Washington sentinel., 1853-11-11

what is il? What does j, amount toa My coll
league says in his letter, the committees shall be
organized in such manner as TO be satisfactory
TO You and your friends" Well, now, let US refer
10 the conversations which had previously passed
between these gentlemen 10 see what would be
satisfactory. He [Mr. WILMoTl says; 80 don't
ask TO be placed in any particular positions on any
particular committee; nor do my friends. All we
ask is, that in making up Your committees touch
ing this slavery question: all sections shall be
fairly represented. We want the voice of no sec
tion or party stiaed or smothered by packing the
committees" Mr.. BRowN answers, ~Certainiy,
all have right TO be heard Now, suppose a
committee was constituents majority, LOT IN
stance, of non-interference men, II you please
and then minority of proviso men, mixed up with
an extreme southern-address man or two, ana
one-idea freesoiler from the north would not sucn
committee be which would represent all
parties? Or you might change its order ana ar
rangement but still combine the same elements
Now this is all that my colleague Is pledged to
in this letter, if pledge il be. And is there gen.
tleman here who will say that such general, and,
as il seems TO me- universally acceptable senti-
ment, is an improper one!
But il seems that this thing of writing letters
when candidate, is anomalous, novel-nay
dishonorable. understood gentleman from
South Carolina Mr.. BURT 10 say that no honora-
BILE man would ask pledges ofa candidate nor give
them. Now the gentleman must differ in his no
lions Of honorable conduct from many Of his
southern friends, for have understood that sew
eral letters have been written by southern gentle
men 10 northern men, whose names were used in
connexion with the speakership, propounding GER
tain interrogatories in reference the slave qucs-
ton, and distinctly making satisfactory answer
10 them-a sine qua 10 their votes. This has
been done repeatedly since we attempted to or.
ganize this House.
This is quite new idea 10 me, that it is inn
proper for a man, when candidate, TO answer
questions. II may be impolaie, but certainly not
dishonorable; and though this is the first ever
heard Of this letter, and though think my col
league acted mprudently in writing it, still there
Isl must insist and repeat, nothing in it, taken IN
connexion with the previous conversation TO
which il alluded, and 10 which both he and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr.. WLMoTl tes
tiy TO, that Justifes the imputation Of duplicty,
deceit, or dshonor.
Mr.. BURT explained that what he had said was,
that when gentleman was placed prominently
before the house as candidate for Speaker, AS an
honorable man he would ask no pledges from him.
and he, an honorable man, could give none. He
adhered to that position. Certainly the gentleman
from Indiana did not mean 10 intimate that he Mr.
BuRT] had ever addressed letter Of this descrp-
lion TO anybody.
Mr.. ROBINSON was understood to disclam
Mr. STANTON obtained the floor, and yielded
: for explanation to 5s
Mr. WOODWARD, who said he was one Of
those who thought they might put question to q
candidate his political creed but he sustained
position which had been taken by him, that he
would give no pledges as 10 the manner in which
he would constitute the committees in case he
should be elected. That, he apprehended, was
what his colleague Mr. BURTl meant; not that
he should conceal his political principles, but that
he should give no pledge as TO the manner in
which he would constitute the committees. He
sustained the gentleman from Indiana in that po!
,tion He thought i was an honorable one.
Mr. HUBBARD (Mr. STANTON further yielding
ia he w M ad
the letter 10 the gentleman from Indiana which
had been referred to. He had only required nom
interference-nothng more. And he preferred a
man from the north, that they Qhe southl might
show that they were willing TO offer something on
the altar of our common Union. He had made
that declaration TO his constituents at home and,
after his arrival here he had addressed the gentle
man from Indiana letter, requesting that he
would call upon him. The gentleman came, and
showed him the record of his past course. With
that he (Mr. H) was satisfied. The gentleman
said something in reference to what would be his
course in appointing the committees. He (Mr. H)
had told him he wanted to hear nothing about
that; that he did not believe any man deserved
place on the floor who would require to know how
the committees should be constituted before he
gave his vote. He did expect, however, when
the gentleman from Indiana became candidate,
and consented to address others, he would have
furnished him (Mr H.) with copy Of what he
had written TO Mr.. WILMoT. He (Mr. H. had ad-
dressed the letter to the gentlemen, and only
asked non-interference.
Mr.. STANTON, of Tennessee, said No man
can regret more than do, the necessity for this
discussion. But do not regret, since the facts
existed, that they have been brought to light. l
feel it incumbent upon me, sir, to say one word in
explanation. ! am unfortunately among those
who voted for the gentleman from Indiana-eyen
"to the bitter end" Like all those gentlemen
from the south who gave him the same support,
had assurances that in his canvass before the
people he had boldly taken ground against that
measure, which has produced all our difficulties.
and exposed the Union itself TO such imminent
danger. / did not, for one moment, deem il posi-
that he could seek an alliance with the authors Of
this mischief-much less, that he could descend TO
the point Of promising them all they demanded. ]
feel sir, that the odium of this transaction, how
ever unjusty, will in some measure fall upon my
SELF in common with the whole south. desire
10 throw off this odium; and deem it complete
justification to say, that could never have sup
ported that gentleman if had entertained the least
been disclosed. gave TO the gentleman agen-
.rous confidence leave il TO the country TO say
whether that confidence has not been abused.
have but one more word to say. 1t is, that
feel myself, in common with every southern gen.
tleman in the same position, deeply indebted to
those few gentlemen this side of the House,
who had Sbe courage, and the foresight, so far to
break party ties, as to arrest the election OF the
gentleman from Indiana. take this occasion
publicly TO express my thanks TO those gentlemen
mation which was so near being effected.
Mr.. McMULLEN said he regretted exceeding
ly TO throw himself before this House, il being the
first time in his life in which he had attempted to
saw a word in deliberatve assembly. But hav-
ing been called upon by the gentleman from Mary
land, [Mr. EVANS, he felt il due not only to that
gentleman, but to himselfand his constituents that
ne should respond to the interrogatory OF the gen.
teman Anxious as he was 10 see the House OF
Representatives organized, he had had his fears as
10 the gentleman from Indiana, on this great ques
ton. But these fears had been allayed by con-
versations which he had held with various gentle
men from the south. They could Judge, then,
what was his astonishment upon hearing the rumor
last night at the National Hotel, that the gentle
man from Indiana had given somepledges to these
very distinguished freesoi gentlemen He Mr..
McMl had then remarked TO gentleman, that
il he could satisfy himself OF that fact, he was
one man from the south who would not vote for
the gentleman from Indiana. He had then been
introduced to the gentleman. He did not sat
;sfy him that the charge was unfounded, but said