The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-08

| did not change the character OF the act In
! further reply to remarks of Mr. KEITT, he read
| an extract from a letter apostolic OF rope
| Gregory XVI, dated 1889, to show the rope
prohibited and interdieted the commerce In
slaves, under any pretext or color, and DIS
cussed the question of sovereignty and suffrage.
| He replied to Mr.. CHANDLER, reafiirmlng that
neither the Pope of Rome, nor any Council
| authorized to speak for that church, has ever,
under any circumstances, denied the power to
| control the laity of that church in temporal
affairs; and referred to numerous Roman
Catholic authorities to support his positions.
Mr.. KEITT, replying to Mr.. BANKS, said
| that the Pope possesses no power over the po-
| litical opinions of the Catholics in the United
States; and this is shown by the fact that the
| Catholic population of this country are against
Aboltionism. These things the gentleman
from Massachusetts, has shown.
Mr.. BANKS replied, that his remark was.
directed to one historical point proclaimed by
| the Roman church, but never denied.
Mr.. KEITT. Shall prescribe the Catholic
| church because of its religious tenets? 1t is
| not for me to fling stones at others. Can L do
| it because it has been traitorous to the Consti
tuition The gentleman from Massachusetts
| saws, the members of the Catholic church have
| repudiated dictation in the particular of Sla-
| very.
| tie then ailuueu I'D laCt, tnaI Wnllc WHICH,
| craft prevailed in Massachusetts, the Catholics
| of Maryland threw out the flag of religious
federation, the only spot where it floated during
that time of peril and persecution.
| Mr.. SELLERS (interrupting) said his friend
should bear in mind that the charter granted
| to Lord Baltimore was from a Protestant King.
Il was limited charter, and during the exist
ence of the Provincial Government there was
always Protestant majority. The question of
| religious liberation was never brought as re-
| ligious test, except on one memorable occasion.
| The Catholics dared not violate the charter
granted by a Protestant King.
Mr. KEITT replied, he had stated the fact as
he had read it in history, and as recorded by
Bancroft, who resides in Boston. 1t was a
| charter granted by Protestant King for relig
| ious toleration and was now to be violated by
Protestants against Catholics who were true to
the charter, and founded cities, and ruled the
| Commonwealth. The Catholics were true to it ;
| the PrOtestants false to it.
| Mr.. SELLERS said the very instant the Ro
| man Catholics got the ascendency, they tried,
| by all possible means, to make Maryland n
| Catholic State.
Mr.. j. C. ALLEN asked whether Protestant
| Kings did not give charters to New England
States without religious federation?
Mr.. KEITT. That is true; but have sta
| ted what is related by the historian | would
ask the gentleman from Massachusetts whether
he thinks the Wilmot proviso constitutional?
Mr.. BANKS. My opinions are expressed in
the speech which the gentleman has cited. AS
| to what shall do, l will determine when the
! future comes.
| Mr.. SELLERS. That is right
Mr.. KEITT. viii the gentleman not say he
will vote to incorporate in the Fugitive Slave
| Law trial by Jury?
Mr.. BANKS. shall vote as l think right
| and proper. i say am here for Massachu-
| sets, and not for South Carolina, and mean
to represent Massachusetts faithfully. ! shall
| sail my own ship in the House. If the gentle
man puts negro into it, | will carry him into
a free country.
Mr.. KEITT. Will You vote for the admis-
| sion of Kansas as slave State2
MIR. BANKS. Just as may think proper.
Laughter.
Mr.. SELLERS, Ito Mr.. KEITT.) If Kansas
| or Nebraska shall apply to come into the Union
as a free State, will you vote for it?
Mr.. KEITT. If it meet the requirements of
the Constitution ! will vote for it, whether free
or slave. Applause. want to know whether
the gentleman from Massachusetts will do that.
want to know whether the Know Nothings of
the North will. Cries of "Good for KEITT!"l
| ask the gentleman from Maryland whether he
will say the Know Nothings Of the North will
SO vote?
Mr.. SELLERS. know nothing, and never
will know anything Laughter.
Mr.. KEITT. Certainly
Mr.. SELLERS. AS to the Native American
party, l will say, without the slightest reserva-
ton, that in all their principles and feelings they
are perfectly conservative. While one side is
not in favor of Slavery the other side is not op-
posed to it. They mean to lay it aside The
Know Nothing party Il disclaim knowing any
thing) mean to pursue this particular course.
Laughter. We mean to do what neither the
Abolitionists nor the Secessionists of the South
can do, namely: preserve the Union of these
States intact
Mr.. KEITT. The gentleman said soe will pre-,
serve the Union.
Mr.. SELLERS. The Know Nothings. You
may stigmatze that party, but it has hold on
| the American people. The very instant the
Senator from Massachusetts Mr.. WILSON was
elected, he was denounced all over the country.
1t was said the Union would be broken up
But what did the Senator say on a late memo
rabe night of the session? Hear his words: Z"
would not say, as my colleague said, | would
not restore fugitive slave to his master: but
1t the law OF Massachusetts will not I'll help to
do it myself" Do you call Senator WILSON a
Know Nothing? Be it so. Under the old
| regime, who was sent to the Senate from Mas
sachusetts by the Democratic party? Mr.. SUM
NER. Cries of "No!" "No!b Yes /" Yes.
he was elected by the Democrats" / under
| stand Mr.. SUMNER was sent to the Senate by
the Democratic party of that State.
Mr.. kEITT would ask, if the recent letter
written by Mr. WILSON to the editor of the Amer-
acdn Organ was pronounced so conservative,
how was it that, last night, every sentiment and
line of it was endorsed by the gentleman from
Ohio? Mr.. GTDDINGs. He said, if the same
questions had been propounded to him, and he
called on to answer as curly and cOmprehen-
sively, he should have used the very words.
Mr.. OLIVER, of Missouri understood the
gentleman from Maryland to say that this organ
ization will preserve the Union intact.
Mr.. SELLERS. What organization?
Mr.. OLIVER. The Know Nothing.
Mr.. SELLERS. know nothing about il.
Laughter
Mr. OLIVER said that the Slavery question
was the only subject which threatened a serious
disturbance of the Union. The gentleman al
luded to Senator WILSON, and endorsed every
sentiment of his speech with inexpressible de-
light. We understand Mr. Burlingame made a
speech in the presence of Mr.. WILSON, in Bos.
ton, during which he said his voice should never
be hushed nor his labors 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 Territories of the United
States Mr.. WILSON afterwards rose with mod.
esty and said he had not time to express his SEN
tments at length, but would simply remark he
endorsed, to the fullest extent, every word and
syllable uttered by Mr.. Rurlingame Do you,
Mr.. OLIVER asked, endorse that? I
MIR. SELLERS replied, that he was slave