Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-12-17
Thirty-Four II Congress-second session.
WAsHINGroN, Dec. 10, 1856.
CTN

act OF August, 1854, to graduate and reduce the
price of public lands to actual settlers and cutiva-
tors. - 49, ~
Mr.. Bigler replied briefly to the remarks of Mr..
Trnmbull, delivered the other day, relative to his
construction Of Mr.. Dunns BILL that it established
slavery. He contended that his construction was
correct, and sustained hmsclfby Douglas report.
Mr.. Trumbul rcjoined, denying Douglas report
represented the bill fairly and thus the Senator from
Pennsylvania derived no support from that report.
He thought it impossible, if persons would read
Dunn's bill fairly and mpartiay. to torture it into
such construction as Bigler and Douglas had given
He unwilling to rob the honest STAKEHOLDER of
his property and those who went into Kansas under
false assurance from the constituted authorities that
slavery was legal there, ought to have reasonable
time to remove their slaves. That his object of
inserting this provision in Dunns BILL of which so
| much complaint has been made 1t came with i'll
grace from these gentlemen to call their opponents
abolitionists in one BREATH and in the next charge
them with voting to establish and extend slavery.
Mr. Pugh remarked while he should have consi-
dered the election of Col Fremont to the Presidency
as the greatest calamity which could have befallen
! the American people, he had no reproaches to cast
upon those honest and patriotic, but he believed
misguided citizens who voted for him. Nor had the
! President done so, had been charged by oppos-
ton Senators. The paragraphs in the message upon
which his colleague (Mr. Wade) and others had
founded their accusation could apply to members
of the Republican party, lift were true, as had been
repeatedly asserted the floor of the Suate that
they did not aim at any legislation by Congress on
the subject Of slavery within the States. The reouke
was directed by the President against those who hold
| that doctrine
| 1t related to men whom the Senator from Maine
(Mr. Fessenden) and the Senator from Massachusetts,
| (Mr. Wilson) had themselves denounced in the Sc
! nate. The Senator from New Hampshire mr. Halc,)
had gone far as to any that he had never seen
| man holding&uch views. With what propricty then
could they accuse the President of applying his
marks to their party when, according to their
statements, they do not belong to the class of people
| of whom the President speaking? The Pres-
dent, however, did speak OF another class of his fe
| -ctzens-of the class to which these gentlemen
! say they belong. He had not applied libellous lam
guage to them He considered them honest and pa
trotic at heart but thought that they had suffered
themselves to be misguided by the articles of parti-
| san leaders. But objections had been made by the
Senator from New York Mr. Seward,) that the dis
cnssion of such topics in the Presidents message
| was unprecedented
| Mr.. Pugh thought that the Senator seemed to be
as little acquainted with the language of Washing
ton as he mbued with its spirit Much stress had
been laid on the assertion that the election of Mr.
| Buchanan was not to be regarded as an endorse
ment by the people of the country of the principles
and policy of the present administration. This
a most remarkable statement, in view of the fact
that the leaders of the republican party had decar-
| ed in all imaginable FORMS during the recent
paign that the election of Mr.. Buchanan would he
continuation of the policy of this Administrations
What they then asserted with all possible emphasis
they now deny in terms equally strong. 1t was in
early times tavorite maxim with the Democratic
party that their President should be elected for
single term, and that rule has only been violated on
special occasions, in the of Gen. jackson.
Mr.. Pugh further replied to the arguments of the
opposition Senators.
Mr.. Wilson remarked that he desired to speak
on this subject, but yielded the floor to Mr. Cass.
The latter saying that he proposed to aude to few
points which had been raised in course of the dis
cussion, and would take occasion to do so to NOR
row. Adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The question relative to printing extra copies of
the Presidents message resumed.
Mr.. Washhurn of Maine, not inclined to be
in favor Of the motion pending to print an unusual
number of copies of the Presidents message for the
reason that it was full Of culumnous msreprcsenta-
tons of great and growing, and soon to be the
dominant party of the republic, and contained state
ments which, in his judgment, were devoid truth,
full of sophistry, but particularly because it
contained doctrines which at with the genius
of institutions and spirit of republican sys
tenn. 1t was plain that the President, in sweeping
terms alludes to the republican party, charging
them with nothing more nor less than having disun-
ion designs while protesting merely to prevent the
extension of slavery to the territories now free Not
only were these charges true, but the negative
proposition was fully susceptible of the strongest
proof.
1t was by the Cincinnati platform that the designs
and purposes of the Democratic praty were judged;
and why should not those of the Republican party
be Judged by their own platform, framed by sure
and patriotic delegates from twenty States? So far
from revolution they distinctly declared that the
Constitution and the Union of the States must and
shall be preserved" The President undertook to
know better than they what their principles and
designs and made some sweeping charges in the face
of the solemn declarations of the party he has ma
ligned They advocated nothing which was not con-
sistent with and deducible from the declaration of
American independence.
Tn further review of the Presidents message, he
asked where and how the Republican party has acted
with the view of emancipation in the South? Per.
haps there were not thousand voters in the free
States who havo such design. So far as he knew
they have never sent petition to- Congress asking
for emancipation; yet the President undertook to
convey the impression to the country that the Re.
publicans look to this consumaton and concoct their
plans accordingly. Because the Presidential made
I'D false record, Mr.. Washburn denounced the
assertion. In the course of his remarke he said it
would appear that the love of liberty and the hatred
of slavery was the objectionable sin.
Mr. Smith, of Virginia, inquired whether Mr.
Washburn would by his vote, admit new State
into the Union with the liberty of forming its own
institutions, according to the character OF the people!
Mr. Washburn replied that when that question
shall be presented he would be prepared to act upon
it. He would not shirk the issue. His vote would
depend on circumstances but should in accordance
with the principles of the Republican party: lie
would ask the gentlaman from Virginia. whether, IT
Utah presented herself for admission with const-
tuition recognizing polygamy, he would vote for it.
Laughter
me completely. [Laughtcr Before answer his
question want him to answer mine. put it again
to the gentleman.
Mr. Washburn said-I put mine again. Laugh