The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-03-22

between the States has been denied 10 Congress py
n decision OF the Supreme Court OF the UDtec
Stntes and suppose statesman contends Tor 1T
as a constitutional power. believe the member
from Ohio (Mr. GIDp,NGs} docs not. Certainly
Mr.. BRECKENRIDGE. MIR. Fillmore once
held it.
Mr. MARSHALL. l despair Of getting through
with speech. My colleague proposes again nS'o
topic of disc ussion before his questions are answer
ed desired 10 follow his speciHcations against
the President, and to out the parallel between
Mr. Fillmore and General Butler as to the slavery
question. Bat that tho gentleman tires oi t'as
and would carry this examination INTO my own po
litical opinions These are well known They
have been expressed frequently, and are seen III my
legislative course. They cannot throw light upon
iTis parallel between General Butler and Mr. Fiil-
more; and viii proceed. therefore, 10 look to the
next specification raade by my colleague against
the President. He says:
Afterwards, sir, at ir@ same session the famous
twenty first rule was adops>d, wholly excluding
abolition petitions, whether !pey relerIeu rec W INC
States, Territories, or the District OF CoiunioiA'
Here, again, the name of General ou''er was re-
corded in the affirmative; and Adams. Llddihgs,
Fillmore, and othsrs, and, regret to aG", souie
Southern Whigs, in the negative"
Now sir this coocaton of names ia not expect
ed to do Mr.. Fillmore injury here among politicians
and statcsinen, but in the farm-houses and cabins
OF Kentucky and the South, There, as Is well
known, the name of the member from Ohn (N1r.
GIpplNes) is not popular His principles s'o not
suit and his sentiments are not according TO she
feelings of our people. Ii may be supposed tsat
the association of Mr.. Fillmores name with that
Of Mr.. GipDINGs, of Ohio, may produce a prejudice
against Mr. Fillmore, and operate upon his poii's-
cal prt-seeis injoriousy. mean to send the anti
dote with tho poison. mean to examine the prin-
cipe OF this vote, and oil Whatever other votes gem
temen produce
| Now to the second specification. The twenty
srss rule did no more than present the principle OF
the WISE resolution Mr.. Wlses resolution raiseA
| the question of reception the ground that there
J -, tpa ntav nj
The twenty first rule absolutely excluded the peh-
ton instead of making the disposition OF 1t on the
! qaestton of reception. The multiplication OF ex-
ampes therefore, this point hGr no iurther iorce
than to indicate the matured and fixed CONCLUSIONS
arrived at by Messrs. Fillmore and Buter, respec'
lively, upon the principle of the rule: But, sir,
this illustration is equally unfortunate for my col
league as the other
the House did right 10 adopt il, the House did
wrong TO rcpcalit; because asserted principle
and contained an exposition OF 4 Amtatlon upon
the constitutional power OF Congress. Adopted py
the twenty sixth Congress, 1t was repeated ny Inc
twenty eighth Congress. Adopted by Uouse con-
tainirg Democratic majority, it was repeSlsd by
House with yet larger Democratic maJUity'
aud the latter decision was confirmed at the open
ing of the twenty nirth Congress by another over
wheInng Democratic majority. VINO did righC
His party has acquesced IL the last decision as that
of ''its sober second thought must presume
| from the appreciation OF Mr.. FlIlmorcs sanction "
the bill 10 suppress the slave trade IN THIS District
which General Butler has given In his letter. thas
he, 100, would now vote against the adopuoS oi inc
! twenty fret rule; for II Is not now with Mr.
Fillmore upon Inc principle of the rule, then are his
! words empty and unmeauing. IL such ruE
should exist, where have been 'he Democrats since
the twenty ninth Con gress that they have mol at,
.eU,s,ed to revive il, Where has been tho voice OF
! my colleague (Mr. BaEcKsNaiDeE) during this
whole Congress, while questions upon The subject
uf the Fugitive Slave raw, and slavery IN avarlety
| OF iorrns, nave been pouring through this House,
4 sl,a hal has att, ty
ing Mr.. Fillmore's vote ior the adoption oi that
rule, he will that he arraigns the vote oi his
own party in repeating IT; and Tie action oil that
party IN repeating The rule present to the country
az vndcatio1 OF IN. President for the vote SC
| .cctcd for his condemnation.
The course Of the Democratic party IN connexion
with the twenty rst rule Oiefs an instructive lee
son, By which the people Of this country may well
study and better appreciate the philosophy Oh pass
ing events. That rue was adopted At tbe session
! Of Congress Immediately preceding the Presldsn-
! tial election Of 1910. Tnc competitors ior the
J Chief NagstTacy were Harrison and Van Buren,
! thai northern man with southern principles"
I whom the Democracy 90 delighted TO honor. The
agitation oi the slavery questions, the prescntation
| oil abolition petitions aud memorials concerning
J slavery, had goadcd the southern people 40 de-
! gree uf excitement which reuNcrcd them an easy
prey 10 whatever faction might choose artiully 10
play ugOn their sensitvcncH5 IN regard 10 " tne
| peculiar Institution" The discussion u Thomp-
sJn's resolution, which Immediately succeeded the
rejection Oi WIso's proposition, offered 1ho op-
pOrtunty to drug the Whole subject OF slavery, ns
II exists the South, into the arena OF party poD
tics. Pressed in the Cuntcst Tor power, and weighed
down by ths thousand evidences VI Van Buren's
NAL administration, which were being developed TO
popular observation, the DcmOcrncy, IN their dcS-
peration, seized the slavery question: with The Ia
tent 10 manufacture tbCrcirO clectiUncering capi-
tai Tor the occasion. a Southern DcuVCrat-no~
NO more opened the war upon thc Wings oi Tie
country, by the general accusation that ihey were
! allied 10 thc AbOhtiOniets. Comparing, with
oil. and v. the votes OF
pariies lac dcduced, from selected instances, SUI
/ fcient materials to authorize, in bi. opinion,
/ general conclusion which his party adopted
mat Harrison was an AboiIuonIsi; that his sup
portcrs were the allies vi the AJDliuOnIsts; that
! Martin Van Buren, WAS the man "with southern
! punciplcs,' upon whom hc sJuh nIGht lcdn
with unhcsitaung confidence, and that The van
/ Buren, Democracy VI the North alone could De
/ relied upon Tor the protection and maintenance
Of The constitutional rights OF the South. sr, !
do not mean TO rcCur ~ the beiucidsnts OF that can
| vass Some there here Who imagine that the
! people we're mlsed by the cry VI LOG cabins.
hafd cider, and cOon.skins." Thisis cad me
! take. The regret with which the Democrats still
look back to Van Buren's defeat, and tie insuih.
cheney of the causes 10 which they attribute 4,
argue htte appreciation VI ,ho dilhcuity We es-
capped ly avoiding one whose views of the slavery
questions have sincc been distinctly developed,
and less respect for The popular intelligence.
The people, err, saw through MIR. Van BurcD be
! fore the politicians did. ! will do the southern
Democrats OF 1910 the justice to say that they were
particular, at lenst Ina the arrangement ot the
| terms upon which they brought the abolition ques-
ton within the range of partisan politics. They
were not contcnt-as some u tie Democrats Of to-
dsy-with whatever platform National Conycn-
iiou might choose 10 adopt. Tiny were not will
ing 10 refer sgch vital questOns 10 mixed arbi-
trsmcnt OF Massachusetts, COai.tiou.sis, New
| York Freesoilers, and southern Sccessionists
| Thoy required, at the beginning, legisla-
| tive expusition, and applied to ,he northern
/ wing Of the party tbe severe test whcG tao
| twenty Erst rule pros, scd. That test seemed
70 Oler the chance Oi making CiCctiunccring capi-
| tnl Out Of the slavery question, sud, at the same
/ Tune, to secure the establishments ot principle
which would exclude from tie future consideration
OF Congress all petitions relating TO slavery and the
slave trade in the States Territories District Ut
/ Columbia. They committed a iatal error ia con-
| sentng 10 bring the constitutional nights and pc
! cular institution OF the SOuth INTO ,hc range OF
party conflict upon any terms But, ar, their test
tCas applied, and the Van Buren Democrats "toOk
! the pledge" Nlcthinks can nov hold the con-
/ ciusiOn Oi that memorable scene Mr.. Nsnderpuvl,
! Of New York. was TIE pykes man Of the Northern
[ democracy. he uttered ia their behalf, with sol
cutu emphasis, tins memorable pledge: 'Until we