Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-07-01


duty or the personal character the profession of the
clergy the ministers Of the gospel they have right to
present their petitions and you should regard their Pc
titons merely the expression Of their own senti
ments-senments as pure and dsinterested those OF
any cass-but the expression OF the sentiments OF the
population in which they are situated the index ana the
exponent of general feeling Il IS So II wan De found
to be so Is there for it think there IS, and
that cause will explain
Four years ago my most distinguished predecessor,
Mr. Webster, stood upon this door and advocated tps
compromise measures Of that period Among the rest ne
acauesced in the passage Of the fugitive slave law he
said at that time, and the words which fell from ms ps
regarded by himself and by all othess ss words %
be entirely relied upon fixed facts that could never be
changed that the state and condition OF the whole terri
tory Of the United States in the matter Of freedom and
slavery, fixed by irrepealable law Underlying the
acauescence which followed upon those compromise mea
sures of 1850 was that belief the part OF the whole
population of the free States that the condition OF the
Territories was fssd oy an 1sspeaa0ls law auah nSa
qulescvsu proof snc very pesiticn
have presented here Appended e ito the names Of
great many persons who actively engaged in re-
conciing the public opinion TO support OF and acques
cence in that system Of measures.
| When this Congress met al was quiet. When the
proposing repeal of the Missouri compromise
introduced impossible for men to believe that
it be carried ou but proceeded and day after
day the conviction forced upon our people that IL
was to be carried out Then this excitement
stoned SIR will say that it has proceeded further
than requistion for the repeal OF the fugitive
slave law 1t does proceed stated in the address on
which the Senator has commented to requiston to re-
peal the provision Of the Kansas and Nebraska bill which
repeals the Missouri compromise 1t goes upon the
ground and it will proceed upon the ground that there
sacred compromises outside Of the Constitution OF
the United States that there laws which cannot
be repealed that there is nothing in the nature Of law
compromise which Congress cannot and may not be
| asked to repeal
This petition asks simply and directly for the repeal of
the fugitive slave law 1t does not ask for modification
of that law 1t the opinions Of the petitioners
that something should be done and they have not stop
ped weigh their words but they say distinctly and d
recty that they that law repealed They undoub-
edly wish its repeal for two prominent reasons because
does recognise the right of trial by jury and be-
does recognise the writ of hd6eos They
ask for repeal Of the law because it contains denial Of
those provisions This is expression of their dissatis
faction with the law.
Mr. President have shown that there is difficulty
between the Government Of the United States and the
Government of the State Of Massachusetts, but there
and large portion of its people large portion OF the
people of the United States dissatisfied with the mea
Of Government. What course do they take! am
undertaking here and do not say that there
may not hereafter be party in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, which will sustain these measures
know there members Of party there who now sus
tain them do know but that there may be OF
the members of that party who will hereafter sustain
them. But say that any party which sustains them
there In any of the free States will in my Judgment
| grow small by degrees and beautifully less" say
there such pervading public sentiment that this must
be the result
Now, sir when there is difficulty between the Gov
what the duty of that portion of the people l. y not
to address the Government to state the cause Of the
grievance and to ask for specific sedress l. not this
done 1t truly said by the honorable Senator
this the only petition that hiss been presented
that win be presented 1t Is true that the same feeling
great masses Of the people OF this country
the same feeling will exhibit itself hereafter. Now what
ask is that this petition shall be referred to the appro
pirate committee and receive its respectful and attentive
consideration say the Government Of the United States
is bound to do that and less, with such petition
Sir in regard to the remarks Of the honorable Senator
from Tennessee in relation the effect which tho repeal
of the fugitive slave law may have upon the contn
uance Of this Union, have this sayfor will speak
here freely would speak under the arches Of Fam
euil HaLsay that the time has gone by when any thing
like threat Of the dissolution Of this Union, consequent
upon the action Of the people of the free States will have
any influence upon them not because OF want OF devotion
to the Union their part because they have not sig
nied in the past and will not signify in the future, the
depth of that devotion by their lives but because that
threat be used for the purpose of influencing the
free exercise Of their judgments.
Threats of dsunion longer to be regarded
guments for against any measure of this Government
We look upon the dissolution Of this Union imposs
BILE thing We willing, as we always have been, wher-
it is extended to go with it. We are willing to do
that and ask here to-day, why is it that the
are progress unite the Pacific with the Atlantic
Why is it that this old commercial Atlantic is not
to-day in progress of being connected with the Pachcf
Why do you not nygorate the great ideas that some
times UTTER of bound Republic Of the whole
Of North America? Why do ycu not invigorate them
with the great achievements of science Why is it that
California this morning Are not the power and re-
sources Of the Government sufficient? Where those
measures Why fhey not followed upf Why arc
they brought before the Senate end passed by Com
gress? Let be bound together in links Of iron, and
question debates subject ever sever them
This has always been the sentiment Of Massachusetts,
and when Fhad the honor Of seat in the other House Of
Congress it always the principle that animated my
heart The Atlantic and the Pac6cl Let them be to-
geher This day the Pacific, for all practical purposes
Of transportation is not large the Atlantic was
twenty years ago. Its borders together than
the borders Of the Atlantic were twenty Yours
is the path that Omnipotence has pointed out for the
transit Of the commercial products Of the EARTH Why is
it not carried out! Was there richer GovernmentY
Do you say that there difficulties to the routes and
and all the difficulties the routes and modes OF con-
struction will vanish away. Give the West, give US
the South, give free opinions, and we shall 90 wtn
you forever and neither you nor nor oil men togetner
i can prevent it.
Mr. President desire to speak in words OF truth, or
sincerity and in the calmest and Fainest possible
ner There is an excitement in the free States Of this
Union such as has never before been 1t more
powerful by far than any thing that has preceded it. II
Is increasing every day Imus be respected must be
heard il must be considered and trust it will be-
trust that this petition will receive the calm consideration
and attention Of committee to whom have proposed
10 entrust it. Let be argued let it have fair and full
consideration Whatever Of argument connected with it
IL brought forward by the eminent standing committee
whom Il is referred let 1t before Let the public
opinion be heard and respected.
Mr. President the honorable Senator from Tennessee
stated at the commencement of his speech, that he did
NOT arragn the motives Of any Senator He has treated
mo nersonay with the courtesy which belongs to his