The southern press., 1851-12-29
The PRESIDENT.

The PRESIDENT. The Chair is very I'M
willing to interfere; but really senators should
know that this mode OF discussion cannot be
tolerated much longer.
Mr.. BUTLER. hope my colleague will be
allowed, in justice, to proceed.
Mr.. KHE ff. There is not man upon this
floor who does not feel more mortified and more
sensitive at the position which the Senator and
myself occupy in this controversy than do.
But what can dos will tell the gentleman
what occurred during the presidential campaign
to which he refers. After General Taylor was
nominated, and after General Cass had been
nominated, ! was at party on the Heights OF
Georgetown, as the gentleman says. Mr. Rob
nson, Mr.. Cartier, and some other good Wings
came to talk about the presidential nominations
when stated to them that, in my opinion, the
Democratic nominations would be beaten, and
that General Taylor would be elected Mr.
Robinson, believe, told the Senator from Mis-.
sissippi what said The next thing heard of
il was when | went to see the President of the
United States (Mr. Polk) one morning lie
said To me: How is this, You said you
would support General Cass and the Demo
cratic nominations very clearly and very dis.
tinclly to me. Now Mr. Ritchie tells me, that
Mr.. Foo,e told him that he heard that you were
against nominations, and was going with
the Wings" "Why," said |, 81 sic, | never said
so. On the contrary, shall certainly support
the Democratic nominations, AS | told you
before. shall support Mr.. Cass, and South
Carolina will support him. All that said was,
that believed we were about to be beaten :;
and the charge of Mr.. Foote was totally un
grounded" Immediately came to the Senate,
and asked the Senator if he had made that dec
iaration. He told me that he drew that infer
ence from what had said | told him that the
inference was erroneous; and told him fur
ther, that General Cass would receive my vote,
and that he would receive the vote of the State
Of South Carolina Oh, said the Senator from
Mississippi, that is out of the question: Mr..
Calhoun is against hin, and he will never carry
South Carolina. Then said to him, Will you
carry Mississippi for General Cass? Certainly,
said he, by ten thousand majority. ] then said
to him, Now, you carry Mississippi, and don't
trouble yourself about South Carolina and
will carry South Carolina FIR General Cass
The result has shown whether | was right or
wrong.
Mr. FOOTE. If the gentlemen had known
what peculiar difficulties we had to encounter in
Mississippi; if he had known what peculiar Iay.
lor-Cass speeches were made there, by persons
who possessed particular influence-whieh
made me leave certain duties which ! was per-
forming here, for the purpose of couDteracting
movements elsewhere--he wonld perhaps have
perceived that circumstances had occurred, which
] had no right to anticipate at the time Of that
conversation. These circumstances were of
such nature as even to justify some surprise
that the State was not carried by some ten thou
sand majority against us. But truce with that
II, when General Taylor was going to fight
the Mexicans, he had declared that he was about
to be beaten, instead of saying that he was pre-
pared to whip the enemy, no matter what force
was brought against him; if General Scott, on
any of the battle-tields upon which he won so
much glory, had declared to his men, "Let us
advance and meet the enemy, but really ] think
we shall be badly whipt," ! believe he would
have been overcome in every battle. That was
my opinion at that time; and must say that
am not in the habit of hearing members Of
political party honestly Jealous and devoted to
the interest of that party, confessng in the pres
ence of his adversaries, that which would enable
them to quote him--as have heard the gentle
man quoted-as asserting the feebleness Of the
ticket, and the utter impossibty of its success.
have never believed that the bright name of
Mr.. Calhoun, and his powerfully expressed and
maintained opinions, have received any addi-
tional Furnishing or solidity from that source.
The gentleman SAYS that he is opposed to
these measures of adjustment, because he is in
favor of expansion. Let him read the letter Of
Mr. Burt, of South Carolina in which he touches
this point of expansion az statesman and phi
losopher In that letter he shows that if South
Carolina should secede there would be an end
to expansion that slave owners could not carry
their slaves beyond their borders without going
into a new country that they wonld lack the
protecting influence Of the Constitution Of the
United States, and that secession would coop
up, cabin and conine fatally the system of sla
very within the limits of South Carolina; and
yet we hear an avowed secessonst declaring
himself in favor of expansion. What sort OF
expansion would that be, when South Carolina
could not carry slaves beyond her borders
have nothing more to say about the idea of ex-
pansion, except to mention that governor OF
Mississippi mentioned this idea in late mes
sage, and the people of Mississippi then accor-
dinghy expanded him into private life.
But the gentleman seems to think that have
more sympathy with the Abolitonsts than he
has | shall not undertake to discuss this mat
ter at length. have this TO say: that the gen
tleman has not yet made an explanation with
regard to my statement that he and his particu
lar party agreed with the Abolitionists in Syra-
cuse and Boston, in asserting the abstract right
of secession. That is one point of agreement
between them. They all agree as to the terrific
rial government bills being entitled TO an amend
ment-the one asking the Missouri compromise,
and the other asking the Wilmot proviso. They
agree again in asserting that the fugitive slave
law is unconstitutional. They agree again in
saying that the people of the North are right in
opposing it. On these vital points they do
agree, and agree also in being opposed to the
measure which settled the Texas boundary
question. There is the happiest harmony in the
world between them. Now, let the gentleman
suggest any such points of similitude between
myself and these gentlemen; and when he does
so, let him associate my name Of it is not too
humble) with the name of some distinguished
Abolitonst candidate for the presidential or
vice presidential honors, ifhe peases.
Mr.. RHETT Does the Senator from Mis-
sissippi assert that at their convention the Abo
litionists maintained the right of secession?
Mr.. FOOTE. At the Syracuse convention
they passed solemn resolutions asserting the alb
stract right of secession, and prasng South
Carolina The gentleman does not seem to
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