The southern press., 1851-12-20

seeming kindly, associations with him.
Mr.. FOOrE The gentleman does moi charge
me with ever having agreed with Mr.. Calhoun
that the Constitution should be amended, so as
to give additional constitutional guarantees to
the South protested against that during his
life.
Mr.. BUTLER. did not say that. A.
Mr.. FOOTE. What did the gentleman say
Mr.. BUTLER. said that the gentleman
frequently agreed with, and was great admirer
of, MIR. Calhoun.
Mr.. FOOTE, Gin his seat) On some ques-
tons did agree with him, but on most did not.
The PRESIDENT. The conversation must not
60 OH in that way. The senator is always at
liberty to make an explanation, with the consent
of the gentleman having the floor, but he is not
at liberty to sit in his chair to make comments
while the speaker is going on, .. -.
Mr. FOOTE. ! understand my duty rs well
as the Chair can inform me. ... ....,
Mr.. BUTLER. | am inclined to think that
injustice has been done, perhaps unintentionally,
to my late distinguished colleague: and perhaps
some newspaper correspondents may make out
of it something tributary to the state of the
public mind. ! think, however, that the book is
not In danger from such commentaries, or any
that can be made upon it by the senator. They
will not add to nor take from its merits. They
may, it is true, make false impressions, for the
time, upon superficial minds, who look not into
the book itself; but those who are capable of
approaching it, and seek after the truth, will
read for themselves and form an enlightened
and honest judgment. 1t is not true, as the
honorable senator has said, that Mr.. Calhoun
thought there should be two Executives with
the same powers. He is historian, and he
knows very well that there were two consms in
Rome, with.a tribune to control them. BY a
partition of power, and such control of it by the
tribunitial veto on occasion, the Roman republic
moved on with success and energy. presume
that Mr.. Calhoun might very well have enter.
tanned the idea that two Presidents might be
very well: one perhaps having jurisdiction of
foreign and the other of domestic affairs, or some
such partition of duties. presume he intended
that each should be Independent in his own
sphere, and that no law should be passed with
out the concurrence of both. am very sure
| that such proposition MS that, if ingrafted on
the Constitution, might give better operation
than it now has under the combination of inter-
est and numbers | do not undertake to be
the expounder of Mr.. Calhoun's views, nor do |
say that am prepared to adopt them am
sure the gentleman has not done Justice to them
| | do not enter into tie views of Mr.. Calhoun
| for he never mentioned the subject TO me in his
| lifetime and | have not yet had an opportunity,
and ] regret it, to read his book ! only noticed
the remark OF the gentleman, in passing, with
a view to 'ow that in some respects his inter-
prctation of the book might not be the interpre-
tation Of everybody There are other minds
be sides his to look at the subject and when n
great work of the kind is to be measured, i,
must be measured By an enlightened public
opinion after full discussion upon the subject.
Sir. have touched upon these things with
regret. The senator from Mississippi is in favcr
of the compromise; and he denounces, in no
measured terms, all those opposed to it; not that
the gentleman seems to be governed by unkind
feelings to many embraced in the sweep of his
censure ....
Mr.. FOOTE. have here, elsewhere and
everyw here, wherever ! have attempted to speak
of the struggle which occurred in the two hon.
ses Of Congress, in reference to the questions
contained in the plan of compromise, said, uni
fornly and emphatica!iy, that, so far as the con-
duet Of senators and representatives was con.
cerned in that struggle, had no ccnsures what
ever to bestow: nor til t ] wished them 10 be
censured in any shape or form, by any patriotic
man in the country. The President of this BODY
knows what my views on this subject We're, for
we have talked together All that | have said
was, that now, when these measures have be-
come the law of the land: now that the great
experiment ofcompromise was in course of trial,
| ] did conceive that il was the duty of all parties,
| North and Sanlh, 10 make Q fair experiment OF
those measures, and not to engage in violent
agitatons against any feature Of them. ] have
simply condemned all attempts al the North, or
at the South at this time, 10 break up the com
promise. But have never undertaken to con-
denim any man, or set Of men, for decent Jealous,
| patriotic opposition to any Of the measures of
a., ,yhi thay han al al
at the same time. This is, aud always has been,
my attitude on that subject.
Mr.. BUTLER. That may be; but tho gen.
| tepan knows as well as any one here, that no
one had greater NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. may say
| that he had uncommon infuence-in getting up
the Southern Address, he was the prime mover
| of IL. And think the gentleman must. 10 some
extent, assume the responsibility Of the Nash
vile convention. ] say that, after the position
which that gentleman has occupied, justice, if
not generosity, requires that he should at least
| look TO the motives, which ! hope he viii, Of
! other persons who are disposed TO stand up TO
| the propositions which they avowcd at the time
in the Southern Address. | supposed il was
matter of historical interest to the gentleman -
And now will say here, for the first time, what
I hayo heretofore said To nv friends, that the
! ! ashviile convention was premature. My friends
/ KNOW lnat IIil- Whs my Opi0IOn. " ulere Is one
gentleman in this hall who has contributed fuel
to the fires Of Southern resistance and indgna
! ton, the honorable senator has ted them az free.
! ~ as any other. | am not now making any ac-
cusations against him for mere change If opin.
| ion and position. have said nothing at ALL nor
will say anything, in reference to mans
course, when he changes il; but when the sen.
ator from Mississippi thought proper To speak
of South Carolina, and al ude 10 her internal
contests, the least, in my opinion. that deIicacy
or propriety could require of him, was to forbenr
unkind illusions To her course, and especially 10
abstain from availing Of his own change of doc
trine and position to give point to those alu-
sions. Tho mass Of those who, in South Caro-.
lima, were for putting her 10 advance OF what
regarded the position she should occupy, are
persons whose motives and designs would place
them before the tribunal of history in point OF
vie v far above reach o. The gentleman's arrows.
They are "a high in spirit, as pure in motive, and
would be a. b-aye in action, as any men who
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