the sentiment Of the people,
the same sentiment which had abolished slavery
III New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and other
States and which would, IN all probability clear it
out of Delaware in few years, that had made those
States free, and not the ordinance of 1857. Ii could
not be denied that if the people of either of those
States had desired it, slavery would have been in
troduced there despite of any ordinance of Con
gross.
The Senator had introduced the proceedings of
the Massachusetts convention into this discussion,
and he thought the connexion of that matter with
this bill was somewhat strange. But If ii had any
thing To do with the subject at all, these proceed
ings showed that the members Of that convention
stood side by side with the Senator in opposition to
this bill. He objected to being placed, because of
his support of this bill, in connexion with the mem
hers of that convention; they were high minded
and honorable men, but he had no sympathy with
their movements
The Senator, however, and his friends who OPP
pose this bill, are placed in connexion with the
members OF this convention because they close
~ united III opposition TO this BILL The Senator
had also somewhat strangely connected this bill of
compromise with the expedition against Cuba.
What copnexion had the honorable chairman of
the Committee OF Thirteen with Gen. Lopez? What
conncxion had the Senators who supported this bill
with Lopez or his companions? He could see no
conncxlon between the two subjects; unless (and
he disclaimcd imputing any such motive to the
Senator) the object was 10 create prejudice at the
North against this bill. He thought this was uG-
just 10 the bill, and unjust to those who supported
IT. He would have enough To do 10 meet his con
sttuents, and satisfy reasonable objections which
may be urged against the bill, without being called
upon to answer preIudiccs which were created
without st
He thought that there great similarity in the
reasons urged by the Senator against the passage
OF this bill, and those urged by the Nashville .
vention. One opposed il because il was no COM
promisc-but a total concession to the South the
other opposed it because it no compromise, but
total concession to the North the Senator also
said that the North has always conceded every
thing TO the South, and il ia time to assert its
rights the Nashville convention said that the South
have always conceded every thing to til. North and
1t ia now time to assert lite rights
The Senator had also opposed the settlement of
the Texas boundary question proposed by the bill,
and had illustrated his reasons for doing because
there had been a boundary line in dispute between
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island for nearly two
hundred years, and had been settled without difh-
Guilty He had often IN court been pressed for illus
tratons, and had sometimes introduced some which
very far fetched, but he did not think that he
was ever 80 hard driven TO introduce such IL
lustration this. In the the tract in dis
pute was of but little value, and of small extent,
the dispute had continued would never have led to
any serious results. In the other case there was a
great extent of territory involving serious ques-
tons, and which If not settled by some adjustment
would result in strife and perhaps bloodshed.
lie then alluded 10 the charges which had been
made against those Whigs who supported this bill
Of having deserted the plan Of the President. He
said that ~hat called the plan Of the Presd ent
was transmitted in his message 70 Congress under
circumstances, and under an aspect Of affairs very
different from what now existed He believed that
affairs had greatly changed since the time Of that
message, and that II the President were now called
upon 10 submit plan, II would be far more com
prchcnsive than the ono which had then been sent
10 Congress. But notwithstanding this change in
the aspect Of things, there those wro adhere TO
what j. called the Presidents plan, aud who de-
nounce all, and who are for excluding from the
party all who do not endorse and support that plan
lie did not think the President was one Of those
who expected that all Of the party who elected him
should support whatever he recommended How
long bad IT been since opposition TO executive inter
ference had ceased 10 be a principle Of the Wing
party, lie had always been opposed 20 executive
interference, and had opposed the Democratic party
ON that ground.
The President aso held the same doctrine Nj.
{. then read from letter written by the President
10 Captain Allison, in which he disapproyed Of all
interference by the Executive with the Legislative
branches of the Government, TO influence the
opinions Of its members
Mr.. &. here gave way ~ tho motion and the sub.
jet was postponed I'LL Monday.
Mr.. KING moved, and the Senate proceeded 10
the consideration Of Executive business and short.
ly afterwards adjourned.