The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-13
men? In an article in that paper of November
a. lS47 ii said:

unanimously adopted by the Convention And we pu
them forth the DELIBERATE and MATURE convictions
the Democracy of this state"
How long shall these fellows take. sir? VIII
FIVE years be enough? Certainly that goes be-
yond an "inuendo;" it must come up to an
"opinion." Laughter. That, you perceive
was in l847 What next? In lS48-these men
were inveterate daughter the Legis-
lature of New Hampshire, with an Overwhelming
Democratic majority, passed the following reso-
luton unanimously:
Resolved by House of Representatives
General Court oonrened That of the pas
sage of law by Congress torever prohi5tg SaareJy in
New Mexico and California and f all Other
in which Slavery does exist at the of such acqu
stion"
To how long term of imprisonment, under
the law which / have read, ought they to be
sentenced for that? This was in ls4s Per-
haps it will be said they began then to reform
Let us see. In 1849, these resolutions were
passed unanimously by the New Hampshire
Legislature:
Rssolred By the Senate and House q Representatives, IN
General Court concerned, That opposed every from oil
OPPRESSION the people of New Hamp shire have
cd with deep the existence ofSavery this Union
that while they have steadfasty supported all sections IN
their constitutional rights they have only lamened
its existence great social evil, but regarded IL
fanght tc danger 10 the peoes and ,ceare Of the nation
Resolrsd That while respect the rights OF the slave
holding well the free portions of this Unonwhile
member of the glorious Confederacy to which belong
FIRMLY UNALrERARLY OPPOSED TO THE ExTES-
SION SLAva-T OVER AMI PORTION AMERICAN NOW
FREE
Resolesd, That, in opinion Congress has the
srUrtoSAL POWER TO ABOLISH THE SLAVE SLs-
THE DISTRICT CoIghBIA and that Senators
INSTRUCTED, and Representatives REQUESTED
TAKE ALL CONSTITUTIONAL MEAsuKEs TO ACCOMPLISH these
objects. SAMUEL III. AVER,
Speaker Of me House Of Representatives.
WILLIAM p. WEEKS,
President Of the Senate
q
Who do you suppose introduced that PROPOSE
ton? Mr.. Clement. And do you suppose that
merit like his has been passed over by the Presi-
dent? No, sir; but he has been appointed by
the present President collector and superintend-
emit OF lighthouses for the district of Portsmouth,
and agent of the marine hospital there. Mr..
Clement determined to put an end to this con-
tinual passing resolutions. He said to himself
what is the use of that? Here you are passing
resolutions year after year on this subject. Now,
said he, let us have done with it, and let us de-
clare TO all the world and to all time that we are
unalterable. Other things may change we never.
We live in a granite State; our everlasting hills
tower up>hgher than the clouds they may crum-
BILE and fall, but the New Hampshire Democracy
are unalterable they will never turn. Laugh
ter And their unalterable position is, that they
are "opposed to the extension of Slavery over
any portion of American soil now free" That
was in l849. What did the Nev Hampshire
Patriot, the mouthpiece of the President, say
then in regard to the subject? On the 26th of
July, 1S49, speaking of the doctrine of squatter
sovereignty, then recently preached in a cele-
brated letter:
hins and they tc,a The Democracy of this State
are unanimous in the opinion far know, that
Congress has and should the pofcsr exclude
very from California and New Mexico"
SO far as they knew, then there was not man
in New Hampshire who did not entertain these
opinions Did General Pierce entertain them :?
Why, sir, he was chairman of the Democratic
State Central Committee during all this time !;
and he was the New Hampshire Democracy 1t
is idle to say therefore, that he did not entertain
these views. Again, the same paper says:
Ever since the question OF the of Slavery 10
free first preached, the Democrat New
Hampsnre have opposed such extension. They have
cupIai but ground upon the subject In Office and
doc rine, that territory frss. should remain So
fteir Representatives in Congress have uniformly
voted their Legislature has repeatedly resolved their
Conventions have constantly declared, their
papers have always spoken, their candidates have
uniformly expressed themselves, and their speakers
have at all times and in all places proclaimed. This
has been, end is, the ground upon which they
and they icH support tcho is not sound upon this
question:"
This was said on the LIST of March, lS49; but
W las the President of the United States cognzant
w IL
the Democracy that entertained these sentiments
Suppose you say, "This is not fair; this is
criminal trial; FIVE years Imprisonment in the
is the punishment for promulgating
such sentiments, and it is not fair to send the
President of the United States there, without
some more direct testimony; this will not an
swer." Very well, sir then will read you an
extract from General Pierce's speech made at
the North Church, in Concord on the 9Th of June,
4 o
of June II, lS45, purpOrting to be in reply to
one John P. Hale. Laughter. General Pierce
said:
He had only 10 say what he had always said -
You perceive, sir, the Democracy of New Hamp-
shire never change. They always profess the
same thing
"He had only say now what he had always said
hat he regarded S!orsry Of creates. moral aud
'ociaI erus-a upon The schos country aud his he
1etiered TO be the sentiment Of all Of all parties
NORTH"
Ought he to get FIVE years imprisonment for
that? [Laughter.] Again:
"Mr. p. was free to admit that he had himself ap-
this subject of xation [of Texas with all
sRoUND SLAVERY FEATURE His convictions on
his subject he had stated strong: result
Of any new light y
Oh, no, sir the President is no new light
but deeply fixed and abiding Tux os1Y--rsrlcurrY IN
HIS MIND RvKR HAD BEEN THAT RECOGNITION BY ANY
INV ACT or OUR GOVERNMENT DoMns-
rIc SLAVERY; and he had found it extremely difficult to
bring his mind q condition mpartaiy 10 weigh the ar
sument for and against the measure"
That was in l845, and therefore might come
under the definition Of post norton examination
1t is ten years old; but will take him at a later
period. In 1851, there was Constitutional Con-
vention held at Concord, New Hampshire for the
purpose of revising the Constitution of that State
and General Pierce was President Of it, On one
l. I-fx Al - 4
which was reported in the Near HAMPSHIRE
Patriot, in which find this:
81 WOULD rAxK THE sRousp OF THE SoS-ExrENs,or OF
SLAvERy-rHAT SLAVERY SHOULD BECOME STRONGER
But Congress have only re-enacted The old law of 1893
Union-lovng men, desiring peace and loving their coun
try conceded that OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Conceded rr-and
planting themselves upon This law against the outburs,s
Of popular feeling, resisted the agitation which is assault
says that the law is obnoxious WHAT SINGLE THING IS
THERE, CONNECTED WITH SLAvsr THAT NOT OBNOXIOUS
EVEN THE GENTLEMAN FROM MARLBOROUGH DR. Baiche-
lar CANNOT FEEL MORE DEEPLY THAN DO SUBJECT"
The DR.. Batchellar here alluded to was one of
the most prominent Abolitionists in the State-a
member of the Constitutional Convention and
General Pierce said he could not feel the evils of
Slavery more than he himself did That is GER
tainly sentiment;" it is something more than
an "inuendo." Now, sir, suppose some faithful
patriot, wishing to be booked up in the soundest
politics of the country, should go to Kansas and
uhwi''lhgiy take some or these documents with
him, and suppose they should be found in his
pocket, could anything less than FIVE years i'm
prisonment be inflicted on him; and might he
not feel that he was under great obligations to
the cemency OF the court If they let him off with
that! The only limit is that the punishment
shall not be less than five years Imprisonment,
but may be as much more as the court please.
But, sir, will leave General Pierce. Suppose
some unfortunate wight-one of those three
thousand clergymen, for instance, about whom so
much was said-should stray into Kansas with
some little volume for his solitary reading in his
pocket; and the constable should find it. and open
1t, and read this: I" He that stealeth a man and
seleth him, if he be found in his hand he shall