The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-04-24
Monday april Il, 1856.
SENATE.

After the morning business, Mr.. Clay, of
Alabama, discussed the Kansas question in a
speech of great length. He labored to prove
that the South had been guilty of no aggres-
sions on the North, while the latter had persist
emily arrayed itself in hostility to the former.
He reviewed certain Anti-Slavery speeches. in
which it was charged that the South had ex-
acted on the North in the acquisition of ter
ritory and in the distribution of Federal patron
age. and by historical summary undertook to
show that the North had increased it's territorial
possessions beyond their extent at the close of
the Revolution in a much greater degree than
the South, and closed this branch of the dis
cussion by remarking that, after the legislation
OF Congress with regard to Missouri in 1920,
the history of territorial acquisition recorded
only arrogant demands" on the part of the
North, and "unwise concessions on the part
of the South.
The speaker next proceeded to defend slave
labor from the imputation of being either
odious or Improbable, and declared that a
comparison between the social systems of the
South and of the North would reveal the fact
that higher average of popular ease and
wealth was procured by the former than by the
latter. He presented a picture of the distress
and stagnation which would ensue in the North,
if the social system of the South should be dis
turbed; to which he added, that the people of
the South could have little respect for the high
toned protests of the people of the North against
the institution of Slavery, so long as the latter
continued to use the products and reap the
fruits of slave lavor.
As to the distribution Of Federal patronage,
Mr.. Clay examined it under different heads
coast defence, lighthouses, pensions, internal
improvements, &c.-and contended that in all
these respects the North had enjoyed greater
advantages than the South. He next quoted
from the proceedings of such Northern citiZens
and States as manifested disposition to disre.
gard the obligations of the Constitution with
respect to its guarantees on the subject of Sla
very, especially in the matter of Congressional
representation and the rendition of fugitives
from service. The speeches of Senators Seward,
Wade, and Sumner, both in the Senate and be-
fore the people at the elections during the last
summer, were criticised at length, and denounc-
ed as replete with defamation and vituperaton
against shareholders as CLASS of American
citizens. He believed that the Free Soil party
would ultimately merge itself with the Adolf.
tionists, and regarded the former as even more
dangerous than the latter, because Of their in
sidious mode of attack.
Mr.. Clay next entered into an examination
of the condition of Kansas, and the agency of
the Emigrant Aid Society in its settlement. and
justified the intervention of the citizens of Mis-
souri, in that Territory, as a measure of retalia-
ton rendered necessary in their selfdefence. At
this stage of his remarks, the speakers voice
failed him, when he closed by expressing his
determination, with the consent of the Senate,
to send the remainder of his speech to the press
without delivering it before that body.
HOUSE.
The House had busy day with the De6cien-
cy bill, and disposed of large number of
the Senates amendments, disagreeing to most
of them. The vote on the item for continuing
the work On the Washington Aqueduct was
yeas SO, nays &c. Mr.. Bennett, of Mississippi
desired to report the bill concerning suffrage
in the city of Washington, but objection was
interposed. No reports of committees were
made during the day, disposition being mani
tested to get through the Deficiency bill.
The vote on the water works was as follows :
YEAs-Messrs. Barksdale, Bell, Bennett of
Mississippi, Bishop, Bocock, Bowie, Burlingame,
Clingman, Craige, Davidson, Davis of Massa-
chusetts, Denver, Edmundson, Eustis. Evans,
Faulkner, Florence, Foster, Fuller of Pennsyl-
vania, Giddings, Hall of Iowa, Harrison, Her
bert, Horton of Ohio, Keitt, Kelly, Kennett,
Kidwell, knight, Knnkel, Lake, Lindley, Mace,
81. Marshall of Kentucky, Maxwell, Norton,
Orr, Peck, Pennington, Porter, Ready, Richie
Robbins, Roberts, Sabin, Sandidge, Smith Of
Virginia, Sneed, Swope, Talbot, Trafton, IN
derwood Vail, Walker, Warner, Wheeler, Whit
ney, Winslow, and Woods.
NAYS = Messrs. Barclay, Bingham, Bliss,
Branch, Brenton, Burlington, Burnett, Campbell
of Kentucky, Oaskie, Chaffee, Clark of Connec-
ticut, Clawson, Cobb of Georgia, Cobb of Ala
bama, Colfax, Covode, Cox, Cragin, Crawford,
Cumback, Damrell, Davis of Maryland, Dean,
Dodd, Edie, Emrie, Galloway, Gilbert, Grow
Harlan, Harris Of Illinois, Haven, Holloway,
Hughston, Jones of Tennessee, kelsey, Knapp,
Knowlton, Knox, Letter, Letcher, Marshall of
Illinois, Matteson, McCarty, McMullin, Miller of
Indiana, Morgan, Morrill,, Mott, Murray, Nichols,
Oliver of New York, Pelton, Perry, Petit,
Phelps, Pike, Pringle, Puryear, Quitman, Reade,
Rufin, Sage, Sapp, Savage, Scott Simmons,
Spinner, Stanton, Tappan, Thorington, Thurs
ton, Trippe, Wade, Wakeman, Walbridse, Wal
dron, Washb9rne Of illinois, Wash0urn of
Esine, Watson, Wells, Williams, Woodruff,
Woodwork, Wright of Tennessee, and Zolli-
coffer-86.