New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-27
LETTER FROM SENATOR WILL SON
HIS COURSE IN THE SENATE.

nisr. presepfed that some of my friends, who ham
entire confidence in my fidelity 10 freedom, n
snxious that should state precisely What my scsa
has been. You and my friends may be surptissax
,heee misrepresentation, bat am not Whea lS
tered the Senate expectedt be msrepresented sndl
have not been disappointed. These misrepresenta6ou
msy give pain 10 my friends and perhaps shake fof
tine their confidence 10 ne, but they viii no. sire
me single momeLts aoxiefy, or deter me from se;
ips ip accoro ance with my own sense Of duty.
Nineteen yesrs ago solemnly resolved 10 give M,
bomble efforts 10 private and in public to the Aai
Slavery cause Ihsve done so, and 10 doing 81 hsv,
acted With Of ali parties, sad while 1--we expect
10 col tibue 70 do co. This sctoo has subjected M a
the charge of political inconsistency and psrsonsli
q attitude in the pact and expect i, viii subject N
10 the same in the future.
You know, my dear Sic that while.my election w
pend NJ that was ierc-ly denounced and ODpoesdw
an Abolition aeitstor' and 9 Disuuionst" aud Ax
II G members of The Legislature were imporsd b 4
T. at me il they no ped TO psepslize' the American
party You also know that while never ravelsds
single mile TO secure vote, OF asked sngle memhx
Of tie Senate Houss 10 vote for me, that publicly
and distinctly stated TO all men who asked my opinioa
what my views we're upoo the Slavery qlestioo-sal
that never modified or qualified my opinions or uada
any plect es to secure vot-s You know, ana my b
tmste friends know, that told oil msn who ssksdry
yiess, that ny Anti Slavery opinions w,re tnens
tuIed convictions of ms judzment-thN would ut
modify them TO win any position on earth, snd thai
should n1exbly maintain them even II oy 30 cong
the party with which act should be sheltered ne
fragments.
maintain my opinions nfexiby butte do so 10 ssphs
of kindness ard ooDciliston. l have done = I'd
sholl continue to do go.
When l arrived at Washington, found that II
Slave propsg sndsts and perpesualists were endssv
ing TO RETAIN their wal ing power oy misrepresenfas
me ara those who think as do in Masssehusss6
upon the Slavery question. series OF qaesdoN
were propoupced to u by the conductor OF sPobA
journal in Washington l saw al opportunity Tor y
to state clearly and distinctly my position ana me
sition Of the people Of my State upon the SlavGy
question, and ! frankly answered those questions
NV sns9 ers 70 the que stoDs propounded to me w0o
truthful and consistent and they were read an1 y
proved by veteran Anti Slavery men. hsvegoM
reason TO know that my ans vefs to these qaeenoM
bave dor much to dsabu-e the minds Of our DosA.
ern biefbren OF preuoices and misapprehensons, ut
Ia shOw them our exact position upon the blsvsy
question. That letter, for which have been 20 nu0
n,isrepresented by men who have denounced ~ =
en- "Abolitionist," "sgifator," and "dsunAonst'
bss done more, in my humble opinion, to place ~
Anti Slavery men right before those who have bsn
deceived cor cerDiDR them, than anything hNsWx
uttersd could have done.
A few days sitter took my seat l was called qpsa
10 vote 10 pay indians for slaves taken by Texnut
rauceIs, and my vote was cbeerfaliy recorded ~
men who do not believe that man can be ngdtfaal
the property Of his feilow.man. did not think tok
qube if my vote would be acceptable TO the Amsfen
psriy or any other party. In the morning hour olh
alst of February Mr.. Chase moved to refer 10 { Con
mittee some PETITIONS az anst Slavery, and biz m0m
was laid upon the table. The Senate OF that day X
be frat time met at IL O'Clock instead Of IL oclo
Tie change had escsped my attention, and ~
made business engagement that morning. ceoe
into the Senate just before the usual hour Of nest
ara learned thai the petitions had been presented q
a vote taken i regretted that an Opportunity III
been o.t to record my vote, and proposed e sss
to the Senate that had been present should lsve
vosed against the motion TO ley the proposition tx
Con mittee upon the table. Mr. Chase and n. So.
arc both advised me not 10 do So. Perhspsko9
had kposn that there were conductors Of press0m
Massachusetts, that would denounce ne 81 "doos0
ard persist in it. even after my absence BED esn a.
planned, they might have given different 0dyIce
On The cath of February, Mr. Toucey's bm ~
tect the officers of the United States In the executes
of the Fugitive slave act came up and not hexng
the fear Of the American party, or any other psT
before my eyes, took occasion to state, ~ cIsadl
snd distinctly possible the position Of the peephe
Massscbufesn upon the Slavery question-snd ~
they intended to do. My opnions-cpiaons IN
for years en.ertsined-were frankly and plainly =
efs of certain journals are led to believe that =.
spplauded" by Southern Senators. II the re-.
of those journals ever learn what did say, they "
have to seek for Information from other sources.
have no right to ask even for Justice at the haaSs
tbee journals. -
Tbess &C uctors Of presses in Massachusets ~
also Undertaken TO criicise my couree upon ms II!
question. While they have been crpipg e "a
have been acting In concert with most Of the msnso
Of our delegation, and with business meu OF our ~
from whom have received letters Of sppfovdi .
the views have expressed, know are accepAees
tbs of the manufactures and bus'n0
men OF Massachusetts,.
A few days before the adjournment, the So
passed resolution TO close the session 90 SAtIeI
night, at IL O'Clock, for which voted. Ihe H.
refused to adopt 1t. After daylight on Sunday ~
ing there was &c neral disposition not 70 DO ssyU
Necessary business At o'clock, after me spr~
prs,ion bill bad come back from the House snd ~
referred to the Conference COMMITTEES, me y
took recess until eight O'CLOCK. No bustnsss ~
uou ebt sss transacted. Ali we're waiting sausS
for the Committee to report. At l0i o'cock, y
Browp, OF Mississippi, offered resolution 70 ~
the Neutrality laws. Al asked vote upon
was general cell upon him not 10 press me men.SS
Il al hour, and stepped from my seat 70 bis soa
erect appeal TO BIN not TO call for vote o. -
Ssbbsih day upon that question. The matter y"
dropped by common consent. A..
In feV moments sitter Mr. Douglas called up -
BILL which had lain for days upon the table, 70 san2
lie Oregon 10 form Safe Constitution. 10 snsvS
10 sD oquiry why be had not called il up before =
said thar some Sen stoYs wished time 10 exsmne Il,
be drtinctly told the senate that be did not e1pee
TO become . law this session, but he wished % p@s
Cd its passage through the Senate. Oejsction y.
made 70 acting upon the question 1t that noor -
otion was made to Icy the bill upon the teoeL~
voting for It and 20 against il. voted against ~
upon the table, and il vote could have oeen 49,.
should have readily voted for the bill. Several -.
tors rose 70 speak, and there vase a1ed deiermlss
manifested not to Pass the bill The door " e -
10 Gov Brown, who vent on Tor some nms
ION, es The bill and action upon It o that tins.
that i az sbso uteIy certain that We could not -.
q vote upon ii, and that the discussion q oe =
and under those circumstaDces, would place e 49,
fs, Q poeitiop before the country When NJ ! - -
closed MI. Clay, o. t A. sss aeor VS. given 70 NJ =
T,uspe,ied that We had better, by common e'o
law ,te bin aside. Here is what said: M,
REMARKS OF NH WILSON mrt4
Mn PKrsIDEsr-rbe hslo,sels sss .a ~. sssss
lnI ~ h 2n(k VI