The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-08
tsttsr from lIea. Alexander d. assplsllll.
WAsameroN, D. G., May 4, 1889.


amongst other things the following:
"THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THE ONLY TRUE
UNION PARTY ?-Hon<A. Ii, Stephens, of Geor-
gia, in his speech delivered in the House of Re-
representatives., April 9Th, in speaking of the
rights OF the South rs guaranteed by the Con-
stitution, said
Sand what is one Of these matters Why,
nothing short OF the constitutional right Of the
people Of the South to the reclamation and ex.
tradition OF their tugitives from labor. Now,
sir this is one Of the leading, aud | may say the
paramount, questions of the day
~
"'Two years ago. in this very hall, the great
majority of the North, of both the two great
parties, upon this and other kindred questions,
were arrayed against the South. There were a
few exceptions, whom hailed then, and now,
as the friends of the Union and Constitution
There were only eleven, in all, | believe. One
see now, Mr.. German, a Democrats another
sits near me, Mr.. Brooks Wing
"We have seldom, if ever, seen so many
errors and misstatements crowded into so little
space. In the first place, two years ago, in the
House of Representatives, majority of the
Democratic members Of the North were not
arrayed against the South upon the fugitive
slave bill and kindred measures. A majority Of
large maiorily--was arrayed against the South
upon that and all kindred measures. Instead of
there being only eleven members from the North
in favor OF the fugitive slave bill, there were
thirty-one who recorded their names in the af-
irmative on its passage. Mr. German, the
Democrat referred to, did vote for the bill Mr.
Brooks, the Wing referred to, did not"
Now, inreply to this, permit ME TO say, briefly
and respectfully, that in all discussions for the
arrival at truth it is essential not only that facts
be first settled and agreed upon, but that when
correctly stated they shall not be confused or
misapplifd. In those parts of my speech from
which you have given the disjointed extracts
cited above, had no reference whatever to the
vote of the House upon the fugitive slave law,
or the passage Of those other measures of the
last Congress known as the compromise |
was speaking OF the condition Of things in the
early part OF that session, and the position of
parties at the North upon those slavery ques,
tons which were then so deeply agitating boil,
sections Of the Union before that change took
place, to some extent, in both those parties at
the North, which resulted in the adoption OF
the adjustment measures aud to which dis
tinctly and fully alluded. The truth which
wished to present was, and is, that since the
agitation of these sectional ques,ions--snce
the day that Mr.. Wilmot moved his proyiso, in
August, 1916, up to the beginning of the last
Congress--two years before the meeting of the
present-whe large majority of both parties
of the North were opposed to the position aud
claims OF tile South, yet there were some,
though few, who were for maintaining the
right" under the Constitution, whom hailed as
friends Of the Union and the Constitution, then
aud now, irrespective Of their party names.
This statement, 80 far rs il relates to the North
ern Democrats, you seem TO call in question
for you say:
"ln the first place, two years ago in the House
OF Representatives a majority of the Democratic
members from the North were not arrayed against
the South upon the fugitive slave bill and kin.
dred measures"
suppose no one will hesitate to grant that
the Wilmot proviso, or the exclusion of slavery
from the territories by act of Congress, was one
Of the prominent questions upon which the two
sections were then arrayed against each other
How, then, did the two parties at the North
stand upon this great question in the early part
OF the last Congress! send you true copy
of the journal of the House Of that session,
which will shC W, and which you will please pub.
fish. II is as follows;
Dir. Root offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Committee on Territories
be instructed TO report to the House, with as
little delay as practicable bill or bills providing
territorial government or governments for all
part of the territory ceded to the United States
by Mexico by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
lying eastward Of the Sierra Nevada mountains,
and prohibiting slavery therein.
Mr.. Root moved the previous question on the
resolution.
Mr.. Alexander II. Stephens moved that the
resolution be laid on the table.
Mr.. Houston moved, at 3 o'clock, p. m, that
the House adjourn which motion was disagreed
TO-
The question required on agreeing to the mo-
ton that the resolution be laid on the table.
And being put, it was decided in the negative
yeas 80, nays lol.
The yeas and nays being desired by one.iftb
Of the members present,
Those who voted in the affirmative are
Messrs. William J. Aston, Josiah NJ. Ander.
son, William NJ. Ashe, Thomas II. Averett,
William V. N. Bay, Thomas H. Bayly, James
VI. ii. Beale, William II. Bissell, Thomas s.
Bocock, Franklin w. Bowden, James b. Bown,
Linn Boyd, Daniel Breck, James Brooke,
Armistead Burt, George Alfred Caldwell, JOS
p. Caldwell, Charles T.. Clarke, Thos. L. Cling.
man, Williamson r. W. Cobb, William +.
Colcock, Charles NJ. Conrad, Edmund Deberry
William Duer Henry A. E1mundson, Andrew
Ewing, Winfield s. Featherston, Alfred Gil
more, Willis A. German, James s. Green, Thos
c. llackett, Willard p. Hall. William T. Ham.
iton, Edward Hammond, Hugh A. HARRISON,
John II. Harmanson, lsham G. Hnrrs, Sampson
| w. Harris, Thomas =. Raymond, Henry w.
billiard, Isaac +. Holmes, John w. Houston.
David Hubbard Samuel w. Irge, Andrew
Johnson, James l.. Johnson, Robert w. John.
son, George w. Jones, David s. Kaufman,
Emile La Serc, Job Mann, Humphrey Marshall,
John G. Mason, John A. McClern,nd, James
| Mcdowell, Robert NJ. MeIane, FINS T.. Nc
Lean, Fayette McMullin, John Mcqueen, VIM
Melville, John X. Miller, John $. MiIlson, Tau
T.. Morse, James l.. Orr, Allen +. Owen, John
y. Phelps, William A. Richardson, John H.
Savage, Edward Stanly, Frederick p. Stanton,
Richard II. Stanton, Alexander II. Stephens
James H. Thomas, Jacob Thompson, John b.
Thompson, Robert Toombs Abraham w. Ven
able, Daniel Wallace, Albert G. Watkins, Mar
/ ahall Il lNaIlhnrn (fhs,.tnaho. NN.II,.n.,