The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-02-05

1
Clay, of Alabama, and Mr. Benjamin, of Louis
lana, who are eminent champions Of the right
| OF Shareholders, it nevertheless has for its othe
members Mr.. Hamlin, the newly elected Gov
ernor OF Maine, the very ultra opponent of tn,
siaveholding class who is now addressing you
and Mr.. Dodge, of Wisconsin, VINO is its chair
man. But this equality is in part accidental
The chairman votes against the slaveholdins
class, under the plea of instructions given hin
by the State which he represents. Mr.. Hamlir
was yet in full communion with the slavehold
ing Democracy when he was appointed to thi:
committee, and my own place on it was assign
ed to me while as yet l was National Wing
and not as now a Republican.
The debates in the Senate interrupt US. Lee
US therefore forget them, and proceed with oul
examination of the constitution of its commit.
tees. The Committee on Manufactures seems tc
have been framed with decided impartialty
AT its head is Mr.. Wright of New Jersey, a sup
porter of the policy of the slaveholding class
while Its other members are Mr. Allen of Rhode
Island, moderate opponent of the Nebraska
and Kansas law, and Mr.. Harlan of Iowa, Mr.
Wilson Of Massachusetts,, and Mr.. Trumbull Of
Illinois, three distinguished and effective advo-
Gates of Freedom.
L admit similar equality in the constitution
OF the Committee on Agriculture, for it consists
of the same Mr.. Allen and Mr. Harlan, together
with the indomitable Mr.. Wade of Ohio, who
are friends of Freedom, and also Mr.. Thomson
Of New Jersey, and Mr.. Hunter of Virginia
who are defenders Of the rights of shareholders
Glad to be just to that class, acknowledge
with pleasure that equal liberality has been man
ifested in the organization of the Committee on
the Militia. Its chairman is Mr.. Houston, OF
Texas, and with him is associated Mr.. Bell, a
true representative of New Hampshire, as she
was OF old, Is now, and always ought to be; and
these certainly are not overbalanced by Mr..
Dodge of Wisconsin, Mr.. Biggs of North Caro-
lima, and MIR. Thompson of Kentucky
/ must nevertheless claim as a drawback on
the magnanimity of the Senate, that these three
last committees-namely, those a. on Manufac-
lures" on Agriculture" and " on the Militia
have charge of public interests which have long
since been renOunced by the Federal Govern
ment in favor of the States and that consequent
ly those committees are understood to be mere
ly nominal and that in fact they never submit
any measures for the consideration of Congress-
On the other hand we see prudence, if not
jealousy, visibly manifested in the constitution
of the Committee on the Army and the Navy,
the two great physical forces of the Republic.
The first of these consists of Mr.. Weller of Cali
fornia, Mr.. Fitzpatrick of Alabama, Mr. Jones
of Tennessee, Mr. Iverson of Georgia, and Mr.
Pratt of Maryland, all of whom favor the
largest liberty to the slaveholding class; and
the other is composed of Mr.. Mallory of Florida,
Mr.. Slidell of Louisiana, Mr.. Thomson of
New Jersey, Mr. James of Rhode Island, all re-
liable supporters of that class together with the
independent, upright, and candid John Bell of
Tennessee. E.
The slaveholding class is q careful qua dian of
the Public Domain. Mr. Stuart, of Michigan. is
chairman Of the Committee on Public Lands.
He is, as you well know, of the opinion that the
agitation OF Slavery is the prolific cause Of the
unhappy overthrow of Freedom in Kansas, and
his associates are Mr.. Johnson of Arkansas Mr.
Clayton of Delaware, Mr.. Mallory of Florida.
and Dir. Pugh Of Ohio, who all are tolerant of
that overthrow, and Mr.. Foot, who so faith
fully represents the ever-reliabe freemen of Yer
mont.
Mr. Benjamin, of Louisiana, presides over the
Committee on Private Claims upon the Public
Domain, supported by Mr.. Biggs of North
Carolina and Mr.. Thompson of Kentucky, with
whom are associated Mr.. Foster, a Senator of
redeemed Connecticut, and Mr.. Wilson of Massa-
chusetts.
Negotiations with the Indian tribes are con-
tlnually required, to provide room for the migra-
ton OF the STAKEHOLDER with his slaves. The
Committee on Indian Affairs, excluding all SEN
ators from free States, consists of Mr. Sebastian
OF Arkansas, Mr.. Rusk of Texas, Mr.. Toombs of
Georgia, Mr.. Brown of Mississippi, Mr. Reid of
North Carolina, and Mr. Bell of Tennessee
Two representatives of the interests of Free
dom-Mr Wade of Ohio, and Mr.. Fessenden of
Maine-hold places on the Committee on Claims
against the Government; but they are quite over
balanced by Mr.. Brodhead of PENNSYLVANIA, Mr.
Geyer of Missouri, Mr.. Iverson of Georgia. and
Mr.. Yulee of Florida
The Post Office in its transactions is more
nearly domestic and municipal than any other
Department of the Government, and comes home
to the business and bosoms of the whole people
Mr.. Rusk, OF Texas, is chairman of the Com
mittee on the Post Office and Post Roads, and
his associates are Mr.. Yulee of Florida Mr.
Adams OF Mississippi, Mr.. Jones of Iowa. bal
anced by Mr.. Collamer of Vermont, and Mr..
Durkee Of Wisconsin.
No inconsiderate legislation favorable to free
men must be allowed in the Senate, no consti-
tutional legislation necessary to the security Of
Slavery must be spared. The Committee on the
Judiciary, charged with the care of the public
jurisprudence, consists of Mr. Butler of South
Carolina, Mr.. Bayard of Delaware, Mr.. Geyer of
Missouri, Mr.. Toombs of Georgia, Mr. Toucey of
Connecticut, and Mr.. Pugh of Ohio 1t was the
Committee on the Judiciary which, in lS45, re-
ported the bill for removing from the State
courts into the Federal courts private actions
brought against Federal officers for injuries
committed by them under color of their author
ity.
jealousy over the slaveholdng Capital of the
United States. The Committee on the District
of Columbia consists of Mr.. Brown of Mississip-
pi, Mr.. Pratt of Maryland, Mr. Mason of Virginia
and Mr.. Reid of North Carolina, together with
Mr.. Allen of Rhode Island
The Committee on Territories has care of the
colonization, organization, and admission of new
States, and so is in fact the most important of
all the committees in the Senate. Mr.. Douglas
nf 10 ,tC OH -.
are his willing supporters, Mr.. Jones of Iowa.
Mr.. Sebastian of Arkansas, Mr.. Biggs of North
Carolina, together with Mr.. Bell of Tennessee,
and the able and faithful Mr. Collamer of Yer
mont.
Finally, the science and literature of the coun-
try must not be unduly directed to the prejudice
of the interests of Slavery The Committee on
the Library take charge of this great intellectual
interest, and it consists of Mr.. Pearce of Mary
land, Mr. Cass, the eminent Senator from Michi-
igan, and Mr. Bayard of Delaware.
You will say that my review of the commit
tees of the Senate is unjust because you have
not heard me mention the names of those dis
tingushed champions of Freedom in the Senate,
John p Hale of New Hampshire, and Charles
Sumner of Massachusetts. Behold the places
assigned to them Mr. Hale graces the Com
mittees on Revolutionary Claims" and on
"Publc Buildings" and Mr.. Sumner fills seat
in the Committee on Pensions"
Do not think for a moment that impeach the
justice of the Senate in the construction of its
committees. When you learn how strong the
slavchoding interest in the Senate really is you
will perceive at once that its representatives are
more than juSt-they are even liberal and gener-
Gus to its adversaries. You shall decide the
question for yourselves, when | shsll have called
the roll. Taking the admission of Kansas into
the Union, under the Topeka Constitution, as a
test, the classification of the Senate is as fol-
lows Rhode Island two voices for Slavery,
Connecticut one, New Jersey one, Pennsylvania
two, Delaware two, Maryland two, Virginia two,