Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-06-10
subject, I should feel constrained to


sion for the honorable Senator from Georgia r ToohBs
to make harsh offensive, personal reply (whether he
meant 1t SO or not) and he awaited himself OF TO go
into revelation of private caucus meeting, which,
think ought have been made the subject of dis
cuson here elsewhere. He thought proper to step
forward and endorse and confirm what one Of my col
leagues in the House had stated, in speech in that
body in relation my connection with that meeting, and
the inference drawn from it,
When the Senate adjourned yesterday, Mr.. Presi-
deat giving narrative of the conduct Of the homo
raole member mr. CHuRoHwELL) who had been selected
the instrument of the assault upon in that body
and stated that the surprised at his course
because of his professions of personal friendship
aid confidence in OF all the members of the House
OF Representatives, Democratic Whig he had for
year two if not longer made professions of per-
sqnal respect and friendship to than any other
bir may say OF either House Of Congress. As stated
yesterday, no man knew my views the subject Of the
Nebraska bill better than himself; and when was ar
igned by him in the House Of Representatives the
subject OF the meeting of the Southern Wing Senator'S
without asking any explanation of that meeting from
he knew that was under pledge to him that would
not commit myself the question, at the very time
when that meeting must have taken place At early
stage Of the progress of the bill through the Senate that
gentleman to my seat and inquired of whether
had decided on my course in relation to it, He was
about to leave for hs residence in Tennessee and he
wished to know what to say to his constituents. He
complimented me either then, at other time by
expression of his confidence in me- saying that this
great public question, and that he knew of public
man in whose advice he would have con-
fdence, or so much, as in mine.
informed him that had not decided upon my course
in relation to the BILL and promised him that Twoud
my final decision until his return unless the debate
should be brought close in his absence In the mean
time, and while he absent, told of his col
leagues in the House that thought that he r CHURCH.
wELL) would not go for the bill if should determine on
that course. Well sir the first time met him after his
return informed him that had determined to oppose
the BILL and asked him what he proposed to take
lie said that he had not made up his mind and that he
would reserve his decision to the longest time allowed him
before the debate the bill should be closed in the House
often met him afterwards, and conversed with him on
the subject Within week two before the bill passed.
the House he informed me that no man knew how he
would vote. aaei #
Until the evening before that honorable gentleman made
his speech in the House was not informed that he had
to any decision the subject had right to in
fer from what passed before between u.s. was Just
as likely as not and little likely, that he would 20
against the bill than in favor Of it, But the evening
fore ne made his speech he spoke to me in the most
friendly manner in the lobby of the House. where had
gone to hear the speech another Of my colleagues the
House. then learned from himself that he had conclud-
ed to support the bill Such the character of the agent
selected to make this onslaught on me in the House of
Representatives, and think may well have some feel
ing on that score.
The honorable Senator from Georgia must suppose that
would have some feeling on the subject when found
him volunteering bring to the notice Of the Senate the
proceedings at the meeting of the Southern Wing Sena
tors and seeking to establish such version Of them as
to sustain my colleague in the House in the inference that
was In favor OF the repeal of the Missouri compromise
at that time Some of my friends came around me this
morning and suggested that had too much feeling on
this subjects that there occasion for the feeling
l manifested yesterdays that there was no unkind
feeling the part Of Senator's towards me- and that the
whole difficulty was founded in q mistake
protest, and appeal to the Senate to confirm me in
the that neither by word look has any feel
Ing OF sentiment been expressed by that could be
srued into personal reflection any Senator in the
progress of the discussion of this subject from beginning
to end and am happy to state that have met with
no manifestation of feeng the part Of any Senator
towards me until the of the incidents of yes
terday confess that did feel indignant that the Sena-
tor from North Carolina, Mr.. BADGER protesting to be
my friend and sitting by all the session, should take
the liberty, without saying word to the sub
c to announce to the public at the close of the Speech
that was committed to the support the Nebraska BILL
But as regarded this declaration of that Senator as
confirmation OF my conjecture to the true object Of
the Southern Wing meeting in relation to the Of
the Intelgencer, contented myself by saying him,
as soon as he concluded his Speech that he had
thority to commit me to the support Of the BILL stated
IN my remarks on yesterday that regarded the meeting
of Southern Wing Senator's in relation to the Of
the National Intelligencer the Nebraska BILL hav
ing been planned with other object than to draw
into eommttal in favor of the Nebraska BILL and that
treated it accordingly but yesterday, for the first time,
heard it stated that the original and well understood
purpose OF that meeting to authorize public an
nouncement of the fact that they united in the sup
port of the bill; and it is charged against that was
present when that purpose stated in the meeting,
and that did not dissent when proposed that the
Senator from North Carolina NIr BADaER) should make
the announcement in his speech This the accu-
sation against me-
have thus recapulated the principal circumstances
and points of the debate yesterday for the better
Outstanding of what propose say further this SUBJ
ject As regards the inference attempted to be drawn
from any thing that took place at that meeting while
present or from act expression of mine at
time since the introduction of the Nebraska bill in the
Senate that approved the proposition to repeal the Mis-
souri, compromise in any shape form, that ever
expressed any sentiment opinion favor of its repeal
want to state now that ever heard me express
such sentiment The does not live, whether in
out of the Senate, who say, with truth that ever
expressed such sentiment defy any to say that
ever did. have conversed freely upon this subject
with many honorable Senators of both political parties,
with the opponents well the friends Of the
never concealed sentiments opinions the ques
ton of the proposed repeal but expressed them strongly
sought conversations with other Senator's with whom
no one of them will say that ut any time held
pressed any sentiment opinion approving the repeal Of
the Missouri compromise.
Upon that point hesitated. During the first
days of the discussion in the hottest part of the debate
at the time when the Senator from Illinois Mr. DoUGLAs
had SO skfuly managed ms to the whole question
to the aspect of contest between the friends Of the
South the side and the Abotonists and the Free
soers on the other when slavery and the Shareholders
Of the South assailed in such language could not
but excite the feelings of every Southern man,
Der being asked by the Senator from Massachusetts, Mr
EVERETT, who sat me, who knew how strongly /
dsapproved the whole movement what thought
would pursue in relation to it, and promptly said to
him, that, however repugnan my judgment thought
would be forced under the circumstances to for the