The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1854-02-17
WASHINGTON MATTERS

On Monday last, al an early hour, the
Senate Chamber was crowded 10 excess
10 hear Mr., Douglass speak on the Ne>
braska bills
Mr.. Douglass commenced his speach
by saying that two objects had been
sought by the Committee in preparing
he Nebraska bill, one was TO protect the
rights of The Slave states. Ii was the
obiec, and desire Of the Committee 10
be equally explicit. Il had taken the
principles Of the Compromise Of 1850 as
their guide, and had made each and ewes
~ PROVISION Of The bill accord with those
principles, leaving 10 the people Of the
Territory the privilege ofgoverning them.
selves free Of all control, except by the
Constitution OF the United States, and
restricting them upon no particular sub
ject OF their position North or South Of
any arbitrary geographical line. The
Committee considered that The Missouri
ComTrimise bad been superseded by the
COMPROMISE of 1850. lie then alluded
10 an address published by the Senator'S
from Ohio and Massachusetts, charging
their bill with a want of faith in solemn
cmopucts, and charging him personally
with connecting an atrocicus pot, apply
ing 10 him epilhets which could moi be
used between gentleman. He charged
that this address had beer put forth, claim.
ing to have been signed by majority Of
the Ohio delegation, in order 10 Influence
the Legsaturs of that State, before
which resolutions were now pending on
this subject. The address, ho said, had
moi all these signatures, and he believed
the statement that il had been SO signed.
was wlful falsehooi
MlChase rose TO make an explanation,
bulNlr. Douglas would not yield the floor,
and went on TO say that gentleman who
had violated every rule of pIopriety and
fairness, wHs not entitled to any conside-
ration al his hand MIR. Douglas then
went on at great length ,to argue ia fa-
vor Of the bill.
After Mr.. Douglass concluded, Mr..
Chpsa took the floor, and in forcible
and eloquent manner repelDed the charges
made agains, him by the Senator from
Illinois. lie assured Mr.. D., that in
writing the address alluded TO, the Scna-
tor did not for amomeni occupy his mind
and was only alluded to in the postscript,
and as the author of the bill.
Mr. Chase then proceeded l
"The Senator exaggerated his own in
portsnce, considering himself the whole
Committee, and took TO himself alfihai
was said Of the measure. know The
gigantic stature of the Senator's import
ance, ! knew The immense power and
ishuence the Senator exerts over the
country: knew The Senator is surroun.
ded by large and powerful party, and
| know the disadvantage labor under
in controversy provoked by the Sena>
tor; know the odds against me and the.
Senator from Massachusetts. we stand
alone, are in small minority, two against
sixty-two. | challenge the Senator TO
point 10 a single inslance in which ], or
tile Senator from Massachusetts, had
ever swerved TO one side or the other, in
voting upon any measure to promote the
interests of the country. ask the Sem
ator TO point TO any instance in which my
vote hes been influenced, for or against
a measure, because Northern or South
ern Stale was 10 be benefited BY it,
All we have done is 10 deny the naiioDa.
lity Of slavery this has been our position,
firm and nnalterablv, snd in it we are in
minority in the Senate. ! am now here
in the Senate, and before the country
re-asseri every word contained in that
address TO which the Senator alluded,
but penying it had any imputuiion upon
the motive, or called in question the
course Of any Individual. Having thus
briefly explained The groundlessbcss OF
the chnrge made against me by the Sem
a,or, will defer until to>morrow, my
arguments on the merits Of the bill"
Mr.. Wade said that he read the ud-
dress aud approved of it,and iii. had been
TO him he would have signed
il.
Mr.. Summer denounced the bill and
the evident effort which had been made
TO hurry II through Congress, before the
people had time TO express their opinion
upon it.
Adjourned al midnight.