The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-29

be 1866 COO which will the State represents
ton OF two members Of Congress
yHIRTY-sECOND CONGRESS-.
yIasr SESSION.
Senate.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 1852
Notwithstanding the inclemency Of the weather, the
with persons anxious to hear the conclusion Of Mr.
Clemens speech in reply to Mr.. Rhstt.
PETITIONS FROM KEW YoRVERs
Mr.. sEwARp presented resolution from the Legisla-
ture Of New York. in favor Of compendium Of the CEN
sus Also petition from 476 citizens Of Niagara county,
New York. against granting extension Of the Wood.
worth patent.
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN MEssRs. RHETT CLEMENS.
Mr. CLEMkNs said that IN one Of the papers Of this city
1t stated this morning. that the Senate dsgraced
by what took place yesterday When the Senator from
south Carolina announced his alton to ma an
asault when he prepared and armed for carrying
that assault into execution by reading AL descriptions Of
accusations, could any ono be 50 unreasonable
to suppose he should be aloH ei all the his
side Had the Senator confined himself to review Of
his political course he would have uttered term Of
hsrshnese but the Senator had attempted to defame
him personay-hsd sought out in low and scurrilcus
newspaper in Alabama charge against his private cha
iacter and had attempted TO give dignity and impor
lance by retailing here When the senator did this
he had treated him and his charge in the only
they deserved Nothing else that the Senator said
against him was new. Il had already bsen said over
and again In Alabama aud had there been reued
1t was not because he had been charged With the
abandonment u men Of State rights principles that
upon his perional integrity which demanded tho
use Of that Language. which he never intended
tack made upon his political consistency concerning tue
Compromise Acts, before and since their adoption. He
Ssa s. " % on me & that the
not BY that, adIntte that Texas sovereign and
independent Independent Of tbs Constitution Of
the United States AL etates were sovereign except
far their sovereignty crcumscrbed by the Con.t
tuition OF the United States In his speech In
he had half dezea attributes Of sovereignty
which denied to tho States by the Constitution Of
the United States OF tneee the Senator had s.zed up
that the States had no power to punish
He did not mean to say that South Carolina could not
declare murder riot. forcibls rescue as treason,
and hang those who should commit either Of those
could only be committed against that power whose laws
and authority were supreme in the State The Con.tu
ton Of the United States the law and he
said that the constitution and laws of the United states
should be the supreme and paramount law-anythns in
State constitutions laws the contrary noswithsand
ing Suppose Congress should pass revenue Law and
South Carolina forbids Its execution and the Unted
States officers in Charleston call upon the citizens Of
that city to aid in the execution Of thstlavwnch con-
stitution is paramount! The law Of the land Can
South Carolina cay 1t is treason TO obey She may hang
the man for obeyDg but she make 1t treason
It was true he had on former occasion, declared his
intention to stand By Alabama; he said nov. lie was
for Alabama, right or wrong but he not for
her because Of the miserable right Of peaoea5le
ce.sion He was with her when ell other mslsurss
IN vain and when TO throw c an ntolsrable yoke
che commenced revolution, ne would stand By hrr
in such revolution aad in 80 doing he would
pect anything but that her revolution would have be
accomplished and maintained by the strong Of force
While he had been endeavoEing to quiet agitation and
allay excitement, the eerator had been busy keeping
them alive and placing them in places where they dii
not exist Ii any one WAS responsible for the state Of
affairs in California which preceded the
Of the last Congress 1t the South The Senate passed
Walkers amendment giving government to California
The South had then power IN the House TO compel the
North to accept It. or by yeas and nays and other ,a
tive proceedings, to- 10 defeat tn, ap
Precipitation bills. Had this been done, the North would
have adopted that amendment ard California would
have had government. Tie South did not do so--no
govtrnnentwGs given 10 California and people made
for themselves lie had agsy said that the admission
Of California wrosg He ,aid now bat what was he
to dol Was he TO 60 home snI preach eson! Was he
10 home the pecpls Of hlab that nes,e
Kentucky, rsinia Missouri, Maryland Delaware and
Moth Carolina he'd voted to admit California, He
ioIed not the North IN robbDy the South a2d there
fore we must .cede from them Sill Was h, to 60 On,
ard preach tie establishment Of Southern con.
fcderRcy with thee states Left Tor the others had all
joined with the Nsrth in The act? He deaed having
said that the admission q California unconstitl-
the judgment CT 80 mRny 0lher southern msn sho
thought and voted differently! Was he 10 declare hin.
self intslhble and sgainst he recorded opinion Of
many true Southern statesn-n, lead tAe people Of
Alabama UP to h5riJ Eeld OF sv war and Sronouncs
thoss who dgcI,d from hm iass to lbs C9nstitution7
He denied that he ever couzstlsd dissolution Of rhe
Union lie read from bis speoch IT FsGguary llth 1850
In which Ito JSonoupetd the charge az bcing Z d.-
uni mist srcss sbsusdiiy AID rfpelsd It utterly
unfouI dsl In that speech he aid be dd not believe
disunieIit existed as tho South. lie ooV fully con
fsssed bis mistabe He then believed tie bread savar-
nshs Ct the G0uh not the hone Of single traitor
Hs admitted now his opinion was changed, ard If the
Senator would rect oha,ee OF inconsistency that
point, he would plead guilty az once. III. read other
tracts from his speeches in wbia the dissolution OF tas
Inicn repeatedly dsaYCWtd In the debate On tbs
Vermont resoluionr he had declared that the S1rtn
both. Az that time, Senator's from fourteen sstcs
were undor Instructions 70 vote for the mst proyisc
they paused and before that session closed tbs Wmot
pfoviso vas dead Senator, refused TO obey their In
stIuctorF Or had them repealed Instead OF passing
tbs Tlmot prCYi'o below thirty xix thirty, q
bin was paced extending slavery MP to thirty
seven More wss obtained than the Nasaviis Conysn.
iion asked Since then tho Northern states have osassd
their offensive tns.tmeuts Conventions and assem-
blaze, have dccsrpd their determination 70 abide by the
constitution sen0tofe hsyo been elected 10 New Jergsy
and Rhode Ifland who are cn1propsa men over oppo.
rents oppotsd 70 IT, Tie South would nj no supporters
batter than csc two Rcnators lie hsu bed the
Union, with the constitution pscservca-sueh was tins
Union he desired to maintain When tho Senator from
South Carolina vent hone and tod the paors that the
North vase horde III robbers Wno stealing away the
fubsiance accumulated by Southern blood anI vaor IL
Wea mol surprising that The feelings ef those he addressed
shoula become cmbitstred and poisoned, I'll they be-
came Tettefs under trpros.d engine II oppres,lor
- then repeated Bis argument that precfdeus for the
seIalfa - q States bad - uncrmitythat some
were ncinttld Under circuma.auorR different fr0n
others. Bone ett'ss vere Al mite ,r.fb5rt anv
act q CcnBrtss having been passag I'll )wiGx then
t. itim state governments Ihe Senator hed referred
TO controversy between him aud MIR Foote They had
had ohcuesl7n upon ntistsroy but II vas sntirey
courteous and fen6ly there noti-1 in IL Of that
rankerous bitterness which charActezss tbs Senator
from South Carolina The Senator ought TO be tbs last
man to speak Of disuDion On occasion Johp q.
Adams presented petition TO the House praying dis
solution Of the Union. resolution war introduced TO
pe! him Nj Bottle moved to lar the r.seeton ON the