The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-10
THE SENATE AND THE PRESIDENTS
MESSAGE

Senate, on the Both ult., on the occasion OF the
presentation of the Presidents Message. The
Senate received it without objection, although
the House of Representatives was unorganized
Some surprise was manifested, as the act of the
President under the circumstances was without
precedent, but no remark was made which IN
dicated, on the part of the Senators, any opln-
ion concerning its propriety.
After it had been read, Mr.. Clayton address
ed the Senate on the portion of the Message
relating to Central American Affairs, sustaining
the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty. and the action OF
the President in insisting on its rigid interpre-
tation and enforcement, and declaring for him.
self that if the Treaty were to be given up, he
was prepared TO take his stand on the Monroe
doctrine.
Messrs Cass, Seward, and Weller, followed
on the same side, all concurring in the opinion
that the course of the English Government had
been unfair and oppressive, and that Central
America should be protected at all hazards
against schemes of colonization and domination
on her part.
Mr.. Weller was at special pains to assure
the world that in our controversies with foreign
Powers, we would present an undivided front,
that the voice of domestic discord would be
hushed but, in the next breath, he praised
the President for the noble stand he had taken
against domestic fanaticism, and characterized
a large portion Of American citizens enemies
to the rights of the States and to the Union.
A very proper person to talk of concord and
union
Mr.. Seward said:
II agree with the Senator who last address
ed the Senate, Mr.. Weller, that this is an oc-
casion upon which the voice of difference ought
not to be heard, unless for very grave reasons,
either in the Senate, or in the other House of
Congress, or i'll the country. | shall therefore
show my appreciation of the importance of
this question, and of the importance Of having
a harmonious and united action of the Amer
lean people in support of their rights, by a
waving Of all notice of any other topics dis
cussed in the message, and saying what seems
to be necessary, in order to enable the Senate
of the United States to know how far one so
humble as myself who was here at the time
when the Clayton and Bulwer Treaty was made,
and was concerned in it, is prepared to stand
by the Government of the United States in the
position which it now takes
We shall not undertake to arraign the policy
of Mr. Seward, in waving all notice of other
topics in the Message. He has his own sys-
tenn of action, and obeys his own convictions.
What is proper for him, may not be proper for
others. Nor do we underrate the Importance
of unanimity in the maintenance of our just
claims against Foreign Powers. But the ma
iority of the American People, we are sure,
will regret that the right position of the Pres-
dent on question of foreign policy, was
suffered even for a moment to divert atten-
ton from his aagrantly wrong position on q
question of domestic policy, of far more practi-
cal and pressing Importance. We shall stand
by our country against foreign foe but we
stand by all parts of our country against do
nestle foe, more dangerous to our peace and
safety than any foreign potentate can ever be-
come. While commenting the President for
simply doing his duty in defending our interests
in Central America, why suffer his libellous and
nsolent attacks on the free States of this Con-
lederacy to pass without comment? In near
ly one half OF his Message, he stands forth,
the advocate Of the Slaveholding Oligarchy,
the reckless defamer of States containing more
than two-thirds of the population, wealth, en-
terprise, and learning of the country; the con-
temncr of the original policy of the trainers
Of the Constitution; attempting to vindicate an
act Of gross injustice and fraud, on which the
majority of the American People have fasten-
ed the brand of Reproduction, and which, within
The short space of twelve months, has dwarfed
the adherents of his Administration in the
House of Representatives, from a triumphant,
overbearing majority, to meager, although
mpudent minority of less than onethird-and
yet, under flourish of trumpets about English
aggression and oppression, this creature of the
Slave Power, this chieftain of the Slavery
Propaganda, is permitted to escape all rebuke
for his bold wicked calumnies.
That Message ought not to have gone out to
the People, without being marked, reprobate
and accursed. The President of the United
States, who undertakes to assail the character
and free institutions Of half of the Confeder.
acy, ought to be held at once to a rigid ac-
count, and the People thus attacked should
find defenders quick as lightning to confront
and denounce their traducer
We hear it said that this part of the Message
was not penned by the President himself-that
it is the offspring of his constitutional ad.
wiser, Caleb Cushing. Very likely: its sophis
try, its calumnious character, its pettifogginp.
its reckessness of truth, its undisguised hostil-
ity to the non-saveholding States, all point to
a man whose base philosophy has conducted
him to the conclusion that the men who work
should be subject to the men who make others
work for them-that to Massachusetts, belongs
the duty of submission, to South Carolina the
right divine to rule. But, admit that he made
this plea for the Slaveholding Oligarchy, or at
least furnished the heads of the great arpu
ment, still it is the President who stands be-
fore the world its responsible author.
What Caleb Cushing thought on the subject
discussed, fifteen years ago, the reader will
learn by reading an Anti-Slavery message he
sent to his constituents in Massachusetts. in
1889, portion of which we transfer to our first
page. We doubt whether there is anything,
on any important question, ever said by that
gentleman, which he has not at one time or an
other attempted to refute, or would not contro-
vert, if he should find it convenient. But,
enough of him.
The President commences his plea for the
Slavehoding Ohgarchy, with commonplace
dissertation on the theory of the Government
a tortuous paraphrase of the plain constitution
al provision-"t the powers not deleoated tn the