The southern press., 1852-03-06
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
FRIDAY, March 5, 1852


MIR. HOUSTON, of Alabama, moved that the
House 90 into Committee of the Whole on the
state Of the Union and take up the special order,
being the bill granting 100 Of land TO every
man who is the head Of family, and citizen OF
the United States, upon condition of occupancy
and cultivation Of the same for definite period.
Mr.. H0UST0N'S motion was agreed 10, after
an Intellectual attempt made by Mr. DANIEL, OF
North Carolina, to take up the private calendar
THE PRESIDENCY, COMPROMISE, &c.
Mr. CAMPBELL, Of Ohio, resumed his re-
marks commenced yesterday. He believed that
the opinions of Presidential aspirants should be
known on the subject OF dsp0sng OF the public
domain, as well as the question Of slavery. He
was in favor Of making donations or land forthe
benefit Of the INDECENT insane, the establishment
of institutions Of learning, and contended that
Congress has the constitutional power to make
donations Of land for works Of internal improve
ment.
Mr.. CEASTAIN, ofGeorgia, spoke in defence
OF the platform assumed by the Union party in
that State, and in support OF the compromise mea
sures reading his remarks from written manu-
scrint. The position Of that party, he said, had
been greatly misunderstood and grossly misrerre-
scented. and his present object TO set IL right
before the country. The compromise question in
Georgia, as was well known, had produced an en-
,irely new organization Of political parties there
Without intending any dlsparDgement TO. those
that the compromise was Democratic measure,
conceived by Democratic men and passed by Dem
ocra,ic votes lift operated unjustly on any sec
ton of the country, the responsibility must rest
upon the Democratic party, as il was only con-
Elimination ef its principles. In the late Georgia
elections. il had been made paramount question.
He appealed, not TO the Freesoers nor the Seces-
sionists but TO the national Democracy, TO answer
whether those Democrats in Georgia who had
supported the compromise had done right Had
they acted right in refusing To join IN Southern
Congress, and in denunciations OF such Demo-
cratic leaders as DoUGLAs, CAss, BUCHANAN, and
other prominent men who had supported those
measures. lie referred to the Washington Union,
the organ Of the Democratic party, for articles
onproying the course OF the Union Democrats IN
Georgia. and also TO that able advocate of Demo-
cratic principles, the Philadelphia Pennsyiranian,
which had approved the course OF Mr.. COBB; IL
the Democracy OF the country intends to keep
company with the Southern-rghts party, or Free
soilers in their denuncialions of the compromise,
il was time that every national DEMOCRAT should
know the fact. Upon the action oftheIr next ma
tionaI convention, In relation to this subject, he
believed that not only the fate Of the Democratic
party, but the Union ITSELF depended.
Mr.. BROWN, Of Mississippi, said that the
gentleman seemed disposed TO hold the State
Rights party Of the South responsible for the
Nashville convention and all that was said at It,.
He asked had it escaped the gentlemans recollec-
ton that the convention was got up by men
(Whigs and Democrats) who are not State Rights
menu
If any harm came from that convention, il should
be confined to its original leaders.
Mr.. CHASTAlN admitted that such was the
fact, but said that the Union Democracy left as
soon as the convention showed its hand.
Mr.. BROWN said that he himself had nothing
TO do with the Nashville convention, and had no
responsibility for its action. He would ask the
gentleman whether he could say as much Was
he not a member Of the Georgia legislature, and
instrumental in getting up the Nashville conven-
ton -
Mr. CHASTAIN said that he was not. lie
eloried in being a member, however, of the Geor-
gia convention which repudiated its action.