The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-01-13

awhile; but before the Committee Of
Thirteen had maturcd and disposed
Of their! work, ! suppose the sugges.
ton was made to bring up,tle fugi.
tive slave billJas separate measure.i
Perhapsi it was intended to make it
a test in advance. Somc Of us Who
had charge OF the bill might nothave
been inclined to yield too readily to
the suggestions Of those III whose
course ofipolicy we did not exactly
agree, or there may have been fair
difference of opinion as to the mode
of using the fugitive slave bill. But
when the bill was brought up under
the suggestion Of the honorable
gentleman, and With the understands
ing that his Northern friends and
allies would support it, how many, Of
them voted for it? Tho two gen
tlemen from Iowa AIcssrs. Dodge
and Jones voted for the bill, aud
the honorable gentleman from Penn
sylvania, no longer member of this
body, Mr.. Sturgeon, voted Tor the
bill. The honorable gentleman from
New, York, [Mr. Dickinson,1 no
longer here, would have voted torit,
and explained at the time the reasons
why. he did not, having paired off
with his colleague. There we're but
three Northern Senators who voted
for it. Let the country understand
aow, for the first time, ifit ncver has
been understood before, why hon.
orablc gentlemen from the North,
who are now SO vehement upon the
subject OF, these compromises, did not
vote on that bill, either foror sainst
it. /" When the compromise measures
have swuIn to the shore, there arc
some willing to stretch out the
hand Of aid. but we're unwilling to
run the hazard of. the flood when it
was uncertain as to the fate Of the
bill referred TO-. Did they avoid that
| sNofs q oFS5IeTs tho sbseat by
a'GcI',rnSw wlct the ia ss a,si ,.laas,.rI;
Some Of those gentlemen, / know.
gave their moral support to tile
bill; but l state the fact, that it was
not until the bill had gone to the
country, and obtained its favorable
Judgment, as they suppose, that some
gentlemen became its open advocates.
So much for that.
Now for another complaint and
charge, which the honorable Senator
has made, which may apply to my,
self, that is, denying tho President
power 10 enforce the law. / beg to
bring to the attention Of the Senate
the report which l submitted in re.
la'ion to the Presidents message,
calling for additional legislation to
enable him to enforce the fugitive
slave law.
Mr.. Footc, of Mississippi, l
thonsht that l was distinctly un.
tlerstood by the whole Senate
i'll stating that / had no sllusion to
the honorable Senator in connection
with this matter, | rcco!lcctcd his
report, and | have had occasion to
read it i.l my own State in language
Of commcndation. 1le expresses
some opinions in the report in wljch
| do not entirely concur. But was
exceedingly struck with portion Of
the language used in the report, c1.
pressing confidence in the disposition
of the Executive to perform his duty
faithfully in executing, the powers
vested in him on this important
subject. e f.'...1 Z
Mr.. Butler. ] wish to have the
report read, not so much for any
vindication of myself as that the
Senate may understand my views.
70 The Secretary read the ercport, as
follows:
In submitting my views on the
message of the President referred to
the Judiciary Committee, it is not my
purpose to express my dissent from
the general and unqualified concu-
sion-of the majority of the committee,
to.wit: that it is necessary at this
time, by further legislation, to give
the President power over the militia
and military forces of thc Gov
ernment, for the purpose Of suppress
sing instructions and combination to
obstruct the execution Of the laws.
There arc some subjects cf the
message presented to the consilera-
ton Of Congress, and which address
themselves specially to the committee,
upon which | feel it a duty to express
an opinion, lest by silence there
might beia tacit recognition Of one of
Tic assumptions and an appreciation
ofsomc Of The ommcndqtions ofthe
message, W as,ss 4s4 ,ts
Previously to the act of1S07, it
seems s. to have been the implied un-
dorstanding Of all the departments So. Of