The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-04-29


The undersigned, members OF the thirty.
second Congress of the United States, address
you under an mperious sense of duty. Events
have occurred at this capitol within the last
twenty days which are worthy of your serious
and immediate consideration. They are likely
to affect the future unity Of the Wing party, as
they have already disturbed the harmony Of it's
members We desire to state them accurately,
that you may estimate their tendency and force
correctly. plain narrative of facts, in proper
connection, will accomplish this purpose and
will serve, at the same time, to impart correct
conception of our own motives and conduct.
In the early part of this month, ut meeting
of senators, it was determined to invite con-
sultaton between the Wings Of the Senate and
House of Representatives. Who initiated this
movement, or for what purpose, is known from
the following notice, which was published in the
newspapers of this city on the 7th day of April,
1852, by direction of Hon. Willie p. Mangum,
of North Carolina
"The Wing members of Congress are re-
quested to meet at the Senate chamber on Fri.
day evening next the 9th inst, at seven o'clock,
to consider of matters of Importance to the
Wing party.
"wednesday, April 7, 1882"
AT the time and place suggested by the notice.
!
assembled Mr.. Mangum was called to the
chair, and Msssrs. Chandler and Dockery were
appointed secretaries. Before any distinct pro-
position was. submitted to the consideration of
the meeting, after the statement from the chair
motion was made to adjourn to subsequent
day, that more numerous attendance Of the
Wing members of Congress might be obtained
Remarks were made by several gentlemen indi
cative of desire to limit the attention of the
meeting to the single object of determining the
time and place for national convention to se
lect Wing candidates for the Presidency and
the Vice Presidency. And it was urged that
the most important results might flow from the
determination of the time and place for the con
vention, as each point was calculated to affect
the nomiDa ion. 1t was then suggested (by Mr..
Marshal of Kentucky) that it was deemed
material the meeting should pass upon another
proposition before proceeding to determine the
time and place for the national Conventions
proposition which affected the persons to exer-
else the right of determining the time and place
for holding the convention. lie observed that,
at the commencement of this session Of Con
gress, certain gentlemea had retired from a
meeting OF Wing representatives because that
meeting refused to lay on the table resolution
endorsing the position Of the present admins
the compromise measures"--that some of the
same persons had during the session, publicly
assailed The said resolution as all untrue expires.
sion of Wing sentiment in regard to those meas
ures-and that these persons we're present now,
| to assist in determining the time and place tor
the Wing national convention. Considering
the position OF the administration on this class
Of questions, the condition of political parties,
and the fact that, by some, the resolution re-
ferred to was deemed cardinal as principle, it
was thought by many to be the proper course
to restate, in the meeting of the Wing members
of the two Houses, the position which the Wings
in Congress- hold on the compromise measures,
before proceeding to the steps preparatory for
convention of the Wing party. He then re-
marked that, before the time and place for hold
ing the national convention were determined, he
designed to submit resolution to the meeting
embodying the principle proclaimed by the Wing
Congressional caucus of December last; and he
hoped all present. to participate in the proceed
ings, would agree to the same.
This view was met by the argument, from
one quarter, that the Wing members of Con.
gress were only authorized to fix the time and
place the national convention; and therefore
any resolution to test political opinion was
beyond their province to consider in the meeting.
In another quarter it ws9 argued that the At
tempt to harmonic the opnionA of Whgs on
the compromise measures or their effect, or upon
the questions springing from the institution of
slavery, WINS useless; that the proper course
was 10 agree to disagree" where radical differ
ences were known to exist, and that true policy
required all to abstain from an effort to engraft
new principles upon the long. established creed
of the party, leaving every section to think and
to act at will where common platform was in.
accessible.
The debate was participated in by several
gentlemen, and we only seek to state the points
of It, The chairman remarked that, before sub
hitting the question of adjournment, he felt
bound to say that, should the resolution indi
Gated by the member from Kentucky be offered
at the next meeting, the chair would refuse to
entertain it, and should decide it to be out of
order> This statement the chairman made in
advance, that gentlemen dissatisfied with the
view entertained by the chair might proceed to
select some one else to preside
The annuncation of feregone determine
ton by the chairman to limit the subjects to
which attention might be directed in a meeting
convened under general notice to consult or
matters Of importance to the Wing party, anc
this refusal, in advance, to consider politica
proposition which ia, in the opinion of many
vital to the Union, and essential 10 the integrity
| of the Wing party, at once invested the future
action of this Congressional consultation with
an interest and importance that had not there.
tofore attached to it. The assumption of the
chair was met by instant remonstrance. The
right to present the resolution was pressed now
as point of principle and notice was given
that at the next meeting it would be insisted
upon. On this issue, the meeting was adjourned
to the Goth day of April. y
At the appointed hour, on the evening of the
goth of April, the Hon. w. p. Mangum called
the meeting to order. SO soon az the journal
was read, Hon. Edward StanIy, of North Caro-
lima, offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That it be recommended to hold
the Wing national convention in the city OF
Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, on Wed
nesday, the 10Th day of June next, for the pur-
pose Of nominating candidates for Preadent and
Vice.Prcsdent of the United States"
| Mr. Marshall, of Kentucky, Immediately pre-
scented the resolution OF which notice had been
given at the former meeting, and asked that il
might be adopted AS substitute for the propo