The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-16
NO. 3ll.
,ocvrnrNos IN THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

&C the standing rules as require the eiecsion vi
,mm;ttees by ballot for the purpose OF recon-
lending the election of list of committees
,bst had been agreed upon in caucus. Unani-
nous consent being necessary, Mr.. Hale re-
-orLsd that he should like to hear first, how
.Loso committees had been framed. Mr. Bright,
:. rsny. made the following statement:
aThe political party having the majority IN
~, hody met and agreed upon number OF
,,ntlemcn who should constitute each commit
=, all of their own political faith. Alter tins
.,s done the list was handed to the honorable
senator from Maryland, MIR. Pearce, who,
I'm the assistance of his political friends, has
aIJod the mines of two Senator'S upon each
1D,,,;ttee upon which there are five, and one
no those committees where there are three.
Th;s has been the usual practice, believe, Tor
tho last three or four years. believe 'ne non
"o senator from New Hampshire MIR.
gs,el is not upon any one committee, Tor the
ransdo feel authorized to say upon the part
Of NV political friends, that we considered ninD
outside of any healthy political organization In
this country" Laughter
The Rules Of the Senate require that the
o,ondng committees shall be by ballot. These
rls4 are almost uniformly disregarded or sus-
nondsd for the accommodation of party inter
e,ts MIR. Brights explanation shows how the
tbrg is managed A few managers of each
If the old parties meet together, form the COM
,,;ttees 10 suit their own notions, come into the
SsOate obtain suspension of the rules, and
rstideation of their work by the members Of
their respective parties, who, whatever they
mag think of the character OF the committees,
are afraid to express any dissent lest it may
disturb certain party arrangements. In this
vav King Caucus lords it over the Senate,
which PROCESSES to be the representative and
.,fecuard of the sovereignty and rights Of the
States.
The double-headed Caucus in this case act
mo under the joint influence of Slavery and
uuokeri.m, excluded from every committee,
three Senator's of acknowledged ability, and
o,est capacity for the work of legislation
Senator's HALE, SUMNER, and CHASE. No other
Senator's were thus ostracised. Many Senators
Ginferior talents were placed on several COM
mittpes But these three men, distinguished
for the purity of their private character, for
the decorum of their conduct for their atten-
ton to the business of the Senate, for their
entire consistency, and their great ability are
singled out for prescription and insult. And
WHY! Because they did not choose to swear
BY the Baltimore platforms-to assume the
yoke of either of the "healthfM political organ
iations Ito bow the knee in reverence to the
Slave Power-to support either of the pledged
candidates Of that exacting tyrant. For bold
" expressing, and practically adhering to, GER
tain sentiments respecting Slavery, cherished
by four.ffths of the people of the free States,
the Wing and Democratic Caucuses Of the
Senate have attempted to prescribe them, to
fasten a brand upon them, to exclude them as
far as they dared from all share in the bust
ness of legislation We thank them for reveal
ing, in all its loathsomeness, their inherent
baseness and disregard of justice. The reve-
atiOp will contribute to open the eyes of lib
sralmipded men of all parties to the necessity
Of making unrelenting war against Slavery and
its loyal ally Hunkerism.
Mr.. Bright having made his explanation,
Mr. Hale said
q am exceedingly glad of the compliment,
Mr. President. | am glad to be relieved from
the labor, and | am proud of the reassn--so
that am satisfied and gratifed; and no one
can say more than that 1t was simply to
elicit this fact that inquired for this informa-
ZION. 4he honorable Senate at the last sas-
zion, no doubt with due appreciation Of my
qualifications and of my pursuits in life placed
ne in the very responsible position Of being a
.4ember of the COMPUTES ON Private Land
taims-entirely sir, suppose, because my
local position and pursuits in life eminently
qualified me to discharge the duties which, as
member Of the Senate, | owed TO the country
upon that important committee and think
can call upon those honorable gentlemen with
whom ! served to bear me witness that ac-
cOrdihgi to those abilities which ] had, ] did
discharge the duties which owed to the cOun-
Try as far as lay in my power. Everything that
! proposed by my inquiry, the honorable gen.
tleman from Indiana, with his customary frank
ness, has disclosed to the country There was
one fact which | wished to CAL out and that
is, that the qualifications to place upon the
committees of this body did not relate to, and
we're not looked at, with respect to any fitness
Chieh the honorable gentleman might be sup
posed to possess to discharge the duties apper
tanning to those committees, bit had reference
wholly to the fidelity with which they walked
in the traces of certain political parties Now,
sir the party with which act is exceedingly
.mal-yes sir, exceedingly small; but it is not
70 small, after oil rs might at first be suppos-
ca It ought TO be considered that we have
PAID back to the Democratic party mean
the Compromise paPty-wa have paid back to
them the whole Of the borrowed capital which
We took in S4S every particle Of it and
what We have left now think are clean and
true men
Vi the health with which their pulse beats
s'F 'here may be some difference Of opinion,
lerhaps OF the purposes which actuate them
On! % The PROSPECTS that are before them,
Perhaps there may be a difference of opinion );
Out OF tins fact think there can be no doubt
'lla' 50 lar AS the divisions to which we look or
attach any Importance are concerned, it may
Le settled now that there are in this country
Out two parties-l have long been of that
opnlon-thcre are but two parties in this
country. One of them is very large sir, 80
large that think honorable Senators will find
before this session is over or certainly before
ihe next session is over, that they will want
tttle extrapeous pressure to keep them togo
Ml, They have annihilated the Wing party,
30 that there can be no adequate pressure from
mat source--no, sir, not in the least and if
us party to which the honorable Senator al
udeS does not organize an opposition they
must fall to pieces Of their own immense
weight
why, sir, the organ of this party, the other
Jay IN speaking Of it. spoke Of it as already a
swollen party--swolien was the word Now,
~ Shcn hoalth is spoken of we all know the
nord swollen Indicates an unhealthy enlarge
ncnt--not healthy, a rotund, a vigorous
yrowth-scee homo : lLaughter.] Not that sir,
Dut an unhealthy diseased mai-oroapzed on