Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-06-10

moerac members Of Congress from the North we're not
united upon the question After il became known that the
Softs and the Hards did not occupy ground
the subject and became very doubtful whether the
ory OF the Democratic members of the North would vote
for the BILL felt great reluctance and embarrassment in
coming to determination take ground in opposition
to the of many Of my Southern Wing friends
Soon after this bill went to the House, Mr. President,
was warned by Democratic Senator, now in the Senate
friend Of the Nebraska bill, but personal friend of
mine that would be assaled by of the friends OF
the bill with the most unsparng ferceness my friend
regretted exceedingly that had separated myself from
the Southern members of Congress- He did not inform
me from whom might expect the assault would come,
nor could ask him to inform He advised nae that
would be held responsible by the friends Of the bill for
the course of my colleagues in the House who took
ground against the BILL and that would be attacked
the ground that my had been dictated by selfish
ambition. He furthermore inquired of me il had not
attended of the meetings of the friends of
the bill, and he admonished that if l had would
have the charges which would be made against
me that ground Believing that that Senator my
personal friend took pains to satisfy him OF the
of course and the honesty of motives
remember to have told him that did not regard myself
occupying position that ought to provoke assaults
on me for my course upon such question. explained
to him that of the most serions which
had to from the first in deciding to oppose
the measure arose from the reflection that if alone
in company with very few Southern members of Con-
should oppose the BILL course might fail to have
any conservative and sauary influence in the South for
ation Of selfish and unpatrioc motive by my enemies
and the Southern friends Of the bill now propose to
narrate some of the circumstances connected with the
subject not so important to the vndcaton of my
upon this question to do justice to of my
colleagues in the House.
Mr.. Secretary, viii you furnish me with the day on
which the bill was reported to the Senate, and when it
was called up for discussion?
/ Mr.. DOUGLAS. The bill reported the 23d Of
January, and my speech was made on the 30th.
Mr.. BELL. Well, sir before the bill taken up for
IN nth IF ~ The
House, Mr CULLoM, In passing from the Capitol to our
lodgings after the adjournment of the two Houses and said
to him that thought the Wing delegation from Tennes
ought to have meeting to confer the course which
they ought to take upon the bill recently reported by the
Senator from Illinois. depressed myself strongly against
the policy OF disturbing the Missouri compromise and
thought it important that the Wings of Tennessee should
act together on the question My colleague concurred
with fullyin the view expressed in relation to the
Missouri compromise; that he had been battling with
of colleagues upon that subject from the first
but that they had made up their minds in favor of the
peal and that he satisfied it would be useless to have
any meeting with them the subject We concurred in
the opinion that under such of things it would be
very embarrassing to to separate from Wing col
leagues however strong objections might be to the
measure in question l remember that stated to my
colleague that particularly should feel great embarrass
men in taking course adverse to colleagues Every
Senator will see at once the embarrassment to which
was subjected
My colleague strongly impressed with the
vctons Of the bad consequences which would result from
repeal of the Missouri compromise that he begged
to hold myself uncommitted until could consult other
Wing colleagues, who, he informed me- agreed with him
his views of the subject and have time to consider the
whole question fully. at replied that would
probably have ample time to examine the in all its
aspects and for consultation with those Of colleagues
who uncommitted said to my colleague, at the
same time, that although thought the repeal of the
Missouri compromise weud be unfortunate for the
try and mischievous in its tendencies yet did not
how could safely separate from Wing colleagues
they persisted in their support of the measure and es
peciay as it understood that the Southern deega-
ton in Congress were nearly unanimous in its favor but
promised my colleague that would not commit myself
the support of the bill without consulting freely with
him and our other colleagues who were opposed to it.
After this interview with my colleague of the House,
CULLoM the next in the progress of the
bill which have to notice is the statement which the
honorable Senator from Georgia Mr TooMBs) has made
in relation my attendance at the meeting of the
friends Of the BILL and the votes which gave upon the
amendments to the bill He says that not only attend
ed those meetings but that satsd for the repeal Of the
Missouri compromise.
Mr. TooMBs You voted for the amendment embody-
Mr.. BELL. How did vote for the principle Of the
bill? attended the FIRST caucus meetings of the
friends Of the BILL and being invited felt perfectly free
to do so, had not then deciued upon my course.
Those two meetings took place after the commence
men of the discussion and must have occurred between
the 3Qh of January and the 9th of February In the
first Of those meetings the subject of discussion in
relation the form that clause Of the BILL reported
from the committee which intended to operate
repeal of the Missouri compromise contendng for
the distinct recognition of that principle insisting upon
phraseoogy which would that object and some
more who were opposed to that principle protest
ing against any change which would sanction it. The
Senator from Michigan, r CAss the Senator from In
diana, (Nlr PETITE and the Senator from Mississippi
Mr.. BRowN) were, believe the principal speakers
know it is not proper to disclose what takes place at
such meetings, but the Senator from Missis-
sipp will not object to my stating that he declared that
could not sustain any proposition which looked to the
establishment of the principle of squatter sovereignty
proposed by Others while those who favored the prn
cipe declared that they would in any phrase
ology which repudated that principle The question
not decided at that meeting but at another meeting
day few days afterwards opinions on that point
appeared to be harmonzed. new phraseoogy of the
repeating clause Of the bill agreed upon, and
early day afterwards voted with the Southern Senators
for the amendment which embodied the phraseoogy
of the repeating clause Of the bill which its friends ap
proved. That is ALL took no part in those meetings
and attended no subsequent meeting Of the kind.
But it is proper to say that had determined not by
vote of mine to thwart the views of the Southern
friends Of the bill any amendment which they might
desire to make to this bill at any time, though should
conclude to oppose its passage This adopted
Southern man. and may appear sectonal but he that
supposes that have section al feelings sympathies
is mistaken gave two other votes after had resolved
to oppose the bill, in conformity with the wishes Of
Southern Senator's in favor of the Clayton amend
ment and the other the Badger prosiso but must
say that in those votes believed that if the South ad
hered to the amendments then made to the bill it could
never become law.
After the two general caucus meetings which attend
in the first stage Of the debate in the Senate besides
t1tcfan rvu,th