The daily union., 1854-02-24
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF MIR. TRUMAN sMIrB.
OF cosNEcrlcur,

Mr. SMITH rose and said
AIR President | r'se u address the Senate on the
subject under consIdeTaon with unusual hesitation
and reluctance. laye mol been in the habit OF obiuding
myself the notice of the Senate; and II depart on
the present occasion from the which have pre-
serbed 10 myself, and ordinarily observed il will be ow
ing 10 sense OF the magnitude OF the evils which
must result from TINS measure II tits to receive the sane
oD Of the two houses OF Congress- and become the law
oi the land.
ltis almost fifteen years since became membe,
oil Congress- and have been almost necessarily present
IN the body The other with the exception OF the
Tweniy-eIghh Congress. during which was at home
engaged in The discharge OF The duties Of my profession
venture 10 assert here, that there member OF this
the other House who has taken less part than have
in the agitation I. those depiorable sectional questions
which have IRON time 10 time, aud often unnecessarily
heen thrown into the two houses 10 disturb, in high
degree, the harmony OF our public councils, and 10
put 10 hazard the peace OF the country. have
tented myself with responding in the simple accents
ol yea or nAy" 10 the various proportions OF ag
tation and disturbance which have been submitted in
either house Ordinarily have east my vote in
formiy with the predon'nating sentiment OF my own
secoD Tor do not pretend 10 be northern with
southern principles" and have no confidence in any
Who docs sci up tnat prelenson. On OCCASION
Mr. President did address the Senate al very consider
able length these topics and il is the oaly time have
ever spoken 10 them In either house was on the Sh
Of July. 1850, when lhe compromise measures oil that
wear pending here, being the day before the death
oi the ainened taylor. undertook 10 demonstrate on
that that there nothing OF practical mper
any or all al the questions then dispute which
CccariQnea 20 mucu and much
ton elsewhere. Mr.. Webster, in speech delivered IN
this chamber shortly alter, paid the high compliment
OF saying that had fuy succeeded in my object an
precaie as highly any member OF his body can, the
great principles OF tree government, which lac at The
foundation uf this controversy but do not desire 10
have them introduced here, 10 become subject OF dis
pue, except they be made have sune use
pIacucal application. AS. then. have been an ,g
ator either here elsewhere, trust hohora sena
will accord to patent beariGg though they may
possibly dider from the views which shall have The
honor 10 present
have Isen, MIR. President. to discuss the merits of
tins bill IN srtsnso and to dwell on TOPICS in the first
instance, which have nothing 10 do with the slavery
question Unfortunately, thai question has been thrust
INTO the bill | saail, however state oher Objections
which should, IN my judgment, exclude this measure
by the unanimous vote ut the Senate and then can
II please leave the question alluded undecided
here, in broad terms, that there objections 10
The bill! which ought to- and believe would crush to
a,ons, there not mixed up with that all -pervert-
Ing and binding eIemenI-lhe negro controversy l do
MOI knoN that can get the OF those honorable sen
ators who seem anxious 10 abogae the eighth secion
the act tor The admission OF Missouri into the Union
but my position is such TO aulhonze to make
srong appeal 10 their candor and their OF Justice
united win southern senators IN putting down the Ne
braska bill OF the last session, the very objections
which now state Notwithstanding 1t left The Missouri
restriction untouched.
Ia the first place, Mt President desire 10 INQUIRE OF
the Senate whether II is iry expedlen for us
now 10 organize two additional Territories, when we
have already no less Than hive, viz Minnesota Oregon,
New Mexico, Utah, and Washington! | desire honor.
10 10 The history
country when we had go large number on hand =
present; and YET II 10 proposed 10 add two more How
We came al The las 10 suffer he bill to organize
The Territory oi Washington 10 without objection.
neompTehensioe 10 me; tor, ~ my Judgment !, was to-
tally unnecessary.
My honorable friend. The chairmas of the Committee
on Territories lNf. DoueLAs. started al thus session
WIN proposition 10 establish Territory. which would
give do not know how long that idea lasted
l believe, however, only absut one week-when the
thought suddenly occurred the charnan that il would
1r " aiun Ard
now II seems We 10 have IeffitoIiesn fact
complete litter OF TerIlioes,o be supported and main
famed ou, of the treasury Of the United States Sir,
beg leave 10 enter my earnest protest against this policy
lyenlv believe that nothing could induce southern
senator's for this exavagan, proposition, were
not the negro element mixed up with H. Where, sir, is
all this 10 endi Encouraged BY what has ALREADY trans.
pred, convention has been called, am informed iu
Oregon, to form snOthso Territory there.
adM that the expanse within our limits ouK Kht
TO be opened tor setemen from time 10 time il is
Needed but the policy has been already pushed
existlnk exxenoes require say, the first place. to
create Terr,oTies-o carry them up 10 the unpece-
denied number oil seyen-is contrary the sieres OF
the present organized States particularly the land States
What. Mr. President, s their present cooditioni Are
they occupied Are tue public lands them exhausted
Are there no, in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri
and AIka vast bodies OF public lands untouched
Are there not large quantities 10 Illinois, considerable
Suasny IN Indiana and some 70 Ohio TO cay nothing Of
eo vepiure TO assert that al least half OF ihs
lands ~ these States remain unoccuped. There is a
'As quanuly on pubhe iahd whiD Their limits, besides
quantity little sss IN the hands OF Spectators
say, IN The second place. that contrary tie In.
nresi o The organized Territories to sanction the policy
OF this bill There is, sir the Territory OF Minnesota
opeR for settlement, comprising within its limits
lanse large enough To make three States like Pennsy-
vania. Then there are The Territories of Oregon and
Washine each sufficient for iwo II not more, States
The Territory OF uah good Tor one State. II will
hardly do count New McKee, for do not believe that
ssnasbis woii would 20 to reside there. Why should
We disperse our population Why not I'LL up, TO some
extent, Al least, the States and Territories nos organ
ized The objection OF injury TO be one and The other
would seem 10 me insunnouBlable. III there be stern
necessity-pocal or otherwse-for this measure. III il
be desirable to smash the Missouri Compromise TO relieve
The present standardization from the embafrassmens In
which II has involved asslf by taking the aboltion.
and freesolcfs OF the North TO il. bosom avow yonr
policy openly, and the motives OF that policy aud then
We shal know where we are
bdi. air, am anticipating II is said that these Ter
ories should be organized because by that means the
han.'t OF persons aud property across the continent
would be facilitated. In answer TO that have TO saw
mat this could be done by establishing military posts
along tina ae al lfiyla expense. But there is much
more efscaal means Of accomplishing that object which
viii PROFOUND Tor tho consideration OF honorable mem
eers, and that ~ Pacific railroad Tor which contend.
ed most srenuously at the last session wish such
road properly localed, and believe central location
lhe best but may be disposed concede that point
and go Tor southern route, II You will agree leave
us undisurbed on the slavery question We have made
several compromises with yon already, gentlemen OF the
ooui, which you Hy from al least manifest dispo-
auon TO do so. Wll you stand up 10 the compro-
mise
But after all sir, this business Of creating Territories
no uvai Affair." so lar the treasury s concerned
parlne The last four years have appropriated no less
nan ys73 332 50 for Territories OF this amount,
soo<,lol 81 has been actually expended-ieaving bal