The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-02-05

/ tribunal had been adverse to the pretcnsions
Of the Soul-it docs not become me TO say
what would have been their future course
but, sir, | desire to know whether there is !
not, a, this moment, the same readiness TO
try, for the first Instance, at least the consti |
tutional remedy, before other and more ex-
trem0 measures should be adopted Sir, |
that was, in my judgment, the correct meth |
cd. That pill if it had been properly I'M
dcrsiood, would have been satisfactory to
the entire people of the Union but it was
unfortunately the victim of demagogism-
the expression is perhaps harsh one--it
was unfortunately the victim of msconcep-
ton and misrepresentation on the part Of
some whose policy it was 10 keep up the ex-
element The people of the North were
made 10 believe it involved an abandonment
OF their pretensons, when, in reality so far
as the powers of Congress could 20, il was
precisely the reverse. Its only redeeminp
feature in the estimation of those gentlemen
of the South who concurred in the report of
the committee was the very fact that under
all this legislation lies this constitutional ques-
tion-there was a ground on which they
were willing to rest their claims. That bill
has been called a compromise. 1t was such
in one aspect only. 1t conceded the legisla-
tive action TO the North, while it reserved TO
the South the constitutional question upon
which the validity of that action depended.
But, sir, | will trouble the Senate for a We
ry few moments longer. j am reluctant 10
follow his subject further but, having said
what have, may perhaps be excused for
looking little further into the future. Sir,
if, through the instrumentality Of separate
independent State action, the operations Of
this Government arc to be suspended, it may
be well to inquire what then might be the
position in which we shall find ourselves?
Sir, il there is TO be a secession from this
Union on the part of the South--which l
hope will never be the case but if there
should be, what then becomes of this purpose
of carrying the institution of slavery into
the Territories BY any such secession the
Territories will be left the property of the
remaining portion of the Union, The South,
by abandoning The Union, will abandon their
interest in these Territories and their con-
troll over them. Such, upon ordinary prin-
ciplcs, will be the result. Well, sir, what
then becomes of the project of extending
slavery into the tcrritories-this great object,
for which gentlemen seem willing to hazard
/! so much Sir, there will be out ore way
f there will be but one mode Of carrying it
# out, and that mode will be by conquest-a
' conquest VI lilOSc lIOul tHc power
j of those States which still adhere to the Tn.
J. ion.
: Sir, if measures Of this kind are resorted
= to for the purpose OF extending the ins'itu-
. ton OF slavery, or if they arc persisted in, |
e know of no possible result but civil war, in
l. order to obtain the conquest of the Terrific
Z, ries from the free States.
Sir, will pursue This subject no further
tho siuopstion that eurh t,av ha tho issrp Is
II enough of itself. If the possibility of such
an issue is net Of itself sufficient to excite
: reflection and induce caution, all the powers
~ of language cannot add one feathers weight
i to It's force.
" MIR. President, have already detained
l. the Senate loo long, but having been called
al upon to meet the subject here, thought il
1T my duty to meet it boldly, and at the SAINT
le time temperately. ! deprecate all excitin,
10 debate on the subject. am disposed TO viev
n it more c9olly as the subject rises in mpor
10 tancc. Sir, would sooner quarrel about
~. triile than would yield to excitement in re
j. gard TO Il topic which of all others, seem
ID most to cndanger the harmony aud perhap
al thasFtability of this Union. Inject it boldly
n because the sentiments expressed in the res
l. olutions of my own State. however they MA,
Ie differ from the sentiments prevailing else
= where, are those whcl my constituency en-
q terrain, and which my own State, as q mem
10 Der Of this Union has n perfect right to Gn
Ne tertan and express They arc sentiment
bearing directly on the action of this body
ne on the most important subject before it, AM
il perhaps upon the most important topic tina
e. will ever come before it. Upon such que:
a ton il is right of any and every State {
u this Union to express itself in language sal
", isfactory to itself
~ Sir. regret that Senators should hay
#. thought il proper, ia reference to my col
Nv league MIR UPHAM and myself to charg
a upon US the unnecessary exhibition Of thcs
it, sentiments, the unnecessary and culpablc &c
h i,ation of the subject here. Sir, the right {
srl my State. and of any State in this Union, {
ny speak its sentiments in this manner, shoul
I" not be, is not questioned. The only mapne
in which a State can speak here is throug
nd her representatives on this floor. VIII it b
as contended that if such expressions shout
e. happen not TO be palatabe TO every gent,
d. man on this floor, that in regard to a topi
of- thus important il is the duty of the repre-
We sentative to pocket the solemn resolutions
n his constituency, and suppress their opinions
p Sir, in presenting these resolutions m
u colleague conforned TO the uniform practic
ng of the Senate, and | was not little SUI
W prised that exception should be taken to th
Id course, after listening to the expires ions c
ar gentlemen from other quarters, in relatio
i'd to the determination of the States they reI
le- resent. Sir it is the right it is the duty {
Sc, these gentlemen to express the opinions {
u the States they represent. take no exceT
ed ton to the very decided tone in which, i
his some instances, this has been done. But
er may be permitted to express my surprs
ed that, while gentlemen volunteer, upon thei
n own responsibility, not only to express til
lr. opinion of their States, but to announce dc
sr- termination-GXed and unalterabe pnrpos'
m which may lead to measures Of the last e'
be tremity-we should be censured for present
,er ing the expression of opinion emana'in
We from the Legislature, The representatives {
ca the people of our State.
be Mr.. President repeat it, this subject
les one which OF all others, | would avoid, if
en- could avoid it consistently with my dut!
M But the time has come when it cannot be 4
voided. My apology, if one be necessar!
i'll for trespassing upon the time of the Senate
ost is to be found in the fact that the opinion
ri expressed by the Legislature OF my Stat
ed have been commented upon in tone an
eS- with a severity which rendered it my dut,
st, as the representative OF the State, to Wind
on cate those opinions and those who expresse
IN them.