Washington sentinel., 1854-03-29
Wasbingtnn geutiufl.
NEGRosLAvERY in SOUTH AMERICA
In SENATE, THuRsDAY, March 2, 1926.

following resolution, submitted yesterday py MT
RANDOLPH:
R,sol,x4 That the President of the United
States be requested to lay before the senate such
information as may be in the possession OF the Ex
ecutivc touching the principles and practice oi
the Spanish American States, any Of them late
colonies OF Old SPAN, in regard to negro slavery
The resolution having been read, and the
question being on its adoption
Mr.. HAYNE, of South Carolina, said he had
listened with great attention, and certainly with
much interest, to the eloquent remarks made
BY the gentleman from Virginia Mr.. RAN
poLPHJ yesterday, on the principles and policy
OF the new States of South America, in relation
to the slave question. 1t was subject on
which no one coming from the part Of the
country which he represented could possibly
be Indifferent The gentleman from Virginia
had given us a clear, and, doubtless, a very &C.
curate statement Of the principles Of these new
States. Mr.. II. believed, that the facts con
nected with this subject were notorious, and
were as well known to the Senate now as they
could be from any communication the Execu-
tive could make in answer to the call proposed
in the gentlemans resolution. Whether the
proclamation attributed to the LiJerator was
genuine or not, this house and this nation are
not now to be informed that the new republics
were marching under the banner Of universal
emancipation. Mr.. HAYNE was therefore, in
daced to doubt the necessity of calling on the
President for information which was already in
their possession. Certainly such q call ought
not to be made, unless there was some reason
TO believe that it would furnish us with some
facts with which we are not already acquainted
Mr.. HAYSE said he did not rise to oppose the
resolution, but merely to suggest the propriety
OF postponing the consideration of it for few
DAYS, iii order to give time for further delibera.
tion as to the necessity of acting upon it. Hav-
ing some doubts on that point, he hoped the
gentleman from Virginia would not object to
the postponement of the resolution to Monday
next which Mr.. "a. moved accordingly.
Mr.. RANDOLPH then rose, and said:
had certainly not intended to. have said one
word more on the subject OF this resolution, in
case It should not meet with opposition; and,
as matter Of courtesy, certainly should acuui-
Carolina, if there was any probability of get.
ting the motion taken up on a day fixed for the
proposed amendment of the Constitution But,
sir, at TIE same time, | hope that gentleman
will pardon me for saying that the fate of my
resolution reminds me OF very fayorite old
Spanish proverb Of mine for, although am
not very much smitten or inoculated with the
Spanish American fever, vet the old Spanish
proverbs are great and deserved favoritcs o
mine, being perhaps, the most pithy and pun
gent in the world. II is this Save Inc from
my friends. and will take care of my enemies
did not apprehend said Mr. r., that any
gentleman here would have raised any opposi
tion to this resolution. Sir, this session is
drawing to close, / hope; for it will very soon
be time to plant corn. Under existing circum-
stances, wish this resolution to be acted on
now; therefore, though it is no very great time
from this to Monday, yet, as that day is as
signed to a special order on the amendment of
the Constitution, cannot consent--and hope
the gentleman will pardon me in saying sol
cannot consent by my vote, to the postpone
ment, deeming it equivalent to rejection of
the motion though, if it be the pleasure of the
Senate to decide against me, shall submit to
it, as | always do to the majority, / hope with
decency, but without the slightest change in
my opinion as to the expediency Of the course
proposed.
Sir, said Mr.. R., can say, with sincerity o.
heart that no man can question the truth of
that it is a matter to me Of modification and
distress, that have had so often, Of late, i'm
posed upon me, as / conceive whether trul,
or falsely,) the duty Of throwing myself on the
attention of this body 1t has not been m,
habit elsewhere it has not been my habit Of
late years more especially. Indeed, have un
derstood, since took my seat in this body, that
an imputation of contrary nature-that
shouid be here an inactive member, a slothful
public servant, was feared by some even of my
friends, and was the strongest amongst the OBJ
iections of those candid adversaries, who damn
with faint praise, to my being here at all; ard
while dsclam that motive, it is possible that
! may be unconsciously actuated by it. But.
sir, under the circumstances in which stand
in the place in which stand Mr.. R. was
standing in Mr.. TAzEwELL's place, who is alb
sent on account Of family sickness i'm the
situation in which the State ,f Virginia is
placed. by the absence of my associate-and in
which am happy to say she IS placing and
has placed herself in array-in array agains,
this government ?-no, sir, not this government
but the NAL administration Of tit is unde,
these circumstances that ], have been, as | con
ceive, bound in duty to offer my, perhaps, crud,
conceptions but which have been as well con
cocted as lcng and patient thought could diges
them, to the attention of this body know
sir that the habit of frequently addressing this
any other legislative body, but this body NOR,
especially, has a tendency to cheaper far great
er talents than any that possess, or even laiG
CLAIM, to, and to i'm pair the value even Of the
greatest abilities. ] know, sir, that, in this
body, which is in itself a Congress, consisting
of deputies from sovereign and independent
least is equally on footing with the greatest
where State which sends but one member tc
the other House is on a footing with one tha,
sends forty, and on footing there, too, under
certain contingencies, foreseen and provided
for by the eConsttution--that, for any individual
member too frequently to obtrude himself on
Its attention. s fatal not only to any little repu
tation that he may have happened to acquire
in the course Of his public life, but what is o.
far more consequence to his capacity to be use
full to the power that sent him here. It is .
wise and sar'ary Jealousy on the part of til,
Senate. know, sir, that this is a body, abov,
all others, in which they "shall not be hear,
for their much speaking = in which swain ret
etitions' do as little good as We know they wi
do in another place, and yet sir, circum
stanced as am, am compelled not only I
break through that rule Of propriety, whic
otherMise would restrain me. but to be guilt