Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-18
DEBATE IN SENATE.
THE NEBRASKA QUESTION.
In SENATE, MONDAY. FEpnuAnr 8, 1854

The Senate having under consideration the Nebraski
bill, and the pending question being upon the amend
ment of Mr.. CHASE, which proposed to strike out 50
much of the bill declared the Missouri Compromise
have been superseded by the Compromise acts of 1850
Mr. JONES' of Tennessee, said: Mr.. President, hat
nor desired or intended to trouble the Senate with any
thing which could say upon this subject and greatly
nrefSr now that other gentleman should take the
door will yield readily and sheerfuy to any of the
friends Of this BILL whether from the North from the
South who may now wish to take the hoor; but sir
no other Senator will rise and enter his protest
against the doctrines which have been proclaimed here
today, there is at least one who dares to do it.
II must occur to you, Mr. President and to every Sc
nator upon this oor that the speech Of the Senator from
Ohio who has just taken his seat is of the most
markabe which has been delivered in the Senate OF
the United States he is here representing, in part one
of the soyeregntes Of this Confederacy He comes here
to discuss grave question: which he himself says involves
nothing more less than the peace, quiet and happi
ness of the country and the very existence Of the Union
itself Mehinks Senator thus impressed with the So
lemnty and the vast Importance OF the question would
have approached it with camness and deberaton, and
fixed purpose to investigate and ascertain the truth,
and to come TO Just conclusions. But submit to him
SELF and you sir and to every Senator here how far
that gentleman has accomplished his purpose, snd how
far his speech went to eucdate any great principle fact
policy His speech from BEGINNING to the end with the
cepon of few filings the committee, TRADE Of
abuse and denuncation Of institution which has de-
scended us from the fathers of the Republic Before
he talked the scourge ana the of slavery be-
fore he said that it to CO. with its communicating
touch to mar the beauty Of that garden Of God, that
Eden which he represents this Territory to be- he should
have asked himself the question, from whence came this
blightng curse? The fathers of the Republic men
some of whom gave their lives and their fortunes and
pledged their sacred honor to the maintenance of the
great principles which this Government is predcated
the authors Of this pestence this curse, this blight
ing scourge which the Senator thinks comes down like
srocco from Heaven to wither and blast the fortunes
20 o,J IN mi hat no lanH
could rise from the grave the spirits OF those revolution
airy sires and patriots would rise up with indignation to
rebuke such assault upon their memories.
The Senator says that this nefarous plan is to be con-
summated and by what fundamentally, he inquiries is
this great wckedness to be achieved? BY conspiracy
as FOUL as odous, as infamous any that is recorded
in the annals of history And who theconspiratcrs
Honorable Senators here acting upon their own respon
sbiities acting upon the high biity upon
which the Senator from Ohio acts honorable Senator'S
here who are alike responsible the God who made Them
and the constitution which they have sworn tosupport
and to the great principles of human right ane human
liberty. They accountable, alike with the Senator
from Ohio oal the responsibilities that attach t honor
able They the consprators against the honor,
the peace the dignity, and the perpeuatlon o. these
glorious institutions of How far so gross on in
situation may compor with the courtesy due from one
Senator others leave that honorable Senator to Judge
for himself RS
But sir he says there is one thing which strikes him
with pain, establishment and regret What is that? He
to upon this side Of the chamber and tells us
that in other days. which past and gone, we stod
side by side, shoulder to shoulder fighting in common
Yes, sir, did and beg that honorable Sena
tor to do and to do others the justice to say that IN
that struggle we never put shoulders with his IN an
invasion against the rights of any portion of common
constituency and country If he considered the assoca
ton which has bound together members Of the great
Wing party to imply that had any afnities with the
doctrines which he procams here to-day now ant for
ever eschew any such understanding intention, or pur
pose.
have fought with him, and shall be proud to fight
with him. for the great principles of the Wing party bat
utterly deny that it was be, princi-
pie of the Wing party to aveigh against the institutions
OF the country which have descended to US from our Ia
Tiers utterly repudiae and scorn and, to borrow Ian
guage from source not the most reputable, spit upon
and despse any such doctrine that when applied to
the Wing party We have fought for the principles OF the
Wing party. expect to fight for them as long as am
able to fight at all.
But the gentleman from Ohio says must have been
strange spectacle to find Wings associated with Northern
Democrats in caucus upon this great question. Il may
appear strange to that honorable Senator that gentlemen
differing on great and important Subjects may agree up
on some subject and that agreeing upon that one
subject they may with propriety meet and confer oge
Their patriots upon that one question may be strange
to the Senator, but tell him there is nothing re-
markable in it. When the time comes for warning upon
the chairman of the Committee Territories as pot-
clan hope to be ready to give him many blows as the
Senator from Ohio but when that gentleman care not
what may be his motives have nothing to do with his
motives; they may hare been selfish; they may have
been unpatrotc they may have been reasonable or pa
triotic, care not which-comes out for the right viii
stand by him and vndcae him in the right; and par
ty lines, party affiliations no party tactics no screw
or lash shall ever force me into any other position.
There are however, very strange things in this
world. There things which stranger to my
mind even than spiritual rappngs and cannot conpre-
bend them When heard the Senator from Ohio (Air.
CHAsE) the other day, in well tempered, and will do
hm the justice to say able speech, arguing this ques
on and when heard him nveigh against any infringe
ment upon the sacred principles of the compromise mea
snres, confess that somewhat astonished end
was not prepared to suppose that the Senator from Ohio
Mr. WADE who has addressed us to-day, would follow
in the same channel. From hearing these honorable
gentlemen yndicating the purity the immaculate purity
the sublime perpetuaton, and the obligation forever to
hold those compromise measures sacred and invioabe,
one would have been led to believe that they themselves
were the boldest champions of some compromise
where and at some time Why this holy reverence; Why
this profound sacred religious devotion their part
compromises! Where and when did 1t arise? viii you
pardon me- Mr. President and gentlemen Of the Senate,
Tor reading few lines by way Of refreshing the memory
OF gentlemen 1t is very strange and extraordinary
piece of history and think will strike the Senators from
Ohio themselves with profound establishment. Here is
proyso which was offered By the Senator from Massa
chusetts MIR SrMSER to the civil and diplomatic appro
pration bill at the first session Of the last Congress:
Poridd That such allowance shall be authorized for
expenses incurred in executing the September Is 1885,
for the surrender Of fugves from service or labor which
| said act is hereby repealed"
The Senator from Massachusetts Nr srNyrn) offered
that proposition at the long session OF the last Congress
and who in this Senate chamber DO suppose stood
up, and upon their responsibility before God and the
country voted to repeal Of the compromise
of 1880? Certainly it not the Senator from ohio.
could believe that after his speech and his pro-
fessed regard for compromises But sir unfortunately
him. and unfortunately for his consistency when the