Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-10

ssntsd 10 Congress- during the period in which Messrs
Fillmore and Butler served together in Congress had
District of Columbia and of the slave trade between the
States AS far as have examined the records assert
that Mr. Fillmore voted for the reception Of these petit
tons and General Butler against them The latter placed
that vote properly upon the ground that Congress had
constitutional power abolish slavery in the States in
the District of Columbia to abolish the slave trade be-
tween the States.
4 Mr. MARSHALL | commend my colleague to the books
again He has chosen to arragn MIR. Flmore's vote
WISE resolution and to contrast that vote with Gen. But
ers on the proposition. insist that shall stick
to the point and that shall not wander of another
until we have concluded this Il say that my colleague
will not fnd think any resolution offered by gentlemen
of the South the period referred TO, which did not in
terms embrace the slave trade in this District among
theowers denied to Congress 1t certainly embraced
among the powers prohibited according to Wses
i luton
! Mr. BREcKEsRIDGE will not interrupt the gentle
man any more but want to be clear upon this point
understand him to take the position that all those
petitions, memorials and resolutions upon the subject of
slavery while they embrace the subject Of slavery in the
States the slave trade between the States and slavery in
this District also embraced the question of the slave
trade in this Districts and he justfes Mr. Fillmore in
voting for their reception upon the ground that Of the
items contained in the petitions and memorials was
about which Congress had the power to legisate.
i Mr. MARSHALL do not pretend to say what was in
the memorials petitions You might as well talk of
counting the sands on the shores or the leaves in the
forest, as to say how many petitions connected with
slavery have been presented, and for what purpose
spoke of resoutionsaye, resolutions embodyng prin-
ciplesand especially spoke Of that resolution offered
by Mr.. Wise, of Virginia. which the gentleman himself
had selected for examination spoke Of Mr. Filmores
that resolution because it that vote the gem
tleman selected to condemn him upon. have looked TO
the principle of that resolution and insist that after
raigning the President upon general charge with pecif
cations, my colleague shall stand still long enough to
hear the to the charge and fled be-
fore he attempts to amend by additional and peci
cations, which will to shift us from the ground we
COW occupy.
Mr. BREcKESnIpGE. have not amended it..
Mr.. MARSHALL. say that, in Mr. Wises resolution,
there were terms or subject matter covered by those
terms which justify and vndcate Mr.. Fmores vote if
his act as President Of the United States be vindi
Gated by his signature the bill suppress the slave
trade in the District, which passed in the compromise
series Mr. Butler voted with class Of gentlemen who
denied the power in its broadcast terms admit his votes
consistent throughout have rightto rest the vim
dcation of Mr.. Flm0res vote against that resolution
upon this point that the terms of the resolution express
" denied power to Congress- and right 70 the people,
which he believed them each to possess and which Gen.
Butler and even my colleague, will confess the Con-
gress does possess and which Congress has exerte with
the appreciation of the Kentucky Democracy and indeed
of the American people
i Mr. BREcKENRIDGE, (interruptng) 1 will interrupt
my colleague for single moment He canIot draw me
into controversy the compromise. approve it; and
approve Mr.. Fllmores far as he sustans it.
My remarks grew out of the comparison instituted by the
gentleman from Florida Mr CABELL) between the past
course of General Butler and Mr.. Fillmore the slavery
question forced to examine that comparison. In
doing showed that General Butler had always voted
against the reception Of petitions abolish slavery in the
States in this District and the slave trade between the
States while Mr.. Fillmore had voted for them. My col
league sezes upon the single matter of the slave trade in
this District and avoids the other and important
questions do not deny the power of Congress to pass
the compromise measures and upon the isolated question
of the slave trade in this District make issue But
will my colleague respond to this? Does he consider that
Congress has power abolish either slavery the States
the slave trade between the States slavery in this Dis
trct And if he does not would he entertain petitions
for that purpose believing Congress possessed
grant those petitions? If he would not entertain such
petitions would he vindicate whatever Mr. Fillmore
has cast for the reception of petitions Of that
That is the point.
Mr. Marshall. My colleague, it must be admitted,
has the point long distance off from the place
where he thought he had first made it. He asks me what
would do instead Of examining what Mr. Fillmore has
done He proposes to catechise instead Of Mr. Fill
more answer my colleague briefly: do not seek TO
draw my colleague into upon any point The
compromise he stands by. That Is right He
makes no the power to suppress the slave trade
in the District Of Columbia That admits the proprey Of
Mr. Flmores Wises resolution and on the twenty
first rule because that power was expressly denied In
both My colleague talks of petitions and memorable
speak of resoutons He arragns vote upon resolu-
ton and proposes to try the President upon what may
have been contained in memorial 1t is like the old JUS
ce who issued search warrant fer the saddle and tried
to convict under il upon suspicion of stealing turkey
When the vote a memorial is produced, and we see
what the memorial proposes it will be time to reply to
that specification As to the other point, am sur
Mr.. Fillmore, !, or any one else in this hall be-
eves Congress possess the power under the constt
ton abolish slavery in the States. The worst abol-
ZIONIST who has appeared in Congress has not pretended
invest it with such power The power to abolish the
slave trade between the States has been denied to Con-
gres by decision of the Supreme Court Of the United
States, and suppose no statesman contends Tor ~ as
constitutional power l believe the member from Ohio
MIR GIppISGs does Certainly Mr. Fillmore does not
Mr.. BREcKESRIDGE. Mr. Fillmore held 1T.
| Mr.. MARSHALL. / despair of getting through with
speech My colleague proposes again topic OF dis
cussion before his questions answered desired to
follow his specifications against the President and to run
the parallel between Mr. Fillmore and Gen. Butler as
to the slavery question. But that the gentleman
tires Of that and would carry this examination into my
| own political opinions These are well known They
have been expressed frequently and in my legs
lative They cannot throw light upon the pnra
| lei between Gen. Butler and Mr.. Fillmore and Will
proceed therefore, to look the next specification made
4 by my colleague against the President He says:
Afterwards, sir, the session. the famous twenty
frt rule adopted wholly excluding abolition petitions
whether they referred TO the States Territories the District
Of Columbia Here, again, the of Gen. Butler was re-
corded in the affirmative; and Adams, Giddngs, Fillmore,
and others, and regret to add Southern Wings IN
the negative"
Now sir, this colocaton of is not expected to
do Mr. Fillmore injury here among politicians and states
men, but in the armhouses and cabins Of Kentucky and
/ the South There, is well known, the of the
member from Ohio (Mr. GIDDIsGs) is popular His
principles do not suit u.s. and his sentiments
cordng the feelings of people 1t may be suppose
Of Mr.. Gddings, of Ohio, may produce a prejudice
| Mr. and