The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-02


Of the convention, nor If may be allowed to
conjecture, In supposing that rntated feeling
exerted by that correspondence, found express
sion in tho resolutions which ! am considering
Il will only add that when do become can
ddate, shall Of course feel it TO DO my duty to
make II know, and especially to gentlemen dis
posed TO deal so fairly with me AZ the nomina-
ting convention of Richmond, and the gentle
man referred to
recur To the inquiry what II is which these
resolutions either directly or indirectly assert.
They assert directly,
That il is inexpedient to sustain any aspirant
to political Office, concerning whose opinions on
the compromise measures, serious doubts are
entertained--and
That my course has excited such doubts in
the minds Of many patriotic and intelligent men
doubts so serious as TO render my re-. election
at this juuciure, 'impoIiiic and unsafe"
| make no remark on the first Of these propo-
sitions--but when it is applied to me by the as
serton that these serious doubts are entertained
concerning my opinions on these measures, so
serious that the interests Of the State cannot be
safely entrusted to my care, every man must feel
that the truth and sincerity Of my public and re
iteratcd declarations Of those opinions, are called
in question by most offensive impeachment Of
my integrity.
This is the inevitable inference from these
resolutions, taken in connection with the fact OF
repeated declarations Of my opinions to which
have referred. DO the members of the con-
vention themselves believe what they have thus
indirectly asserted | acquit them Of such out
RACES of injustice. have looked over the list
of their names, and find that very few Of them
are known to me, but hazard nothing in assert
ing that there is not a solitary member of nat
convention to whom | am known, either per-
sonally or by reputation, who in the retirement
Of his closet, left to commune alone with God
and his own conscience, would venture to avow
to himself his belief of the truth Of the charge
which he has thus contributed to prefer against
my personal integrity.
What then was the motive of this extraordi-
nary proceeding II do not say that The men,
bers of that convention have been influenced by
and participated in that movement of which
am about to speak that they have. however, un-
consciously lent themselves to it, is obvious.
Ever since the senatorial election in l847, there
has been concerted movement to destroy my
public standing before the people of Georgia.
The Individuals engaged in it were not numer-
Gus, but they were active, and some Of them had
control of the press. Failing to find in my course
in the Senate any act which they could use for
the purpose of elimination, they resorted to the
extraordinary alternative Of withholding from my
constituents the knowledge of anything which
had done, which might be rewarded by their ap-
probation. From some of the presses of the
political party with which ] was associated, my
name was studiously excluded--or If its inser-
ton became unavoidable in report of congress
sonal proceedings, the part which had taken,
however prominent, was either entirely omitted,
or imperfectly reported. Now, cannot say that
am busy member of the Senate, but the
record of lis debates will show that have taken
my full share In its proceedings, and yet there
have been portions Of time In which have been
actively engaged in those debates, during which,
the fact of my being member Of the body,
could not have been ascertained, by reference to
those presses. This singular mode Of destroy
ing man in public station, by withdrawing him
from the notice of his consti uents, while others
were prominently put forward, has been the sub
ject Of remark to me on several occasions
The struggles of 1850, in Congress- and in
the State at length occurred, and have seemed
to present an occasion for increased activity in
this movement. In the session of our legisla-
ture in I849, some measures of very marked
character had been adopted in anticipation of
the result OF those which were pending in Con-
gress. When that result became known in the
State, there were some--a very few, as ! then
believed, and the event has shown-who 6
excited and indignant feelings would have led
them to extremes. II is the part taken by me
in these transactions in Congress and in the
State, which is now to be adverted to, to deter
mine on the justice of the charge preferred by
tisae resolutions. will state it briefly, appeal
ing to the Congressional records, and to the
recoliections OF those 20 whom addressed my
self, for the correctness Of that statement.
At an early period of the session of Congress
in 1850, the resolutions of the legislature Of
Georgia were sent to the delegation. They
claimed, as their predecessors had always done
whether Wing or Democratic eounsels pre-
dominated In that body,) equality in he distri
button Of The terri tory acquired from Merieo. IL
became the duty Of the delegation TO endeavor
to give effect to the wishes Of their constituents
and am not aware of any diversity Of opinion
as to the rghtfulness of the claim which they
preferred. In common with my colleagues, ]
resisted the admission Of California as a State
While the several measures relating TO the
newly acquired territory were embraced in one
bill. | endeavored to obtain such notifications
of it AS would enable me TO vote for It. 1t
failed in the Senate as a combined measure, by
no act Of mine, but by disagreement between
liz friends relative to the boundary of New Mex
ico as Tho records of that body will show
When separate bill for the admission of Cal
ifornia was presented, the delegation united in
opposing it, They may have differed as to the
grounds on which they rested their opposition,
but ALL believe, concurred in the act
For the bills establishing territorinl govern
ments in New Mexico and Utah, rested under
tbs balief that we were bound by the treaty
with Mexico to relieve the inhabitants of the
former from the military government to which
they were subjected, and to emaneipste the latter
from Mormon rule.
| gave not only my vote, but my cordial sup
port to the bill providing for the settlement of
TIE conflicting claims Of Texas and the United
States, Cor the following (among other) reasons
which will state without discussing Them
L. thought the peace and harmony of the
Union were endangered There part Of
the army of the United States In New Mexico,
whose commander exercised civil authority
within the limits of the territory claimed by
Texas. That State had provided for the extern
sion of her laws over the whole territory which
she claimed, and for military power to sustain
her officers in the execution Of them. In this
state Of things collision seemed inevitabey and