Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-13
rm,nrY.rounru Co~cnEs~-sa .E~..


SENATE.
| Mr. Rnsk introduced bill granting further
time to the creditors of Texas to present their
| claims.
The motion to prn, the Presidents message
and the accompanying documents being still
| pending
| Mr. Coaner said when he begun bis term OF
service in the Senate be entertained II conviction
| that questions pertaining To the business before
| that body were the only legitimate subjects OF
discussion. but he soon found that others, able
/ and experienced Senators. held IA different opin
| ion They though there were important
| duties devoving upon them than listening to pc
| titons and rrdrnssing the grievances. and en-
acting the laws for the government Of the people,
and they undertook to guide and prepare the
public mind. His own opinion was the public
| mind should prepare Itself, and not receive Ms
direction from the debates or action OF ei'hcr
House of Congress.
II. thought these DO lies should rather be the
echo of public sentiment than the formers OF 1t,
for that was in fact. t,snsforming the Senate
from "A Legislative Asse mbly into an arena OF po-
tcal debate. But it ~ emed he was entirely
mistaken in his ideas, for IT was not Tor mo
ment to be supposed that the practice OF oil these
old and experienced Senators was founded upon
an erroneous theory. He would confess all his
previous views were completely overturned by
his experience here. He founL that on those
questions which were before Congress as prop
err subject. of debate it took very laiitudnarIan
range. Much that said here wa' not said TO
produce effect on the minds of henderson with
the expectation of changing their yotef', but
speeches we've made to use a common pr fase,
''for buncomb.'
Innsmuch as this was the case, all parties must
participate in these discussions. 1t would be idle
for any body to attempt to elevate himse II above
the current of debate, it proceeded from day
to day. When be heard the annual mes sage Of
the President read the other day, he thought
some parts If it were in rather bad taste, but that
was not matter for the Senate to complain Of
degustibus.
The aspersons which the President cast up
on the people of the Northern States who voted
for the Republican party seem to have be EN- die
tated by nm impotent sort Of rage; worthy "i no
particular Importance in themselves eon,idned;
bat coming as they do tr cathedra from tb high
est Executive officer of the nation, they DIES erve
some remark
Mr. Collumer quoted from the Presidents mes
sage those passages charging the repu blicans
with being inflamed with desire to change do
nestle institutions existing in the Suites. saying
the Pre- ,ident imputed false pretenses to them;
and had further charged that they seek an object
which they well knew to be revolutionary, and
that with this knowledge and fully aware of the
consequences which must result from the ir ac
ton. they endeavored to prepare the people of
the United States for civil war by doing every
thing in their power to deprive the constitution
and laws of moral authority, and to undermine
the fabric of the Union. And little further on
the President spoke of an "attenpt of a portion
Of the States, by sectional organization, to US
urp control of the government of tho United
| States"
Mr.. Collamer regarded these grave and very
serious charges as being unwarrante4 by the
facts,andhe proceeded to give history of slaVe-
ny in connection with the administration of this
! government. from its foundation to the present
time maintaining that the power of Congress,
which is now questioned, 10 prohibit slavery in
the territories, had always been exercised until
very recent period; and that, with very few e1
c,options, there were never any questions as to
their rights to exercise it. Adjourned.