American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-02-23
SPEECH OF
HON. J. S. CARLILE,

4OANs W - ~sAnae~~~.ss<.~eA-@>@y
On the Causes a0hich prevent an organ
ization Of TIE House Of Repre's.
Delipered January1 II, 1856.
Mr.. Carlile rose and said
Mr.. CLERK propose, with the u
unanimous consent of the House, to 3G-
cupy the time usually consumed in a
call of the House. TCries of go on. 4
More than six weeks have passed since
we first met in this Hall, and yet the
House of Representatives remains
without an organization. Our constit-
uents are not indifferentspectators but
view with anxiety and alarm this state
of things. 1t has seemed to me that
it would not be Improbable to the
House or the country to revert 10 the
history of the last few years, for the
purpose of inquiring into the causes
which have produced this so-much-to-
be-regretted condition in which we find
ourselves placed. If we can come to a
correct understanding Of the causes,
possibly we may be enabled to relieve
the country from the embarrassment
under which it is laboring in conse-
quence of the obstruction to the ordina-
ry workings Of the Government, caused
by the paralysis which now rests upon
the legislative department.
For the first time, ] believe, in the
history of our country, is found sec
tionol party in this House willing to
elect q Speaker to preside over its de-
alterations by sectional votes alone.---
There is not a gentleman voting for
Mr.. Banks, the candidate Of this sec
tional organization, who will rise in his
place, and say that he has the slightest
<hope Of obtaining single vote for the
gentleman from Massachusetts, from all
that portion of the Confed eracy lying
south of Mason and Dixon's line
Surely, such an organization, thus de-
pending upon its own section for the
frtherance of it's own peculiar views,
cannot claim to be national; and its
success will, / fear, produce state of
feeling that will shake this glorious
Union to its very foundation. Sir, L
here take occasion to say, that if it
were in my power to place in that chair,
as the presiding officer of this body, a
man elected by southern votes, and
southern votes alone, | should hesitate
long before would do it. 1t may be
that it is the duty of the section Of the
Confederacy from which | come to pre-
sent the same united front in behalf of
its interests as is presented by the
North in behalf of what is to them an
abstraction, which fanaticism and dem
agogism has enabled, for the time to
rule the hour. With this view, my
honorable friend from Alabama, Mr..
Walker for the purpose of efecting, if
possible, a speedy organization of the
House upon sound conservative princi-
pies, proposed, some weeks ago, to the
friends of the Administration, to unite
in conference with us to ascertain il
that desirable object could be attained.
regret that candor and due regard
for truth compel me to say, that that
proposition, made in the spirit in which
twas, was repelled by those to whom
it was made, notwithstanding they
were aware of the fact that, in such q
conference, they would have MAORI
ty Of two to one, and the power to hays
dictated and adopted whatever they
may have desired. The people of this
country may well draw from this refu-
sal the inference, that the members of
this House belonging to the Admins
tration party recollected they had a
party to obey, but failed to remember
that they had country to serve.
Mr.. Clerk, to what is this agitation,
SO fraught with all that is evil, justly
attributable? 1t is to be attributed 70
the conduct of the Administration and
its friends, at the last Congress, in fore
ing reopening Of this question of sla-
very, which both parties were pledged
by their national nominating conyen-
tons Of 1852 to keep out Of Congress
and repress in the country. The two
great political parties that then dividy
ed the country we're pledged by their
national conventions to abide by the
Compromise measures Of 1S50,as final
settlement Of this agitating subject, and
upon that plcdge this Administration
came into power. ] aided it~-fcebly [
ad,o,t b,t tn +ba avtant nc nv obiI;ty.