The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-02

frank. | presume, to tbs people Of Alabama.
| Here is charge on myself of knavery and trea-
son. He says there is a sympathy in treason az
we'll rs in knavery; and that that sympathy ex-
lists between myself and those four senators on
this floor. The course which propose to pur-
sue on this occasion before the Senate, Is that
which is very common in our courts OF justice
to discredt the witness. mean to show, that
the Senator from Alabama stands in no such
high, moral position, as to give any force 10 his
arraignment Of me or of any other man, for the
want of integrity or fidelity. "a
Such are his words, and will now show the
character of the witness. The assertion that the
Senators he has mentioned were around rae zap
pIauding and cheering" me, is entirely destitute
of truth Every senator on this floor can testi-
| fy, that no such transaction took place in the
Senate Did any senator on this floor--dd
the Senator from Ohio, the Senator from Mas
sachusetts, or the Senator from New York, ap
plaud or cheer me? Will the Senator from
Massachusetts rise up and answer before the
Senate whether he npplauded or cheered me
during the time | was speaking! yield him
the floor to hear his reply.
Mr.. SUMNER. Mr.. President, when the
Senator from South Carolina addressed the
Senate on the occasion to which he now refers
| occupied the seat belonging to ne on this
floor, and near his own. | listened to hin
throughout with attention. | was interested
by his manner and his ability; but, since he
now appeals to me- ! am constrained to add
that, as lover Of the Union, heard him not
only without appreciation, expressed or felt, but
with entire dissent.
Mr. RHETT Will the Senator from Ohio
please state to the Senate whether he applauded
or cheered me?
Mr.. CHASE. 1t so happens, Mr.. President
that occupy the seat next but one to that OF
the Senator from South Carolina When he
was speaking the other day, did not leave my
seat, but paid him the respect of listening atten.
lively to the remarks which he addressed to
the Senate. | am not aware, that 30 far for
got the decences proper to this Chamber, rs to
applaud or give any special sign of approval OF
dis approval of any sentiment which the Senator
uttered. will say, however, now, that so far
as the honorable Senator advances the doctrines
of State Rights which Jefferson and Madison in.
culcated, agree with him so far az he advo.
Gates the doctrines Of disunion, dissent from
him wholly, utterly, here and everywhere. And
| will add further, that so far as the Senator from
Alabama incucates reverence for the Consti u
ton, and attachment to the Union, concur with
him, as | do with every man who processes
these sentiments but when the Senator from
Albania ingrafts upon that doctrine Of attach
ment to the Union, the doctrine of consolda-
ton which the patriarchs Of the Democratic
school have ever rejected, | dissent from him
and repe the doctrine.
Mr.. RHETT. Mr.. President will 90 no
further on this point. Every senator knows
what is the truth in regard to this matter. There
was not one single sign of applause or cheering
in this body, yet the senator ASSERTS that these
| four senators applauded, cheered, and encour.
| aged me: and he says it was no extraordinary
| thing at all-nothing new--that in the Senate
of the United States consisting of represent
tives of the States, grave governors and judges
of the land, that such men who have gone
through probation of public service in all the
States, when they are here gathered together
should applaud and cheer each other on this
floor in the course of their OBJ ervs ions. Such
a thing has never disgraced the Senate. There
fore, leave the Senate to determine, and leave
the country to determine, in the very commence
ment of my reply to that senator, how far he is
fit to stand up here and arraign others for
want of integrity, truth alness, or consistency.
There not only was no foundation, no fact tt
support this charge, but the reason he assigns il
; equally without foundation. His reason was
that there was a sympathy between these gen
f tlemen and myself on the subject of disunion
That is his assertion; that is what he has spread
abroad and sent into Alabama and the Southern
States. Sir you have heard what these sena
tors Have said. The Senator from Alabam,
himself has heard them express on this foo
their opinions concerning the Union. | mysel
have heard the Senator from Ohio and the Sen
ator from New York. (who, it is said, was ast
one of those who applauded and cheered me,
as every other senator has heard them on thi
floor, speak in the most devoted terms of thei
adherence and attachment to the Union, ant
deprecate its dissolution as the greatest of cal
antilles, and the Senator from Alabama rises up
and not only asserts the fact that they applaudet
and cheered me on this floor for declarations o
hostility to the Union, but that the reason fo
their applause and cheers was sympathetic &C
cordance ofopnion between us on this subject
Sir, the charge of any sympathy between US OF
the point of dsunion, is as baseess as the facts
by which he attempts to prove it. On the con
trary, these senators agree with him in his union
ism. Their sympathies, if any exist, are with
him in his newborn zeal for the preservation O
the Union. They are his allies, not mine anc
by his course, is helping on the consummatioT
Of their policy. suppose might stop here, Sc
far MS am personally concerned but the cause
or the ooutn requires, tnlnR, tnat snould e
on, and show the Inconsistencies of the Senator
from Alabama. will show that he occupied
exactly the ground now occupy, and which
many represent support. If he has abandoned
it, and now takes directly opposite ground, hi'
censure or aspersions can harm no one. Hi
credibilty as witness, his authority for evil
can affect neither me nor any other man on O.
off of this floor. propose to show, what kind
of a man he is, from his own speeches and hi
own acts.
There is a practice of the English bar, which
| have seen used in our own courts with very
good effect. Before the proofs are brought for
ward, it is usual for the lawyer to state what ht
intends to prove, in order that the minds of thu
court and jury may be brought to those import
ant points which he deems material to tho issue
Now will state to the Senate what propose
to prove, by the words of the Senator from Ala
bama. | do not mean to convict him; | NEAR
that he shall convict himself do not mean to
arraign him--he shall arraign himself; and
whatever evil consequences occur to him in the
estimation of others, it shall be tho work of his
own hands If he shall commit political OIL