Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-03-02
M. s,rrruS

perfectly conservative While one side is not in
favor OF slavery, tic other lde is not opposed TO
ii. They mean to lay il aside The know-nothiDg
party, q disclaim knowing anylbing) mean 10 pur-
sue this particular course. Laughierl We mean
10 do what neither The Abolilionisls nor the Sc
eessionsls of the South can do--namely: pre-.
serve the union Of these States in tact
Mr.. KElTT. The gentleman said Wc will pre-
serve the Union.
Mr.. SELLERS. The Know nothings. You
may stgnlatize that party, bnt il has hold the
American people The very instant the Senator
from Massachusetts Mr.. WILSON was elected,
he was denounced all over the country. II was
said the Union would be broken up But what
did the Senator say late memorable night Of
the session? Hear his words " would not say,
as my colleague said, | would not restore a fugi-
tive slave 10 his master; but II the law OF Mas
sachuseits will not, I'll help 10 do il myself. Do
you call Senator WILSON Know nothing? Be it
Under the old regime, who was sent 10 the
Senate from Massachusetts by the Democratic
party? Mr.. SUMNER. Cries Of :" No MOI
/" Yes y g Yes, he was elected by the Democrats"
understand Mr.. SUMNER was sent 10 the Senate
by the Democratic party of that State.
Mr.. KEITT would ask, if The recent letter
written by Mr.. WILSON 10 the editor of the Ameri-
can Organ was pronounced as conservative, how
il that, last night every sentiment and line Of
il endorsed by the gentleman from Ohio (?
Mr. GlDDINGs. He said, If the same questions
had been propounded 10 him, and he was called
on to answer CURLY and comprehensively, he
should have said the very words.
Mr.. OLIVER, Of Missouri. understood the
gentleman from Maryland 10 say that this organ-
cation will preserve the Union intact.
Mr.. SELLERS. What organization?
Mr.. OLIVER. The Know.nolhing.
Mr.. SELLERS. 1 know nothing about it..
[Laughterl
was the only subject which threatened serious
disturbance of The Union. The gentleman alluded
to Senator WILSON, aud endorsed every sentiment
of his speech with mex pressible delight. We un-
derstand Mr. Burlingame made speech in the
presence of Mr.. WILSON, in Boston, during which
he said his voice should never be hushed, nor his
abors cease, until slavery shall be abolished in the
District Of Columbia, until the fugitive slave law
shall be repealed, and the Missouri restriction
restored and slavery excluded from all the Terri
tories Of the United States; Mr.. WILSON after
wards rose, with modesty, and said he had not
time 10 express his sentiments at length, but
would simply remarked he endorsed, TO the fullest
extent, every word and syllable uttered by Mr..
Burngame. Do you, Mr.. OLIVER asked, endorse
that?
Mr.. SOLLERSreplied that he was stakeholder.
All knew the question Of slavery is delicate one.
But he regarded il 10 any country.
Would 10 God we (Maryand) never had slave
among us. He had never believed that slavery
was right in the abstract, and no man should ever
force him 10 avow such an opinion 1t was pressed
on in colonial times, and is proracted under the
Constitution. He would maintain his interest in
slavery at the daggers point. No man should
wrest slave from him, nor from his neighbor,
without taking his hearts blood.
Mr.. OLIVER reminded the gentleman his ques-
tion was, do you indorse the sentiments of the
Senator from Massachusetts
Mr.. SELLERS replied he could not answer for
the antecedents Of Mr. WILSON. He was not au-
lhorized nor competent 10 answer. But he said
what he heard Senator WILSON utter recently, in
the Senate filed him with inexpressble delight.
Mr.. OLIVER. Do you indorse what the Sena.
tor said in Massachusetts, just after he was
elected
Mr.. SELLERS. am a stakeholder
Mr.. OLIVER So am /.
Mr.. SELLERS. l do not ndorse his senli.
ments further than hear them expressed. | un.
derstand his remarks recently 10 be conservative,
and SO far indorse them.
/ Mr.. KEITT, resumng the floor, reverted 10 the
question he propounded TO Mr.. BANKS, asking him
whether he would vote 10 abolish slavery in the
District of Columbia, or for the Wmot provso 2
1t was known that the gentleman belonged 10 the
Freesoil party.
Mr.. BANKS. Never.
Mr.. kEITT. / ask the gentleman whether he
did not say he would act no further with the Dem
ocratic party because offs alliance with slavery?
Mr.. BANKS. No, sir; | separated from the
administration and the Presdent l assisted 10
elect the, on the questions pending al that time
and spoke TO the people OF my own town.
Mr.. kEITT. The member is either in favor OF
those measures declines 10 make the statement.
/ ask what is the inevitable inference? He fears
that declaration would iniure his order uhe
Know. nothing) al the South
Mr.. BANKS. Not at all.
Mr.. kEITT. There are two horns ofthe diem
ma. He is neither for or against those measures.
Another thing-l speak il regretfully-when |
asked the question OF the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts, the gentleman from Maryland advised
him not TO answer; and then the last named said
that he believed slavery TO be curse
Mr.. SELLERS. do. That is my private opin-
ion. A VOICE, /" Publicly ex pressed.'l Yes.
Mr.. KEITT. The gentleman from Maryland
says they mean TO preserve the Union / would
say to him. we have rights guaranteed by the Con-
sitution, and rights anterior 10 the Constitution.
Mr.. SELLERS. Will the gentleman do me the
Justice, while he tells the House that declared
slavery 10 be curse, 10 add, at the same time
said | would defend il with my life
Mr.. KEITT. / will do that.
Mr.. OLIVER asked several other questions OF
Mr. SELLERS, who said, if il had not been for the
interference of Abolitionists, Maryland, ere this
would have been free State. Two thirds of The
people OF that State were hostile 10 slavery. He
represented the largest slaveholding interest in
Maryland.
Mr.. BOCOCK was surprised 10 hear the gentle.
man say he listened 10 Mr. WILSON with mex
pressible delight. He felt assured il the gentle
man had heard all the Senator said, he would not
indorse his sentiments.
Mr.. SELLERS replied he heard Mr. WILSON
say what he had never heard uttered by Mr.. SUM-
NER, and Mr.. SUMNER was elected by the Demo
Gratis. His (Mr. SIS people had sent him here 10
think for them they should never think for him.
He did not believe slavery TO be of divine origin.
In further reply to Mr.. OLIVER, he said he made
use ofthe word curse" in political sense He
thought Free-soilism and Secessionism a curse
In other words, an evil.
After further proceedings, the committee, at
twenty minutes past twelve o'clock, rose
And the House adjourned.