Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-03-01


ern frsofcer of the Cabinet, upon question OF this
kind sd consider their obligations to the constitution and
the Soul while perhaps individuals in that quarter OF
4 the Unh would have deemed necessary far
saw fredericksburg this evil it's Of the best
connects with this question says to the South, not in
plain wds but by acts tina! may with safety and conf
dence re upon the fact that the authority vested in the Pre-
sden carry into effect the constitution and laws in which
we ieresed, will be employed and that therefore you
ought twa patiently to give fair opportunity for its
( execute
wod ask the Senator from South Caroline if time
ago. if teve months ago, this very floor, the proposition
had bee made 10 authorize the President Of the United
States cmpoy the amy and navy protecting the South,
or Souhrn interests would have been acquesced in then
u as this i'll now. No, sir; should have had excite
ment ex edng any thing have had if such proposition
had beeade twelve months ago, any time before that
Now scarcely any objection except that which comes
from hsuser from which all objections come to any thing
which wild carry this law. SO far from seeing any
thing onous of evil the South in this think is
Of The cLres indications could have Of the disposition Of
this Gounmen Congress, and the nation to carry this law
faithfullynto effect
do think il necessary 60 into any remarks with
gard to laws referred to by the President in his message
If this nssage shall be referred to the Committee the Ju-
dietary, shall deem it my duty, member OF the COM
mtee Mock into WELL and If it is deemed necessary to
give addona powers to the President this subject. If
for one disposed give him all proper powers. He has
given uso reason to doubt his sincerity and fidelity carry
ing out ts law. think it is the duty of Congress to give
such poer, and for one shall do il most cheerfuly. So
wilngIywould do this that would have done without
saying aord this subject have not done before at
this sessia. even preferred that from the members from
my secin word shoull be said on this subject be-
ensdered that the people Of the North were taking
up this ubec and behooved to look and wait events
raherhan TO participate in them certainly not to throw OBJ
sacle in the way Therefore, should not have said one
singh word had thought that the opinions advanced by
Senator from Virginia little in accordance with
general public sentiment of the South and not only
h but because think it calculated TO do injury, that
cit it my duty to interpose.
Mr.. President, when want people to do their duty,
when want associates persons connected with
any way to do their duty the proper way is not to hnd
fault with them unnecessarily. You cannot expect you
do 1t is Justice is wisdom You ought rather to
encourage hem and give their conduct fair and impartial
consideration rather than find fault cannot conceive
thing calculated do harm to the South than the fact
that when many people ofhe Norhand we know there are
great many-who only in good faith but who are &C
lively and zealousy endeavong to carry out this law when
they have effected much and likely to effect more when
the crisis has not passed. and the matter not finally ter
minated and when up this time there has been scarcely
any of complaint that should under such crcum-
complain against the people of the North for not car
rying this law But the Senator from Virginia says this
law has not produced fruits.
+ Mr.. MASON. I hope the Senator will allow me word.
really wish be understood in the proposition which adj
vlnced yesterday did say that this law had produced
np fruits. What meant to say and what presume did
say in subsance-for 1t what really thought
that the general expression used by the Senator from Ken
ncky in his remarks when the message that the law
had been executed and had done its Office where except
in Boston, declaration to which could not assent
NY general opinions which endeavored express were,
that although the officers of the law, far knew, had
done their duty except the city of Boston, and there only
in the of the the late case
believe they did do their duty far as they had the
doing and although the officers disposed to admins
ter this law honestly and fairly, yet experience far had
shown that the difficulty in the spirit Of the people in
whose midst the law to be executed, and that there
fore, the South had right to expect it, said it was
enough say that the law not resisted by open vo
ence but must be executed with aacy and good faith IN
order produce the fruits that be expected from it.
That all meant to say and my was that in
many instances presented to me from Virginia the attempt
execute this law in the country and among sparse poPu-
aon, far from the people Of the vcnage giving aid and
encouragement those who their slaves they
concealed them and aided them escaping, and thus trus-
Iated the officers. All that meant to say was that should
consider that the law had produced fruits unless it was
executed among the people where it to be executed with
aiacrty, diligence, and zeal q,
Mr. DOWNS. did not remember the words of the Sem
ator, perhaps but my view substantially he has
planned have but word more to say wish to ask the
Senator from Virginia if he really believes that the law has
produced such fruits ought to have been and
would he be willing to part with it We know, sir, that
few public men, perhaps none-l neither in praise nor
in holder and decided in their opinions
and than that Senator but venture to that with
all his bodness and all his energy he would not venture TO
lay the table of the Senate proposition to dispense with
it. If he would not, think il is evidence that it has pro-
uuCeu some fruits mas zone sos a. ieast,
therefore wish preserved and carried out There
other points which would have advered but
have made my remarks short puposey as the period OF the
session and the time wanted for other business would not al
low me to prolong them.
Mr. CLEMENS. The Senator from South Carolina Mr..
BuTLER) stated yesterday that he had determined at the
beginning of this session to take part in any discussion
ang slavery do recoect to have formed any reso
luton all upon the subject But certainly have felt
eme reluctance engage any discussion Of the Sort and
my practice has been to do not among the
number of those who favored the compromise measures Of last
session. did not expect from them those immediate healing
results predicted by their friends But after they
ed after they became the laws Of the land seemed to
be the duty of every good citizen to give them fair and
impartial trial. they worked WELL the quiet OF the country
would be restored, and institutions freed from great
danger IT, the other hand they should turn out to be mad
equate the purposes of their adoption, would then be
time enough seek other of redress and resort to
other remedies, however painful, for evil which expert
Acting upon this principle earnestly endeavored to quiet all
agitation in my State, and freely saked my political for
tunes the result II may we'll be imagined therefore, that
have watched the Of events with sociude, al
| though have watched them in silence.
There is but of these which, in the nature
things is capable of repeal which can be made the sub
ject Of agitation That one now considering. And
1t believed that it practically dead letter. should a
say the time for dissolution Of this Union had come
hesitate TO say that Government weak and inecen
could afford security to the citizen, and that the expert
ment government made by fathers failure
seems to that those who entertain the opinions we have
heard expressed those who believe that there praica
efficacy the law and that DO executed ought
openly to advocate the dissolution Of the Conedeacy, fol
surely that what they must mean, If they mean any thing