The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-02-25
CONGRESSIONAL.
DErEnRED DEBATE.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY u. 1851.


SENATE.
rUGuIvE-sLAyE Law.
The PRESIDEN I OF the Senate laid before the body
rss.age IRON the President OF the United States, in
swe, 10 resolution OF the Senate OF the 18th instant
as,u, him 10 lay beIOe the Senate any information
fmi,hi moss. IS on The subject OF recent forcibc
mnce 10 the execution al The laws OF The United States
Rnson and what means he had taken II meet the
and To stale whether any additional legislation
sas nece ssay meet the exsency OF the case. and to
mr.. vigorously execute the laws. This document WAS
uhlished in Saturdays paper
The message having been read by the SECRETARY OF the
Mr. CLAY liseneh with great satisfaction to the
padng Of that letter OF the President It's general tone
in accordance with the resolution which the letter
ounces OF carrying into effect and execution duly the
laws OF the United States, and ought TO be- and | trust
S be- satisfactory to every impartial and candid in
hs whole community. There is only one regret that
eel IN relation TO IT, think the marshal OF Massachu
x,,s ought to have been dismissed have very llIie
joubt although | am not authorized to say any thing
pou The subject that the President Is subecng his con
uct 10 that scrutiny which will enable him 10 come TO
Satisfactory conclusion the point OF duty whether
he should or should not be removed. | intend Mr.
President after few remarks, to make motion in refer
fnce 10 this message ayail myself, however, OF the
to express the high degree OF satisfaction have
felt IN seeing the generally faithful execution OF this law
/ has been executed in Indiana under circumstances.
really of great embarrassment and doubt, but promptly
Executed. il has been executed in Ohio repeated in
ances Ii has been executed in the Stale OF Pennsyva-
a-at the of government OF Pennsy lvania, and
khe great metropolis of Pennsylvania. 1t has been exc
cuted in the great metropolis OF the Union--New York
believe upon more than one occasion 1t has been
pcued everywhere except in the city OF Boston, and
here has been failure there upon occasions to ex
ecue the law. confess. sir, that when heard of the
frst failure most anxious to hear OF the OF
other OF fugitive slave in Boston, that the expert
nen might be again made and that it might be satisfac
oy as:ertaned whether the law could could not be
executed in the city OF Boston, 1t was, therefore, with
profound surprise and regret that heard OF the
curence in which the law had been again treated with
contempt and the courthouse OF the country violated by
an invasion OF a lawless force Sir, stated upon for
ner occasion lha, the mob consisted chiefly as is now
stated by the President, OF blacks But when adverted
Ito that lact bad my mind ihosewhereyer they may
gated melted, and stimulated 10 these deeds of enomy
th0se poor, black, deuded morals They the per-
sons who ought 10 be reached they the persons
who ought to be brought to condign punishment, and
iTust If there be any incompeency IN existing laws
punish those who advised, and stimulated, and
gated those unfortunate blacks these deeds OF enoy
ha. the defects will be supplied. and the really guilty
party who Turks behind. putting forward these miserable
wreiches, will be brought to justice beieve-at least
hope-the existing laws will be found competent TO reach
their case
the President has three doubts defects
existing laws The of 1895 presupposes the existence
and connaed action Of insurrecon, and consequent
the existence and combination of insurgents who car
on that insurecon The act. therefore, requires that
before there shall be any application of force to que the
nsurrecton, there shall be proclamation annou
and 10 Inc community insurgents, commanding
them to dsperse and then, if they fail to disperse the
application OF force shall compel that 10 be done which
the parties would not do without it, But ii is manifest
that in such that which has recently occurred
Boston this act cannot be carried out because there s
no pre- existing insurrection There no known
surgens The first evidence OF opposition and obstruc-
the law arises from the fact that party suddenly
burst into the Courthouse disperse the officers, violate
the sanctuary of justice and commit those enomi,ies of
which we have recently heard. To make proclama.
ton beforehand is, therefore, impossible The President
suggests, among the legal remedies which these
may call Tor, that OF dispensing with the proclamation in
such There some doubt, under the act OF March,
l7S7, whether the army and navy authorized 10 be EN-
ployed to enforce the laws OF the United States can be
employed without prior proclamation is required in
OF instruction That also is subject worthy
Of consideration. My motion then is, that this message
and accompanying documents be referred To the Commit
tee the Judiciary and that that committee be instructed
10 report, with all convenient despatch, upon the
mendsiions contained in the message will also move,
al proper time, for It's prinung and the printing OF an
extra number OF copies.
Mr. HALE. am not disposed to allow this case TO
pass without letting be understood by all who feel any
interest in knowing hsw stand upon this question l
glad tina, the document which has been read has been
sent 10 rs Tor reason, and but one IL satisfies
most concluslvely that the President thinks and iees
pretty that he is rendering his administration ndcu
lous and that his proclamation has done it, and he sent
long, abored essay as understand II, 10 vndlcate the
popey OF what cannot be vIndicated The idea OF the
President OF the United States issuing formal proclama-
ton. calling upon all the naval and military force of the
GERS and good citizens everywhere defend this great
republic against a handful Of negroes in Boston do
not know how II strikes Others but to my mind ridc-
uous IN the extreme; and am determined, far as
am concerned, will have part or LOT in il. Anybody
that wants TO magnify this into great affair has my full
consent Why, sir the President has not even waited I'LL
ne has got any information upon the subject but lie tells
mat be sends hs-he is in such hot hasieupon a
paper account OF statement OF OF the officers, which
ne sends also but which account is contadcted by those
implicated IN it-and elegraphic too, understand The
PRESIDENT then, IN such hot haste those who advise
him are TO put this thing before the country and to have
'he republic prepared TO resist those negroes who
scouting in The bndes alleys of Boston, TO keep OF
he way OF the constables herche is in such hot haste
Pa, ms government IN proper attitude OF defence
aaSough .here are IN the population OF half million
Whln The sound OF the bell the old State House per.
paps thousand adult negroesthat all this array, this
ouhong OF rumpeis, this issuing OF proclamation has
aken place There has been all this formidable prepara
uon 10 put down this handful of negroes who have been
Holkng out OF sight long ago.
me constituted authorities OF Boston are going in
heh quet and ordinary prosecuting and bring
ing 70 justice everybody implicated in this matter II
y oe d9ne possibly, bat should think il one OF the
Heaes euorts oil genius TO magnify this into something
us.ehaous' something worthy of the rhetorical powers
" e nrs patriots OF the land think it must be such
% enol' OF genus as has not been in modern times
t can possibly magnify II into such an affair We are
bringing dlscred and contempt upon our whole system
~ government ny undertaking TO do anything OF this
~. t tDeTe any serious fear in the mind OF anybody
b, we Jaws OF the land cannot be executed in Massa-
II there is, sir, they cannot quiet these fears
u, guy such proceedings as these. But, looking upon
IN e Wnoe subject as entirely misplaced, msconceived,
h.n hnukeo, 'mpoiuc, improper, iniudlcous and weak
~ y" opposed 10 anything except the most quiet mode
y y Tncn can possibly be got rd Of. What that mode
", 90 not pretend TO saw
pa WI CLAY The course Of the senator from New
q Mr. Ia Il.