The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-28
vHIRTY-sECOND OONGREsS.
FIRST SESSION.
Senate.

Senate.
WAsHIroror, Feb. 27, 1852.
The Senate met at the usual hour
RHErr's REPLY MEssRs. CLEMENS.
Mr.. GwrNr, (dem) Of Gala, moved for tho postpone
ent Of the private calendar for hour to enable Mr.
Rhett to make his reply to Msssrs Clemens and Cass
Mr.. RHrrr, (dem.) OF g. O. said that the reason why
he had not replied to the animadverions contained in
the speech Of the Senator Of Aabams Mr Cemens) de-
lvered the 23d Of December last was that he not
In tho city ct the time and did not know Of 1t till shortly
before leaving home on his return to the capital For
the last fortnight he had been waiting for the compro
mise resolution to be taken up. He had hoped thAt
whom his alteration with ex Senator Foo.s over,
that all personal conflicts the floor Of tho Senate
at an end During his Legislative Of twenty years.
he had never 50 demsaned himself to be involved in
any personal controversy He now felt annoyed that
here almost upon crossing the threshold Of tho Senate
he should be denounced and srragned because OF his
conscientious and consistent support Of principle He
must now defend himself and bis position from the
charges brough. against him. The Senator from Ala
bsma, in his speech uses the following language
The Witnessed the other day during the delivery
hasangos suryrssa here, putt would hsys been
sS ,s
c0untcnancc
lMsevara radiant with gllduess Thus exhibited
the soleao Of e1sleme soushern
ing hisef sisusoN on account Of ths sileged wronss
snd ss'e h. wad w ssr sppos -
sonapplaudiag cheering sna encouraging him. and all
H. H. makes sa1y r sd
we'll a in knsvery and those who earnestly ssv
separate mesns employed.
Here the Senator charged ms with treason and kna.
very and that sympatby in treason and knavery exists
been named. How viii this charge be met will dis
credit the witness upon whose testimony the allegation
is founded Did any one here on that OCCASION hear
either of these Senator's applaud cheer him Did the
Senator from Massachusetts, applaud him Will tbs
honorable Senator cay he appaudsd cheered that
Mr. slMsFR (free soil Of Mass said that he oocu.
pied his own seat when the honorable Senator from
att. nvey but, as lover of the Union be could not
applaud either in feeling expressisn many Of the
sentiments OF the senator-on the contrary he heard
much that he strongly dissented from
Mr. RHrrr asked Mr.. Chase to say whsther he had ap
plauded or cbeered.
MI CHASE (fse soil) of Ohio said he listened to the
sepstor with great attention He could not bslieve that
he had violated any rules by appaudng cheering;
tar the honorable Senator had expressed the State
his hearty approval but that part which denounced
the Union, he did not approve, applaud, cheer
courage.
Mr. RIEr1 said he would call NO more-evsry Senator
preent knew the truth OF the matters they ali knew that
no one bad either applauded or cheered him that
casicn notwithstanding which the Senator from Ala.
bams bad declared in his speech that those Senator'S
had demo both. There was but little affinity bet
him and those srabe Senators The Senators from
NewYsrk Ohio, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts,,
bad ell been heard in loud long and repeated praise Of
this Union, He united in no such songs, though the
ceee cd to show tha. ths Senator from Alabsma (Ir
Clemers) did not himsef stand in such q position as
he said, he intended to prove against Mr. Clemens
When about half way through, he said he had left
Mr.. CLEmErs, (dem) OF Ala insisted upon it's being
read now He would reply to the speech of tbs honor
able Senator at once and not wait till 1t was Published
much laughter, left for his hotel. Esz7
After . short interval, Mr. Il returned with the miss
ing paper which he read He then from the speech
OF Mr. Clemens delivered the 9th December, 184a
on certain resolutions introduced BY himself calling for
information to whether the President had any
agent to California to induce the people to organiss
State government, and in which no denounced that
State government having been organized for ths pur
pose Of wrongipg the South He also read from
speech delivered BY Mr. Clemens the 10th of January,
$780, the subject ofprintDg the Vermont resolutions
in which he spoke of two classes Of traitors the
Northern fanatics who totally dsregarded the consi
tution and the other class less to be respected the
tmd. hesitatirg southern men, who would not march
up the line and meet the North upon the threshold
and there bid her stand in other words who would not
resist slifornia's admission by fighting Mr.. Rhstt
on tho llth OF February, 1850. in which he
ecorned with contempt the allie CATION that he dis
unons also from the speech Of the goth February in
which he declared MIR. Cay's Compromise resolutions
gave the North all and took all from the South and
than submit to such settlement sd yocstsd dis
union and secession by the South, and claimed that
Washington IL living, would do ths same That on tho
Sth OF May Mr. Clemens attacked the Of the
mittee of thirteen who reported on the Compromise de-
claring was nothing but Mr. Clay plan That the
18th OF May he arrsgned Mesrs Foote and Msngum fer
supporting the Compromise MISUNDERSTANDING thsm
oursge--rebukes "the best We can get' doctrine
ard says that these who would submit to such degrad
iog doctrine were 700 nisT19, 70 1--WE On tne issh Of
declared all the States sovereign denounced those who
betrayed the South TRAITORS; affirmed that he owed
allegiance to any power but anna, aud II to defend
what Alabama directed treason, then he trait
tor and goriso in the Such, said Mr. Rhstt,
Senator CemenT IN the year 1850 In 1851 he vas di
Senator Clemsns Of '5l was different man from
Senator Clemens Of so. In 80 he declared
were traitors and in 1851 he himsslf Mr. Rhet
then ran parallel between Mr. Clemenss position in
his speeches Of 1850 and those made since the passage Of
the Compromise measures maintaining that all tho post
ITEMS denounced by Mr. G. in 1850 as base, infamous,
uatorous dishonoIabe In reationto the Oompromse,
were now occupied approved and sustained, by that
Senator If these things appear (snd who could doubt
it, since be had shown them all py the Senator's
epeeche who could but say that Senator Clemens
pretty specimen OF witness to stand up in the Senate,
and aIrsgn any ono for inconsistency caum Mats
ary by ir'pu.ing d,honor and crme' In 1850 the
Stphfor laid down platform upon wnish all true and
honorable Southern stood with honor and dignity
but he who laid down the platform denoun teoss
remain trm upon ~, ana VINO are Tor resisting
this compromse which the Senator himself dec ared base
gDonnous surrender to traitors and kpsves In former
SPEECH be br Rhet had maintained that States alone
could be admitted con,t utonsly and Calfornis
not State her admission clearly uoconsitutionsl
Tbs the ssnstor from Alabama had declared to be
sense for with the exception ofTexs Vermont and Ken
tucky ell the States had in act Of
admission constituting and recognising them States.
Such wss the In Alabama To this he Mr Rhet now
replied maintaining his original position that never, till
California. any territory admitted y state He
declared the Senator from Ala ignorant Of the his
tory Of his own Safe she WAS stats-s sovereign
Sate-befors her admission, and her sons would not
thank the Senator for the degrading position Ia which he
had placed her. He considered the Senator from Ala
bsme bard driven In supporting the admission Of Cali
forna when he had but to false
o the facts Of her condition The Senator from Asbsms
ensmord OF the compromise that he had declared
he would vote repeal tn. act abcshing tina slave
trede in the District OF Columbia Thst act did not
alone provide for the sbeton OF the slave trade; IL
made penalty for It's violation that the slave should
be fIee-thus setting precedent that Congre" bad
power 20 provide for the emancipation Of slaves How
truly the honorable Senator In the position Of
whom he had denounced in 1880 traitors to the