The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-10
-lHlRIY-F 0URTH CONGRESS-.
First Session.
Friday, January 6, 1856.
-, SENATE.
The Senate did not ait TO-DAY

uno 9"pPo'eI 10 De held by him, in relation to
.ne onIon. ne was not an enemy, but friend
10 'he y mon. lie feared, however, its extnc
tion would follow, as a matter of course. should
the Republican party come into power at the
North. 1t proposed measures which. if carried
out, must result In disunion He feared its Ill
innate triumph 1t appealed to the Ants
very sentiment OF the North, and to its love of
power: III successful, the North would monop-
ONE the government, degrade the South, and
claim everything for itself. Would that the
voice OF sectional discord might be allayed
In the course of his remarks, having alluded
10 the wise men of the Revolution as being an
inateo Dy spirit of concession and compro-
MIR. Allison of PENNSYLVANIA, rose to replv.
The Republicans sought to interfere with none
OF the institutions of the South. Slavery in the
States they did not interfere with. but Slavery
outside OF the States they resisted. This was
not violation OF the spirit of the Revolution, but
Ill harmony with 1t. He then showed that Benia-
mn Franklin was President of an Abolition
Society, and other great men of the Revolution
| took an active part in Anti-Slavery efforts
Mr.. Orr, OF South Carolina here asked Mr..
Allison whether he concurred with the gentle
man from Ohio, in the speech he had made
lew days ago, IN which he advised slaves to rise
up and butcher their masters
MI NuulnSs INSTANTLY sought to obtain the
floor, but Mr.. Stephens of Georgia. and other
Southern members, tried to prevent him.
AT last, on motion of L. d. Campbell, of
Ohio, he was allowed to explain.
MIR. Giddings then said have no deisre to
detaln this House more than one minute. /
think that for the last eighteen years l have. in
almost every speech that / have addressed to
this House, sufficiently disavowed any intention
of invading the rights of the States of this
Union. So careful have been, that in nearly
every address which | have made, have spe-
clflcally, In spirit and in language, avowed that
we had no right to legisate for or against Sla.
very In the States. But when we were about
to leglslate, and were declaring our right to
leglsate, for Kansas, / stated what deemed to
be the law of Slavery-the power of the master
over his slave. laid it down, in as explicit
language as l could command, that the slave
was deprived of the right of defending himself
against the master. At that point of my re-
marks, the gentleman from Virginia Mr. Letch-
er arose and declared, on this floor, that his
slave was protected by the same law as he him.
self. Then | remarked at once that the slaves
of Virginia had the right of selfdefence, and
would have right to protect themselves
against the violence of the master, inst in the
same degree as the master had to protect him
self against the violence of the slave; that in
such case, the right of selfdefence would ex-
tend to that of Staying the assaiant, if necessa-
ry to defend himself. And Immediately add
ed, that the gentleman from Virginia was mis-
taken in what he said-that the law of Vir-
GINA gives the master this power to defend
himself, but takes it from the slave l did say
that, u the gentleman from Virginia scere cor
| rect, the slaves of that State would have the
| right of self-defence. | made that statement
explicitly, with that qualification, if that gen.
tleman were right in what he stated; and i'm
medatey added, that he aoos prong / stated
that | would give my authority for what said,
in my printed speech; and | have done so.
| Loud cries of " Call the roll!"l
The House then proceeded to the ninety-frst
vote for Speaker, with the following result:
| Mr.. Banks, of Massachusetts, =. lO4
Mr.. Richardson, of Illinois Il
Mr.. Fuller, of Pennsylvania 81
Mr.. Pennington, of New Jersey
Scattering
Whole number of votes given 220
| Necessary to a choice Ill
No candidate having received a majority of
the whole number of votes given, there was no
| election.
Mr.. Dunn, of Indiana, appealed to the Rep
resentatives of Massachusetts, to forego their
personal preferences, and no longer permit
them to stand in the way Of an organization
He enumerated the high positions which had
been occupied by men of that State in the ex
ecutive and legislative branches of the Govern.
ment, and inquired if it was not time that they
should concede little? He highly commend
ed the qualities of Mr.. Letter, Of Ohio, for the
Speakership, and trusted that that gentleman
would, like Cincinnatus and Washington, be
willing to sacrifice his inclinations to the cal
of duty. The proudest were not humbled by
| following the examples of the illustrious men
! he had named, and the humblest but elevated
himself by walking in their footsteps. In con
cluson, he submitted the following resolution
Resoloed, That Benjamin F. Letter, Rep
resentative from the State of Ohio, be, and he is
hereby, declared the Speaker of the House OF
Representatives of this the thirty-fourth Con
gress of the United States.
Mr.. Knowlton, of Maine, said that the gentle
man from Indiana had referred to the entangle
ment in which the House now found itself
| Those of them who were acting with large
majority of the Ant-Nebraska strength of the
House were of the opinion that the honorable
| gentleman and the few who were acting with
him, and who had been elected on the same
platform as that upon which they stood, had il
in their power to help them out of the entangle
ment which prevented an organization. Those
who were supporting Mr.. Banks, gentleman
who was admitted even by his enemies to be
pre-eminently qualified for the position fol
which he was candidate could not see The
propriety of the request of the honorable mem
Der from Indiana. They were willing to remain
here five months longer, contending for the grea
principle which underlaid this struggle-tht
principle of Human Freedom, against that o
Slavery. He briefly replied to Mr.. Boyce.
AS to the threats against the Union, thrown
ont by Mr.. Boyce, Mr.. Knowlton remarked:
1 beg to say to that honorable gentleman
and to those gentlemen who cooperate will
him, that it is Just as they please about that
wish to be distinctly understood. We are no
alarmed at these declarations. If gentlemen
, are pleased to declare that there are circum
stances at work that must necessarily produces
a disruption of this Union, say to them, as
Representative from fee State, it is just a
| vou please about that, gentlemen
We of the free States have no idea of produ
cling a disruption of the Union. We want II
preserve this Union, and, God helping US, W,
acM preserve it for all coming time, to spread
the blessings of Liberty throughout all our vas
domain, and to stand spectacle before tn,
whole world, of what Liberty and Freedom, Cal
do for a nation. That is what we intend to do
Mr.. Howard. desire to present to the Hous
| nv views in regard to the ENHANCEMENT refer
/ red to by the honorable gentleman from Ind
ana, Mr.. Dunn and first, / wish to call hi
attention and the attention of the House to on
single fact. The gentleman alluded to tn
! Northwest Territory, or rather to the State
, formed out of that Territory; and as / have tn
honor to represent a small portion of that Tel
ritory, / beg to be heard. The State Of Ohio
whose honored son Mr.. Letter the gentleman
| himself proposes to place in the chair, was tn
/ | C.. hory, State from that great Territory. Blu