Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-26
Remarks Of mr.. Foster, Of Gcorgia,

~ TetGtson 20 Mo position of Me dtbiianaetrdtsoR
party in the House Of Representatives.
Mr.. FOSTER. l rise, Mr.. Clerk, not with view
Of making speech. / felt inclined, a few days
ago, to seek the floor, not to make speech, but
to present proposition by which supposed we
would.be able to organize the Honse. Since that
time ] have had no anxiety to get the floor; and
1t was as far from my expectation this morning,
when came into the Hall, that should be 20
day on my feet for the purpose of addressing the
House, as anything could possibly be- feel, how
ever, called upon to say few words in renv to the
speech of my honorable cuIIeague Mr.. COBB who
has just taken his seat; and promise tho House
that will not be tedious; do not intend to
spread out my remarks. / am not going to arr ue
at length upon any question, but to present my
views very briefly on some of the points made by
my colleague Iwould premise, however, that it did
occur to me- from day to day, while we were bal
loting here for presiding officer of this House, that
we were acting like children.
There was something asserted on this floor,
which believe is not true, to-wit: That the OPP
position was in the majority" You have frequent
" heard that declaration made on this floor They
say the opposition is in the majority; and why
does not the opposition organize the Housep Now
ask the question, opposition to what2 Is It to
the present administration Do understand gem
tlemen to assert that every man in this House who
casts his vote for the nominee of the Democratic
patty endorses the present administration Am
so to understand it? If not, then II Is not to
the administration that we stand in opposition. To-
what is il, then, that We stand In opposition Is
il TO the principles embraced in the Kansas-Ne-
braska billp BE 1t So Taking that, then, as the
test, l deny that we have had any demonstration
that there is, this floor, majority in opposition
to tho principles Of that bill. Where has IL been
dcmonstratedf Has the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts, (Mr. BASKs) who represents tho anti
Nebraska feeling on this floor, been enabled, as
yet to get majority OF votcsg Have you not
heard the call made, day after day, for all the anti
Nebraska men 10 meet, with view Of taking
measures TO organize the Housc2 And yet they
have been unable to effect an organization. But,
II any demonstration has been made on this sub
ject it is that majority Of the House in favor
OF the principles of the Kansas Nebraska bill that
IT, if We can understand what these principles
And now come to that point.
confess Mr.. Clerk, that one difficulty with me
has been-and il has been maintained here to-day
that the Democratic party have put themselves on
measure and not on great principle. Why on
measure? Was il that there were certain tender
footed men who would not come up TO the great
principles we understand it--embraced in that
bill2 Then IL the object were TO wash that party
Of all uncleanness, let them lay down the great
principle as a principle and call upon every man
| TO stand up, not TO measure, but to principle;
that Is what we want. And, Mr.. Clerk, IL has been
| but il came up on this foor--that the Kansas-Ne-
braska bill is understood in one place to mean one
thing, and In another place TO mean another thing.
And when the gentleman asks me 10 come up and
meet him on principle and stand together in the
organization of this House, want IL TO be prin-
ciple which speaks the same language in Massa-
chusetts as Il speaks in Louisiana. I want It 10
speak the same language everywhere, all over this
Union; and If So / may come up and stand with
him on that principle.
But Mr.. Clerk, did believe, and take occa
sion to gay here never had any difficulty in un-
dcrstanding for myself what were the principles
embraced in the Kansas-Nebraska BILL do not
| want gentlemen TO understand mo rs objecting TO
the BILL or to the verbiage or language of the bill.
| That Is not the objection. do not care how good
4 the bill may be- how well drawn Il may be, how
well IL defines itself II is not principle. There
is the difficulty. object TO making 1t a test-not
| only that, but any bill. object 10 making test
4 on any measure, because, gentlemen can take that
measure, and may say Il means one thing in one
| place. and means something else in another place.
But when you come to a great principle, then it
speaks the came language in all places, and Is un-
derstood by all men alike ; and then you can come
together face to face, and understand another.
And insist just here, that before gentlemen get
| up and read me out because I cannot come up to
| what they insist they should bo clear MS to what
they 90 on. IL they insist principle, let them
lay down that principle in go many words.
But again: the gentleman Mr. Conn, OF Gcor-
gia) snys that he objects not TO the national Amer
| icaa party going in with his party And be it re-
marked that the other day gentleman, (klr
JosEs, of Pennsylvania defining what was meant
by the resolution offered and passed in the Demo
cratic caucus, said we ought to take no exception
to that resolution. He was willing to take US
how f? You must not only, (said he) abandon your
organization, but come in as Democrats-yoa must
not only abandon the organization you have already
joined, but you must come in penitent, ana with
ropes around your necks and then we are willing
to accept you as Democrats, and to act with you,
and then we can effectan organization. Well, we