Washington sentinel., 1854-05-26


peatedIy called TO order, but refused 10 take his
seat.
When order was restored,
Mr.. TOOMBS resumed by stating that the sena-
tor was careful 10 deny only what was mol as
serted.
Mr.. BENJAMIN explained his recollection OF
the meeting, but was not aware who was present.
Mr.. TOOMBS then replied at length TO the po-
stions taken against the bill by The senator from
Tennessee, and warmly responded toihe personal
illusions of that gentleman.
Mr.. BELL, in the course of his remarks, with
drew all the offensive terms he had used, whlch
might by implication have been applied TO Mr..
TooMBs.
He then reviewed his past political course on
the subject OF slavery. He said that # he was
not sustaineda AT home he would resign his seat
Messrs BADGER and CLAYTON made ex-
plantations of their recollection OF the facts OF the
events of the meeting of the southern whg sena-
tors.
Mr.. BELL responded TO Mr.. BADGER, and said
that henceiorh he would regard all friendly rela-
tions between them as at an end,
Mr.. CLAYTON then addressed the Senate in
support of the pending amendment.
Mr.. WADE followed in opposition TO the bill
He said the north was tramped in the dust; her
humiliation was complete and overwhelming.
He denounced the organization of the Senate as
founded on rotten borough system, where one
man represents millions and another thousands.
He knew the bill was TO pass before the adjourn
ment. Tomorrow the day OF the great
eclipse II was proper day Let the honor OF
this republic and of the sun pass into obscurty at
the same time He gave notice of proposition Q
hereafter TO repeal this act.
Mr.. BROWN defended the amendment, and
strongly urged its adoption.
Mr.. BENJAMIN said he had voted for this
amendment before, and though it approved itself
10 his judgment now, he would not vote TO add
it 10 this bill. He was satisfied it would defeat
the bill 10 return it TO the House. 1t contained
the principles which would command his vote,
even though it contained thousand other objec-
tionable features.
He then explained the principles Of the bill in a
clear, forcibke, and eloquent argument of an hour
In conclusion, he appealed TO the northern wings
TO unite upon that great and only chance for de-
termning this vexed question forever. He said
it was true, stated by the senator from Ohio,
that the great eclipse would take place tomorrow.
But the senator knew astronomy enough TO be
aware that that eclipse would pass away, and the
glorious orb of day will again shed its brilliant
rays in all their former brightness.
As Mr.. B. was closing this sentence he was
greeted with considerable applause in the obbies
and the galleries, and, meantime the chandelier
was lighted, thus dissipatng the darkness which
prevailed
Mr.. SEWARD addressed the Senate in opposi-
ton TO the bill and, in the course OF his remarks,
asked the senator from Indiana (Mr. PETTIT)
whether he supposed by the abrogation of the
compromise of 1920, the people Of those terrific
res would get better Constitution than that,
supposing that slavery could go there.
Mr.. PETIT replied, in all candor, he did not
believe they would get better, nor precisely the
same one, but they would get the offspring of their
own body and nearer and dearer TO them than the
illegilimate child of another forced upon them. If
for no other reason than fostering and nourishing
the product of their own bodies, he would give
them the power to determine their own institu-
tons.
Mr. SEWARD replied that if the colonies of
Nebraska and Kansas were matured, and adopted
constitution, then the argument would be at an
end, because they would have power 10 make
their own constitution, unless they are prohibited
from introducing slavery; and he trusted and hoped
they were. That, however, was not the opinion
OF the Senator.
He then proceeded to speak against the bill
under consideration, saying that those who were
urging its passage not establishing but abro.
eating principle which was adopted for the secu-
rity of all sections. He dated on the anta2onisrn
between the systems of free labor and slave labor,
remarking that the issue will be here just much
after as before the passage of this bill Il must
end in the dissolution of the Union, in the tri-
umph of the free over the slave, in that Of the
slave over the free States. Ii must ultimately be
settled in Of these three ways. When it is
ultimately settled, it will be according 10 the laws
of God, and according to the principles of justice
and reason.
Mr.. CASS rose TO assign his reasons for sup
porting the bill; the. principle one of which was,
that it establishes the doctrine of fnon-nterventon
or, in other words giving the people of those ter
rtories the right to determine their own institu-
tons AS TO "squater sovereignty" he had nolh-
ing TO do with giving the name at the baptisma
font. He had always called it the right Of man.
AT haf-past ten o'clock when we went to press
the Senate was still in session.