The primitive Republican., 1852-07-08
From the National Era,l lAbOHtiOn)
Mr.. Pierce and the Anti-slavery Movement.

ton OF several petitions and memorials from ! !
sundry citizens of the State of New York, ;
one of which was signed by eight hundred i,
ladies, praying the abolition Of slavery and
the slave trade in the District of Columbia,
presented by Mr. Dickson. The war on the
right of petition was at this time about COM
mencing, but Mr. Dickson was allowed to
speak in behalf of the passage Of the peti-
ton, and, at the close of his remarks, he
moved to refer the papers to select COM
mittee.
Mr.. Chinn did not mean ''to disturb the
deep sympathy or the tender mercies of the
gentleman from New York;" che only NOV
ed to lay the whole subject on the table,"
and upon that question he demanded the
yeas and nays. The friends of the right of
petition took the ground that petitions should
not only be received, but considered and re-
ferred. Their opponents, while recognising
it in form by receiving petitions, denied it in
fact, by insisting that they should be laid up
on the table at once, and without debate.
The question was taken upon Mr. Chinn'
motion, and decided in the Affirmative
yeas III, nays II. The South, aided by
such men as Wise, Pickens, Peyton, Bynum,
Pinckney, and Gilmer, with its Northern al
lies, voted yea !; John Quincy Adams and
his friends, nay. Among the affirmative
votes is that of FRANKLIN PIERCE. /
Wednesday, December 16, 1885, Mr..
Fairfield presented a petition from l72 wo-
men, for the abolition of slavery and the
l slave trade in this District, and moved it be
laid upon the table. Mr.. Slade moved that
it be printed. The question was taken on
:, the first motion, and decided in the afir-
mative-yeas $50, nays 31-the South, with
it's Northern allies, including FRANKLIN
PIERCE voting yea, John Q. Adams and his
v friends, nag.
Mr.. Vanderpoel moved to lay the motion
to print on the table; and this motion
:. prevailed-yeas 169, mays 49-FRANKL1N
PIERCE again voting in the affirmative, with
the Shareholders.
Friday, December 18, 1885, a protracted
debate sprung up in the House, on the pre-
sentation of petition by Mr.. jackson Of
Massachusetts,, praying the abolition of
slavery in the District
Mr.. Owens had previously sent to the
Chair the following resolutions:
'That, in the opinion of this House, the
question of the abolition of slavery in tho
District Of Columbia ought not to be enter
tanned by Congress :;
is "That in case any petition praying the
III abolition of slavery in the District of Colum
bia be hereafter presented, it is the delber
ate opinion of this House that the sam
R ought to be laid upon the table without read
re ing"
He now moved that the rules be suspend
- ed to enable him to offer these resolutions
The motion was lost-yeas 100, nays 115-
,r- FRANKLIN PIERCE voting with the Slave
ite holders, yea, John Quincy Adams and hi
NJ, W. friends, nag.
Mr.. Patton of Virginia, called up his mt
ton to reconsider the motion by which p
- tition for the ablition of slavery in the Di
u trict had been referred and thereupon
fierce debate arose on the general question
slavery, Occupying three days,) in the cour
of which the Northern view of the subje
was presented at length and with great abb
ty by VIM. Slade.
Ia. The question of reconsideration was d
RT, cided on the Odd in the affirmative, yeas IA
nays 61-the South and its Northern allie
ol with FRANKLIN PIERCE, voting yea, al
les les John Quincy Adams and his friends nay.
are The petition and motion to commit we
ally then summarily laid upon the table, ye
a. 144, nays 67-FRANKLIN PIERCE votin
,tis- tic as before, yea, John Quincy Adams nag.
or February Is, 1886, Mr.. Pierce obtain
leave to make personal explanation.
read from an Abolition paper an article m;
-, ing severe structures upon his speech Of
former day, in which he had said that l
one in FIVE hundred of his constituents v
Do in favor of the abolition of slavery in I
District. He denounced the paper as e
E. significant and odious," denounced the ar
ival. slavery movement, and undertook to
ntry credit all the petitions on the subject
this slavery, whether from his own State
others. +
+, February 8, 1886, the resolution of
seys Pinckncy was adopted, for raising sci
aeh- committee, to which were referred all
TcE1 pers relating to the subject of slavery, ;
which was instructed to report that G
gress has no constitutional power to In
fere in any way with the institution Of 81
- - ery in the States, and ought not to intel
'hS' in any way with slavery in the District
''oO' Columbia. The resolution was divided,
FRANKLIN PIERCE voted in the afhrmat
). on every part of the instructions.
-, o. February %, 1886, Mr.. Adams presen
petition for the abolition of slavery in
District, and moved its reference to the
- lect committee on the subject. Mr.. ST
herd objected to its reception; Mr.. d.
moved to lay that preliminary question
the table; and his motion prevailed, J
g.. 120, nays 86-FRANKLIN PIERCE vot
S'"- yea, with the South, John Quincy Ad
and his friends nag. The effect of the
ton was to lay the question Of reception
Of the table, thereby virtually refusing to
e0~s, tertain the petition. S
May 18, 1886, Mr.. Pinckney, from
select committee on the subject, made q
port concerning the disposition Of papers
Note la.ing to the question of slavery, concluC
cards with the following resolutions:
= !. mResozDed, That Congress possesses
nU y constitutional authority to interfere in
way with the institution Of slavery in an
Z, the States Of this Confederacy.
with -
quail i Gales & seaton's Register, Vol, xi, Pc
3 and i Gales & seatOn's Register, Vol. XII, Pa
lntry, p. 1855.