The republic., 1851-06-11

the consideration of the River and Harbor bill
Mr.. DAVIS, of Massachusetts, Mr. BELL, and
Mr. CLAY urged immediate action on the bill.
Mr.. CAss had not word to say on the~sub-
ject. Mr.. HuNrER, Mr.. BRADBURY, MIR.
FooTE, and other DEMocRATIc Senators,
voted against the motion OF Mr.. BADGER.
Then came in Mr.. DOUGLAS, towards the close
Of the debate, with an apology for voting to
take up the bill. 1t would not answer for him
t. vote against the motion of Mr. BADGER;
but then it was also desirable to propitiate Mr..
RHETr and the anti-improvement party in the
two Houses, and to help along the decree of the
Senatorial caucus. Il shall vote to take up this
bill at this time" said Senator DOUGLAS, for
the reason that desire to have an opportunity to
state for what part Of the bill / am IN .fapor,
and ,chat part am against, teith pie,o Of
trying to put il IN such shape that zoe can
pass 1t. That will be my reason for voting
: to take it up" Alas, for Young America
up the bill, without word of explanation or
excuse.
Such were the indications thrown out by
these honorable Senators upon Mr.. BADGERS
motion in the Senate to take up the bill. Cen
eral CAss sat mute. He'was willing that his
Black river friends should 90 to the wall, if
they could be saved only by his lifting voice
in their behalf. If the bill was TO be taken up,
he was resolved to be innocent OF having aided
it, otherwise than by vote. Judge DOUGLAS
was still more cautious, and apparently still
more anxious to avert the indignation of the
Abstractionists. He thought it necessary to
give his reasons for voting to take up the bill
1t was not enough that all the world knew the
views and wishes of his immediate constitu-
ents, and Of all the people of the North
West, without distinction of party. One might
well imagine that the notoriety Of their predi-
lections might have saved son Of theirs the
necessity Of any explanation. But not so
thought Senator DOUGLAs. To concilate the
Abstractionists, and the 'sorthodOx republi-
cans" of the Richmond school, he stopped so
far as to make an humble apology to these gen
tlemen for the vote he was about to give. He
assured them, in effect, that they need not
draw any inference unfavorable to his ortho-
doxy from that vote, because he only intended
to vote for improving the bill, SO as TO render
it acceptable to the majority of the Senate;
while, at the same time, every member Of the
Senate knew perfectly well that to amend the
bill was to defeat it. Still, Senator DOUGLAS
was disposed to draw nice distinctions, to find
every thing in Illinois national, and s.Black
river" a local improvements while General CAss
was prepared no doubt to make affidavit to the
nationality Of s.Black river" and to entertain
doubts of the proposed appropriations for Hi
nos.
Thus it was that these worthy sons of the
Northwest vindicated their claims to be con-
sidered the friends of River and Harbor I'm
provements, when Mr.. BADGER moved to take
up the bill from the House. One was silent.
One made somewhat humble apology for an
affirmative vote Pretty considerable conces-
sions were silence and apology to the enemies
Of the bill at the outset What took place in
the course of the debate will present another
subject for the consideration of Old and Young
America.