Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1852-01-07
CHAR EST OW Nv A. W.
R.EMARKs OF mr.. MASON
o. lYsIIKIsfsIA,

declaring The Conn measures to bs tfa
IF settlement IF rotet,i ettt % s1 t
y,i subject IF dOmesti delivered IN fke Sc
>. naie, We4nesaagsE Pc. lsbh iA qa
NJ president: Il Glo i1sotE Eknow3that Il Should
we Ia ken part ia ebate onihis resolution
= tIbut that have thohg it proper, dsperbaps
!, 10, Mace right upon some 1ues
1tibns .wfichhaJe arisen heretofore, aud were ad
yer,ed 10 al a t5rtDe period by the Senator from
Mississippi, (M IS IN rstsrenceto The &C
lion Of certain Senato from the southern States
: myself included, upog the hillfor the rec!ama
zlTi3I, Of fnoitiye iRses, which passed during
Ilhe last Congress- and ~ hich formed one 81
4 that series toftmeakl res which some gentle lemeu
Iterm the ComptSns order that may ,be
distinctly under tllts \ WI
4f9nar " lle tSs 81 u EiIl:
ring The present session, so lar as they releft %
it, Those remarks, as reported. are as follows
i Sits also not forgotten by me, aud. lhope that
it is not forgotten by the Senate either that this
particular act would have been passed by the
i Two Houses Of Congress at a mach earlier pe-
4 rod of7the session before the last than II was but
for the fact thati was not deemed polite by
certain southern Senators, WHIP had special
charge of the subject, TO report bill for the re-
4 captIre and restoration Of iugitves from service
4 until II should be ascertaineo that all tile other
.EQuestons connected with The subject OF dumest
slavery we're likely to he satisfactorily disposed
/ Of in Congress. The Senate will remember my
formersexp0sition Of tlismatter here, and cannot
have forgotten my statement oil an important
matter ot fact connected wtIIthfs delicate point
when declared. in. the hearing OF honorable
| Senators from the South, who coula not deny
The truth OF wliatI said that the honorable Sen;
aor from Michigan, Mr.. Cass:l and other Sen.
arors from the States o! the North, now present.
and: whontI could easily requested me TO
| see The Senator from! !NlFginia Mr MasonJ and
! The Senator from s, Carolina, 70 whom am now
1 replying. at very early day OF the session then
! in progress, and 10 urge upon them both The i'm
I portance of their reporting bill without delay,
which, when it should become a law, would se-
cure !nl! jsls.icc 10 the South in fegatd TO fugl'
! lives from service, pledging themselves TO vote
for any bill which should be thus reported which
| Shoutdbe free from consttutIonatohlectlnns.-
| The motives of honorable Senators IN uotreport'
| ing this bill earlier, have never atraigned, nor
| do on the present occasion. They were doubt-
less conscientious in their action, though
Thought them at The time tnjudicteus IN the
course adopted by ttem as still do-lhe reason
given me tor delaying the reporting OF this blil,
iiIbat If the question Involved therein should be
satisfactorily adjusted at that time, it might
prove impossible thereafter 10 rouse the border
States to energetic action III cooperation With
The other southern States, for the yihdlcatlon OF
their essential rights, never having been consid.
cred by me TO be Of charac sufficiently solid
10 entile tito operate potentially upon the dello
| erations OF Congress" :
Such is the reterence made to this subject by
the Senator from Mississippi, as contained lnthe
| report from which read. lie said there, land
said correctly, that a like reference had been
made TO the, same snhlect at a tormer time, ms
| purpose being, as it was the other day, to show
that those Senators who it was supposed had Ahe,
| most particular charge of the bill adYerted To-,
had moi brought it forward or pressed it upon the
1 consideration orthe Senate in such manner as
the Senator from Mississippi, and those northern
Senators with whom lie advised, deemed u be
| came them 10 DO. j have looked back TO hisitor'
mer reference to This subject, aud desire now to
rive history Of the action OF the Senate on That
! bill, and Of the agency of those having " IN
charge so lar as the same, has been questioned
! by the Senatot-that series of measures to which
| I have adverted and which is called the 'COm
i, promise.'' II is well known that nolwih hsta nd
! ing this batch Of measures had been aggregated
into one bill called, after the fashion OF the day,
lthe tnmrbus," and that from being overloaded
EOr the passengers quarrelmg BY the Sway,.t me
. omnibus broke down., and each measure wasiett.
to take care of itself, they were. separated. Z a
| great effrt had been made TO keep them together
! But ii failed; and each bill stood upon its own,
lmerits.g Tile bill for theadmission of California.
tpasscd Aur:il3, 1850. !. 1t had on the day pre-
vous been ordered to third reading On the
same day it passed, motion was made oy the
I Senator rom Illinois, LAif. Douglas chairman
ofthe Committee on Territories, o1take up, as
next iinorder, the bllproyiding algovernmentior
1.-The Territory of New Mexico. The, Senator
from Sonth Carolina. at the head ofthe Judlcla.
~ Committee, Mr.. Butler] the committee that
reboTted the fugitive! slave bi-fnterposed and
said that according TO view, the bill for the
reclamation. ofsfugitive slaves had the e.pEeced
ence, aud should be taken up next in order IL
Twas al that time that the Senator from Mssls.
sipbi took the first notice of what he supposed,
and il would appeariyet supposes: to have been
some delinquency. either on the part of the, Sem
Il fe0UFtpd the