The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-11
TUESDAY IN CONGRESS.

tesy may not be overlooked. The Prospectu
may be found on our third page.
TUESDAY IN CONGRESS-
Mr.. Collamer, in the Senate, made an abb
speech on the Presidents Message.
In the House, after some skirmishing, il wa
resolved, by majority of three, that the oatl
be administered to Mr. Whitfield, and that b
bs admitted to seat.
THE DEBATE ON THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
We had intended to say something about tn,
Presidents Message, but it is needless. The
Defence he now sets up, was put forth in his
behalf q year ago, on two occasions, but served
no other purpose than to quicken public indig
nation against him. He was tried first by bis
Party, and found wanting. The Cincinnati
Convention refused to nominate him, or say
"Well done, good and faithful servant" and
the South, whom he had served, deserted him
Afterwards the People pronounced a verdict
against him, and respectable man, suspected
of being tainted with his policy, could be elect
ed only By persuading the sdhering Democrs
oy of the North that he was no friend to that
policy.
STILL so bold and sweeping are his calumnies
against the fourteen hundred thousand citizens
who voted against his Party, that the Republi
cans in both Houses of Congress have felt ii
their duty to expose them and brand them as
they deserve.
The general course and tone of the debate
On the Message may be understood by the
sketch given under our Congressional head.
The malignant charges, that the Republicans
seek TO degrade the South, to violate the equal
ity of the States, override the Constitution, to
abolish Slavery by Federal action in the slave
States, TO reach this object by burnings and mas
sscre, are eec:ually refuted, and their author is
placed in no enviable light. Southern Senators
have publicly thanked him for making them,
and attempted to give countenance to them.
Will they tell us what effect must such repre-
sensations have on their slave population Are
they no. scattering frebrands, arrows, and
death? To what are to be attributed the late
insurrectionary movements in the slaveholding
States, if not to such infammstory misrepre
sentations2 The false charge in this case is
believe that the thirteen hundred and forty
thousand citizens who voted for Fremont in
the late election, occupy the position assigned
them by President Pierce? Then they ought
at once to declare their independence of a
Union which shelters and gives potency to the
action of su ch incendiaries. If they do not
believe SO, why g i've currency to calumnies
xUha lr- affan h. al III
sions in the South, mislead one portion of its
people, and disseminate false and dangerous
ideas throughout another portion.
The Republicans have defined their position
and purposes in their platform, by their speech.
es and acts, and they are both constitutional
and national.
Meantime, We hope the Republican members
~fll not suffer themselves &c be put on the de-
fensive. 1t is well to define clearly their posi-
ton, and rebuke misrepresentation, but not to
be driven to disclaimers and concessions.
Their adversaries are in the wrong-many
of them have been guilty of avowing the worst
Disunion sentiments-msny of them are I'M
disguised Slavery Propsgandists. Put them
on the defensive, srraign them at the bar o.
public opinion, let them answer the grave
charges preferred against them.
SECRETARY GUTHRIE's REPoRr-REDUCTIos
OF rHs TARIFF.-We publish only the 6nancia
part of the report of Secretary Guthrie. Th,
rest of it is devoted to considerations respectin.
9 revision of the Tariff, in which he advises th,
reduction or removal of duties on WOOL salt, &c
Free Trade he believes in, as an abstraction
but while other nations tax our commodities
he seems to think we should tax theirs-ir
other words, while they are foolish enough t.
tax their consumers, we ought to be foolish
enough to tax our consumers. That is tn,
essence Of Protection. He takes care to ss,
nothing about the enormous duty On sugar
which has reached so high price that tn
poor have hard work TO buy pound, an,
holds on to the duty on coal and iron: O
course-for the duties on sugar, coal, and iron
are kept up alone by a combination OF th
capitalists of Pennsylvania and of Louisiana
and their sympathizers. To strike at the ia:
on one, is to aim blow at all.
We may expect to see some project for re
vision of the Tariff brought forward, but Part
and local Interests have had so much to d
with mems views concerning the subject, the
we do not anticipate very wise decision.
OPERATIONS OF THE REPUBLICAN AssoCl
m