Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-04-29
EVENING STAR.
Mr.. Buchanan on the Slavery Question

Mr.. Buchanan on the Slavery Question.
We extract the following from communi
cation from GA Mississippi Democrat" in tn
New Orleans Delta Of the 18th inst, as EN-
bracing an able review Of his position on tn
slavery question in December, 1887. when Nj
Calhoun's celebrated resolutions were uude
consideration in the Senate: ..r
With your permission, 1 will proceed 3
point out some incidents in the political histo
| ~ ol Mr Buchanan, which seem TO have bee-
ignored or forgotten, but which, il appears Z
me, II Is OF vital interest that the Souther,
democrats should bear steadfastIy in mind
fiedglng myself for the strict accuracy of M,
statements, L leave your readers to Judge foi
| themselves
On the 9th of December. 1897 M CaIbou,
submitted to the Senate til at celebrated sey;e
OF resolutions, the great object of which were
70 set forth with precision and force the con
| stltutlonal rights of the slaveholding States
ana 10 attract to their support an enlightened
| puoiic opinion against the attacks of North
ern fanaticism. The second resolution was in
these words: (Calhoun's Works, volume 8
page 140 20.
Resolved, That in delegating portion Of
then powers to be exercised by the Federal
government, the States retained, seyerallv.
the exclusive and sole right over their own do.
mestlc institutions and police, and are alone
| responsible for them, and that any intermed- l.
| ohng OF any one or more States, or a combi-
nation OF their citizens, with the domestic
| institutions and police Of the others, on any
glound, OF under any pretext whatever, po-
ilucai, moral, or religious, with a view to
their alteration, or subversion, is an assump.
| tion OF superiority not warranted by the Con-
sututlon, insulting to the States interfered
with, tending TO endanger their domestic
peace and tranquility, subversiye of the oh
Jects for which the Constitution was formed
ana; oy necessary consequence, tending to
weaken and destroy the Union itself.''
DIT. MOTIFS, OF Ohio, Who was then the only
avewed Abolitionist in the Senate, moved r.
strike out the words " moral and religions ,;
Had the motion prevailed, the effect wouId
nave oeen TO encourage agitation in the form
In which 1t would be most likely to be fatal
TO the South. 1t would have been direct
encouragement to the Abolitionized clergy of
tne North to take the very course which was
taken by the "three thousand and fifty d.
vines who, in 1854, sacriligiously assumed
In the name of Almighty God, and in His
presence, 10 denounce the repeal of the
missouri Compromise as "a violation of pligbt
ed ialtn and breach of national compact
consequent events have abundantly attested
the truth OF what Mr. Calhoun said. when ar,
guing against the motion, "that the whole
spiilt OF the resolution hinged upon that word
The vote being taken on Mr.. Morris's
amendment, it stood as follows: oConoras.
sional Globe, vol. 6, page 74)
Yeas.Messrs. Bayard, BUCHANAN, CLAYTON.
Davis, McKeon, Morris, Prentiss, Robbins
Ruggles, Smith of Indiana, Southland, Swift
Upton aud Webster-I4
Nays-Messrs. Allen, Black, Brown. Cal.
6oun, Clay of Alabama, Clay of Kentucky.
Guthbert, Fulton, Hubbard, King, Knight,
Linn, Bumpkin, Lyon, Nicholas, Niles. Nor
veil, Pierce, Preston, Rives, Roane, Robinson.
Sewer, Smith of Connecticut, Strange, Walk
er, wall, White, Williams, Wright and Young
81.
Mr. Benton, evidently with tho DESIGN 10
get rid OF or embarrass the passage Of the
resolutions, moved their reference to a select
committee Mr. buchanan spoke in favor of
the motion. What said he, "sbalI we
gain by the adoption of these resolutions
Nothing; tcOrse atam nothing" Further on,
he said, resolution might, therefore, be |
adopted In accordance with the spirit and |
tone of President Van Buren's remarks on
this subject, in his admirable inaugural ad-
dress. 1t might declare that prh,kst slavery
exists in Maryland and Virginia it ought not |
in the opinion of the Senate, to be abolished |
in the District Of Columbia
In these remarks, (which may be found in
the Appendix to the Congressional Globe, vol /
q, page 30,D Mr.. Buchanan clearly admitted
that Congress had the constitutional power to
abolish slavery in the District of Columbia,
and was opposed to the exercise of that power
only because it would be tne1pediept 1--WE
will not, he said, Congressional Globe, page
63,) " abolish slavery in this District, because
1t was originally asaveholding territory, and
the surrounding States by which it was ceded
are still slaveholdipg States" His position
was exactly that of Mr.. Van Buren,, which
we all know was repudiated by Southern men
at the time, and the danger of which has since
been so strikingly manifested. If the institu-
tions of the South have no protection in the
Constitution, TO which Mr.. Calhoun looked, it
would be madness to rely for their defence, as
MIR. Buchanan desired we should, on the views
of the Northern majority as to the question of
expediency. What Mr. Calhoun thought Of
this mode of arrestipg abOliti On fanaticism, he
has told US himself and experience has shown
how far-seeing and profund were his views. L
quote from the Sd volume Of his works, pages
lS9 and 1870.
" These two great principles, non-inteTfer
ence and non-discrimination, are, as he has
often said, the basis of his resolutions; and
they comprehended all, district ard terrific
ries, as we'll us the States themselves. These
were broad, and deeply seated in the Consti-
tion, and no member has ventured to deny
them. Oar salvation depended on preserving
were the high constitutional grounds assumed
in his fifth resolution, which had been surren-
dered for tne1pediency- 4 These are
the grounds on which the battle may be safe
ly fought. You must tell these deluded IA
natics, you have no right to intermeddle in
any form or shape, and that while you accuse
others of sin and immortality, you yourselves
are guilty of both in such intermeddling. In
expediency! Think of the folly of attempt
ing to resist the powerful impulses that urge
them on to the work Of destruction with so
feeble a word You might as we'll think of
extinguishing cOnaagration that mounted to
the clouds by throwing a bucket of water
on it. Expedisncy, concession, compromise
Away with such weakness and folly Right,
Justice, plighted faith, and the Constitution :
these, and these only, can be relied on TO avert
the conflict These have been surrendered
for inexpediency."
The fifth resolution to which Mr.. Calhoun
here referred, and which he justly regarded as
the most important Of all, and struggled most
perseveringly to have passed without amend
ment, was as follows:
"Rssolved, That the intermeddling OF any
Stota or STATES or their citizens, to abolish