Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1857-01-03
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
'EECH OF HON. SAMUEL A. SMITH.


OF TENNESSEE.
Deiirsred ~ ne Hoasc Of Reprasnfativss, Deem
Der ., 1855.
The House having resumed the consideration
Of the motion to print extra copies of the An
Rual Message of the President Of the United
States
Mr.. SMITH, Of Tennessee, said:
Mr.. Speaker, / wish This morning 70 reply
briefly TO the remarks made yesterday by two
gentlemen from Ohio, lMessrs. Campbell and
Sherman. on the motion to refer and print the
message OF the President of the United States.
This debate is an extraordinary one but, as
the gauntlet has been thrown doyE by the Re-
publicans, it must be taken up BY the Demo-
Gratis, as they seem to be the challenged party.
On all occasions it is allowa5le to those de-
feated in any contest, whether personal, ply
steal, or political, to make excuses FOR their de-
feat and on most occasions those who have
taken the lead in an Unsuccessful contest Of
any kind are prepared 70 furnish their friends
with some excuse plausible IN its character for
their defeat and more particularly after il has
occurred uaoer assurances ike those gwen by
the Republican party in the late presidential
canvass. II nothing had been said in refer
ence TO the cause Of defeat, | should not have
considered 1t my duty TO ssy anything upon
this occasion. have always found, even in
travelling from court to court with gentlemen
who had fagorte horses, hat when their horses
star4bltd they would complain Of the black
smtih who slOd them. ct would say that the
horse had been shOd foo loRg. Even the Mex
lean General Santa Anna furnished an excuse
10 his people, and made Them believe that they
~triumphcd "a the great battles III BueRa Vista
and Cerro G0rdo. Napoleon the i. furnished
an excuse for his defeat at Waterloo; but he
gave as a reason, that his expected reinforce
ments did not arrive on The fed of battle in
time 10 take a part in the conflict which de-
termiued the fate of France.
Nc such excuse as tbat has been furnished
by the Republican party in the remarks made
By either of the gentlemen from Ohio on yes
terday. The Republicans with their forces all
in the field, well deciplined and ready for the
contest before it commenced, have been van
uuished, and they now attempt to furnish an
excuse for their defeat. They charge upon the
Democratic party an avowal OF different senti-
ments in the different sections OF the Union. If
this had been all that was said yesterday, l
should not have felt it my duty TO say a word
u1on this occasion. tn excuse was SO silly,
if l nav be allowed the expression, and calcu-
lated to have so little influence upon the public
mind, that l should not have replied to it, had
the remarks Of the gentleman been confined to
those excuses for defeat to which | have re-
ferred.
But, sir, I saw in the speech Of the gentle
man from Ohio yesterday, a different purpose
from what was disclosed in their words. |
saw in the speech o. the gentleman who last
addressed the House Mr.. Sherman an effort
at a unisB between That element which had
fought the Democratic party at the North, and
that which had opposed it at the S5uth, in OF
der 10 unite all IN the next presidential contest,
which will come of in 1860. The gentleman
from Ohio has backed down from the position
taken by the Republican party in the last can
yass, in this House and III the country, in ref
eIence TO the question of slavery. 1t was said
to ne, as / came on to Washington, By a dis
tinguiShed man who occupies a seat upon this
floor, hat there would be an effort to unite all
elements of opposition to the Democratic party
in one body TO carry the neNt election, and, 70
accomplish their object, nominate a southern
maR as their candidate for the Presidency.
The first step towards the accomplishment OF
that object was, in my judgment, taken on yes
terday in this House. Il will not, Il cannot
succeed but the effort will be made, and
should not be surprised, from what has occur
red in the southern States in the late Presi-
Dental canvass, TO see that party successful,
so far as the leading men of the Republican
party, and of those opposed TO the Democratic
party in the South, are concerned.
But the gentleman from Ohio said that the
great issue in the last canvass was the ~TeStora-
ton Of the Missouri compromise line, aud the
J. nollck OF the present ADMINISTRATOR, dlU Eldl
that policy had been condemned by more three
hundred thousand majority of the popular vote.
I IA ke issue with the gentleman IN that asser-
ton and | am prepared to show that, so far
from that being true, the policy of President
Pierce has been approved, and that a ~TestOra-
ton of the Missouri compromise line has been
oondemned By one million three hundred and
thirty thousand votes. The position OF the va.
rious candidates in that contest was vel
r Uwk-A-c . n--LA-z- - FL A..
Of the repeal, and against the restoration, OF
the Missouri restriction. That Of MT. Fill.
more was against the restoration of that line.
Nj. Fillmore took ground against its TepeaI
and also againsti its restoration. Now, sir, the
number OF votes cast for those two candidates
over those cast for Fremont is more than al
those which was given tothe Republican candi.
date at the last presidential election.
But suppose | an wrong in the idea that The
votes cast for Fillmore in the northern States
were opposed 10 the restoration of the Nilsson.
ri compromise line /; yet those who voted fol
hin in the southern STATES openly avowed that
) they were opposed to its restoration. Il wal
so proclaimed by all their speakers on thu
stump. Now, take the votes which Mr.. Blu
chaaan received and the votes given TO Mr.
] Fillmore in the southern States, and there is q
2 clear majority of more than two hundred thou.
T sand against the restoration OF the Missouri
I jill AAAaEH - N1k AEAAAkhAeA AAOA
D Ohio, in a very extraordinary maaner, ASSERTED
a that the policy of President Pierce upon tha'
/ subject has been condemned by a majority q
/ three hundred thousand votes.
Mr.. Sherman. | desire to PROFOUND a
: question to the gentleman.
b, Mr.. Smith, Of Tennessee. | weld FOR al
I interrogstOrY, but for nothing else.
7 Mt. sherman. Does not the gentleman
/ know that thousands Of persons in the north
q I arn States ubo arc onnoseA n tha ranaal ~
the Missouri compromise voted for Mr.. Blu
Z chanan?
? Mr. Smith, Of Tennessee. 7 do; but they
< were utterly opposed to its restoration.
E Mr.. Sherman. Does he not know that
the candidate OF the Democratic party in tn
5 Lancaster district Of Pennsylvania, in which
Mr.. Buchanan resides, was one of those her,
who voted against The repeal of the Missouri
3 cOlpTomise-Who condemned it upon the fool
D of this House, and Upon the hustings2
: Mr.. Smith, Of Tennessee. I know tha
: Mr.. Hester, who ran in the Lancaster district
J took open ard bold ground in the late prssiden.
5 tial campaign against the restoration Of thu
E Missouri compromise. He said that be had
voted against the repeal Of that compromise
I but be unequivocally opposed its restoration.
t Nj. Sherman. Was that gentleman, who
g thus opposed the restoration of the Missour
= compromise, elected in the Wheatland district
Mr.. Smith, Of Tennessee. He was not h'
= was defeated. Perhaps, if he had voted FOL
: The repeal, he might have been elected. At III,
e time Of the repeal of the Missouri compromis'
5 be belonged to the Wing party, every northern
] member Of which voted against that repeal.
Mr.. Davidson. Mr.. Speaker, iJ this dis
E cussion in order?
The Speaker. The Chair thinks the dis
e %cussion is in order on a motion to Print and re-
fer the message of the President.
a Mr.. Smith, OF Tennessee. 1t has been as
D serted in the South, in almost every p~residen
? tial canvass and in every State canvass, thai
/ the Democratic party Of the northern States
= were unsound on the question Of the consLi
2 ~tutional rights Of the South.
We have denied this. We have held that th,
Democratic party North and the DemocI attic
party South occupied one and the same ground
5 We took the same position in the late canvass
/ The gentleman furnishes, as he sapposes, ma
; terisl to the opposition to the Democratic par
t ty in the South with which TO fight us in future
4 presidential and State canvasses. But his at
: tempt will be f~ruitless. The people Of the
{ South now understand the position of all the
] parties in the northern States, and they look Ia
the Democracy as the ONLY one national in its