The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-08-07
SPEECH
OF the Hon. George w. Jones,
OF IOWA

Of the Hon. George w. Jones,
OF IOWA.
Made in the Senate of the United States, July 16
1850, on presenting the Resolutions Of the d.
oenport and Ioaca City Conventions upon the
Compromise Bill.
Mr.. President, desire to present to the Sen
ate, an evidence of public feeling in Iowa,
certain resolutions which were unanimously a.
dopted on the 5th of the past month, at nu-
merously attended Democratic Convention,
which was held at Davenport in that State, to
nominate a candidate for Congress for the End
district in the State, at which convention Lin
coin Clark Esq. was nominated He, sir, was
one of the late Cass and Butler electors, who,
with my honored and esteemed colleague, trav-
ersed our State, and proclaimed upon the stump,
before the people, their opposition to freesoilsm,
abolitionism, and every other ism which is cal
cuated to divide the American Democracy
They then sustained, in the most enthusiastic
and bold terms, the doctrine of non-intervention
as set forth in the Nicholson letter of the can
ddate Of our party tor President of the United
States. The people of the whole State, at the
ballot box, in November, 1S49, sustained the
course of our presidential electors by electing
them, and by electing democratic aorities in
both branches of our legislature; which legisla-
ture, after electing my colleague and myself to
the Senate, refused in the most emphatic man
ner to instruct us to vote for the Wilmot Provi-
so. Sir, we consider that act of our legislature
as high compliment to ourselves, and as evil
dence of the wisdom and patriotic spirit of the
noble, generous, and confdng people whose
faithful representatives had elected us. Similar
resolutions to these were also adopted at the
Democratic convention in the LIST district, but
copies of which have not now before me to
present to the Senate.
The second set of Resolutions, Mr.. President,
come to US from the largest & most respectable
body Of the Democracy of our State, which has
perhaps ever assembled within its limits 1t
met at the seat of government of our State, on
| the 18th of last month"; for the purpose and NOM
mated candidates for Governor, Secretary of
State, Auditor, Treasurer, and other high func-
tionaries, all of whom are decided ant-Proviso
men, and anxious for reconciliation of our pre-
sent difficulties 1t is needless to say, Mr. Pres
ident, that my colleagues and myself have re-
ceived with pleasure these emanations of the
feelings of the democracy of Iowa, according as
they do, with our oft repeated declarations and
votes in this body. Although no such express
ions have come to us from them as party,
will not do the Wings Of our state the injustice
to suppose that any respectable portion Of them
| are opposed to the spirit of these resolutions, &
an early pacifcaton of our councils here by the
passage of the Compromise bill of the Commit
tee of Thirteen, or some other kindred measure
Both of the candidates of the Wing party for
Congress, learn, in the State, are anti-Proviso
men. Sir, have all the time been decidedly
I of the opinion that the better way to settle our
difficulties in relation to our new yacqured Ter
| ritores was by means Of an s'omnibus bill" if
gentlemen see fit so to call it-ay, sir, bill that
shall embrace all the elements Of discord which
are now threatening the peace and harmony, if
not the continuance of our noble government as
a unit. Sir, in the incipent steps, [ voted to
keep California disconnected from other terrific
rial measures. A little reflection soon convlnc-
ed me that was then in error and that it will
be better to keep California ont, composed as
the parties in the House of Representatives are,
until all the questions connected with the Terri
torres and slavery are adjusted.
My residence OF several years in slave States,
has convinced ME that the evils of which free
sellers and abo]tionists complain, are more at
trlbutablc to the fanaticism of their own brains
than the sutferings Of the "poor saves;' and.
on the other hand, sir, that the free man Of col
or is neither better fed, better Clad nor more con-
tented in mind, than the slaves of Kentucky,
Missouri, or Arkansas.
In a large correspondence, Mr. President
equal, perhaps, to that of any member of Con-
gress-l have received from my constituents g.
friends, not one letter which takes ground a.
galnst the Compromise bill. All are anxious
for its speedy passage-no one doubling, if it
should become a law that it will settle this ne
gro question, or at least until another addition of
territory is acquired, which no one now antici-
patcs
Anxious as am for the admission of Califor
MA, am unwilling that it should be done, and
the other sores on the body polite left to tester,
and ultimately, perhaps, to destroy the whole
system, when the means of healing all at once
are at our command, and can be safely and ad-
vantageously applied. The people of the Ter
ritores are quite as much, and, in my opinion,
more in need of the fostering care Of the parent
government than those of California are-they
now having an organized government and the
strength to support themselves.
Since the receipt of these resolutions, have
seen an extract, taken from ,chig paper, call
ed the Des Mones Courier, which pronounces
my colleague and myself 'spro-siarery men,
md says that ''they do not truly represent the
feelings and wishes of the people of Iowa, but a
very small portion ofthem, known as the Dodge
clique Now, sir, this editor is the only per
son that have heard of in Iowa, occupying a
public or private position, who has seen fit to
condemn our course. He is one of a family, two
Or three of whose members are fed at the public |
crib, and are now enjoying Offices from which
good democrats were removed; and they are,
or were expecting at the hands of our late Chief
Magistrate, still further rewards for their loyal
ty to him and his course of policy in reference
to the all consuming and agitating questions of
the day-a hired editor, sir, who believing that
''the laborer is worthy of his hire has seen fit
to castgate us for pursuing a course which we
honestly believe will conduce to the peace, pros
perity, and happiness, not only of our own peo-
pie, but of those of every other section of the
Union: AS before remarked, sir, the views of
my colleague were proclaimed aloud by him in
every organised county Of our State. My own
were not SO heralded; but wherever qcas known
it was distinctly understood that entertained
views and expressed opinions coinciding with
his and those of the noble standard bearers of
our party for President and Vice President of
the United States in the last Presidential cleo
ton. We are accused, too, of following the lead
fthe distinguished patriot of Kentucky, mr.
Clay in our votes for the Compromise bill.
This consider high compliment; because, sir,
am entirely certain that his course now will
tend, as it did when the Missouri Compromise
act was passed under his guidance, to promote
the interests of the nation. When these are at
stake, would despse myself if could not
look beyond and above mere party considera-
tons. Sir widely as l differ with that venera-
ted man upon almost crery political question of
the day-sternly as | know him to be attached
tn the tpnetS Of the Marty IF whom he NAV i,,ct