The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-18

On the maj adjournment OF the last Congress those
IN and out OF Congress who favored or who acqui
esced in the passage of the series of measures
lating to slavery, which grew out of the late acqui
stons Of territory by the United States, declared
that these questions were settled and they then
declared their hostility TO any further agitation or
discussion of them They went go far to denounce
agitation hostile 10 the peace and safety OF the
I Union. In the passage OF these acts the lines of
party division had been dlsregarded; and although
most OF them were adopted by Congress under The
guide OF the great leader, MIR CLAY, and were
all but one Of them indebted for their adoption TO
/ the active influence Of a Wing Administration,
! without which they could never have become laws,
! yet they voted for and voted gainst by mem
beers OF Congress, without regard to the distinction
! OF Wing or Democrat. Whatever may be the opin-
ion OF any man or set Of men for against any or
all of these measures, whatever may be the
opinion of the wisdom and patriotism, the wantpf
| both, in which these measures were conceived and
adopted, they stand as laws upon the statute book;
and whatever the present opinion of individuals,
the future opinions Of the courts the country,
may be of their constitutional validity, enough has
transpired to show that the courts as they now
constituted, are Of opinion that all these laws are
constitutional. After speaking for some time upon
this subject, he said that in 1913 the Democratic
Convention, at baltimore, refused to change it's
platforms; but an outside slavery issue was madeby
the Nicholson letter, and the Democratic party was
divided and defeated. fhe Compromise measures,
he repeated, were not passed party mea-
sure They are not an Issue between the two
parties organized as Democrats and Wings.
part OF them are particularly presented. contro-
versy will be revived Ii the Fugitive Slave law
alone shall be presented, and it ia to be decided
whether that law shall be continued, modified or
repealed, he should vote to modify TO repeal it.
And II the electors of New York are challenged,
by the issue presented TO them to decide at the
election whether they are satisfied with approve
that law, In his Mr. kISo's) opinion they will re-
ject the candidate for President who is presented
10 them because he makes the Fugitive Slave law
the platform of his party politics, as he had no
doubt Georgia aid Mississippi would reject the
candidate who should be presented TO them be-
cause he was opposed to that law. An iseue upon
the subject of slavery is, and must be, in the pre-
sent position OF the different States of the Union
sectional Issue The effort of political partisans
to make it out that either party ID more friend
ly TO slavery than the other, has tendency
to make parties sectional. The Democratic
party, regarding slavery as it exists in the
States subject OF State, and not OF national uris
dloton, has always heretofore refused TO max
national slavery issue. The Democratic members
OF the present Congress, assembled in caucus at
the commencement Of the present session, refused
TO make such an Issue; and he believed that the
Democratic National Convention which is soon
TO assemble, will refuse TO change its position
In this aspect, by making slavery issue for
the Presidential election. But should such an
issue be deliberately made by the National
Nominating Conventions, and the electors Of the
Union be invited and challenged TO indicate their
opinions of slavery by their votes for President he
CHR. kiSG) had no doubt that the verdict at the
election would truly express the sentiments of the
country upon that as we'll upon any other ques-
ton presented at an election Tor popular verdict
to pronounce upon.
Mr.. CULLOM arose for the purpose of iustifying
his action on the occasion of the recent Wing eau
Gus When il was proposed, by the gentleman
from kentucky (Mr MARsHALL) and by his hon
orabe colleague, (Mr. GESTRY,) to introduce re
MISUNDERSTANDING the inality of the Compro-
mise-out of order, he had voted to sustain the
Chair; not because he was not in favor of the OBJ
jsct, in principle and essence, but because he
Tho. "A
ties VI the caucus He apprehcnded the great body
OF the people did not choose TO be dictated TO by
irresponsible body OF men, who had convened
merely to fix the time and place for holding the
Wing National Convention. When the resolution
was brou ht forward, he announced TO his frieuGs
who retired from the meeting that sense of duty
obliged him 10 sustain, on thus particular occasion,
the decision OF the Chair, while at the same time,
his duty induced him to obtain for the proposition
the sanction Of the body He of the opinion that
the move ment vi his seeding friends would
sectional feeling aud phcal divisions
by leaving the nonin ation OF the Presidential can
dIdate In the hands of their brethren Of the North
Taking as data the vote on HlLyER's and JACK
soA's tomproInlse proportions in the House, and
the views OF those VINO expressed themselves in
caucus, If those who retired bad remained the
resolution asserting the hnality OF the Compro-
mirs measures would have passed by four majority.
Mr.. CABELL called for the reading vi the
NAMES.
Mr.. CULLOM replied he would publish them in
his printed speech VINO, he asked, led the move.
men. ! he gentleman from North Carolina II
the gentleman came 10 the caucus 10 declare and
insist upon The Compromise as a finality he would
ask when did he become 50 much Of friend to
those Ineasur,ss
Mr.. CLING MAN Docs the gentleman want an
answer!
Mr., CULLON Not now.
Mr.. CLlNGMAN Then you asked question
which you did not want answered.
Mr. CCLLOM. Did you not vote agains. all the
Compromise measuress
Mr. CLlNGMAN. | refer you to my votes and
my speeches.
Mr.. CULLoM said he supposed the gentleman,
by withdrawing from the caucus, sought 10 put
himself At the head of Union parry which was to
be form ed out Of the two other parties II he to
be captain general, II became him (NIr. CULL0s)
TO review the course Of his honorable friend and
see where he stards The gentleman, in a speech
two years ago, referred to state VI thIugs when
this Cnion itsef shall be dissolved. H. "a Is he re-
Joiced that this glorious Union no longer looked
10 a solid rock Of safety; and that wherever he
vent he was met with the ssnselcss cry Of "Unioni
/ Union" ana had b,cOme sick Of H. And yet the
I gentleman was seeking 10 become the head and
I front Of the Union party.
lac (Mr. CULLon) had avowed every where on
the stump that he wa IN favor Of the fnaty ofthc
COmpromise and would support no candidate plo
u not sound on that qucstI,n-thc Fugiive Slave
law, and al Tie hoped aud believed there was
patriotism in both The Wing and Dem cratic par
tes. is not The Wing party Union p1rtyy There
we're eNcfcsCcucce IN both parties; but the man
who save that the Wing party is not Union par y
3
The Wings Of Tennessee arc undivided for Mil
lard Fillmore and be had always preferred HE
nomination; but, at the came tIme be had nlways
said % that gentleman could not receive the nuui-
nation, aud the convention should name another
person, sound man, be wJu d support him with
equal ardnr lie then defended General Scptt and
other prominent " hiys spoken Of IN connection
with toe Presidency, and thsse remarks called out
several gentlemen IN response. When be conou.
ded-
Mr.. CLlNGMAN said the gentleman had passed
by all the others vh0 secoded from tie caucus cr.
cept himself But everybody that the object
81 the gentleman was to avoid a coll.siun with
those who light prove an Uycfm1tch for him, and
had alluded to hin Mr. CLfNoAAs) not i0r the
purpose Of bcnsfitng him, but Of inigring them.
Tie repeated, the geuilenan's object vas to injure
the eleven who seceded and making them appear a
poor party, by having poor leader. They
can take care 81 themselves Now, A. far from
beng the leader aud actor, he vas only an hum.
bic follower. But the gentleman finding him.
self getting into a difficulty, and unable 10 car.
" his borden, was endeayOring 10 impose il
upon him, (Mr CLiNONAS) lie had charity
but not kIndness enough to carry the gentle.
nan's burden. The gentleman must carry HE
own cross 70 the place u execution lie would
Z - tgstg . -. ~. Il. 4