The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-01-22
VOL. II !

| because lne pcOple viii pass beyond
and control of political leaders. IN
understand this question, sir; they SNOW thei-
responsibilities, their poweH and their duties
The Senator from South $trolina, think H.
formed us that he did not 80 any of the nf7
ence Of the Slave Power, and there was certtin,
none OF it in the Senate Why, sir, from the
origin of the Government TO the present time
the Senate of the United States has been more Or
less controlled by that Power. DO YOU not know
| that if any nominee sent here for cOnlirrnntion
is suspected of being unsound on the SLAYER
question, his rejecton is foregone conclusi ~
| Governor Everett, when he first entered he
| House of Representatives, announced his scnti
ments upon the Slavery question in Language
which brought upon him the censures Of john
Randolph and Churchill C. Cambreleng. nspie
of the known moderation of bis views, when his
name was before the Senate for confirmation as
| Minister TO England, it required the powerful
efforts of Henry Clay 10 secure that confirmstvr
Does not the Senator from South Gsrna . ~
member that objections were made q , con.
| hrmation OF a gentleman whose nani6ns sen
| here session before last, because the fathtof IT,
nominee had voted for Van Buren, in ~ DO
| not Senators remember the announcen& fmale
by Mr.. Foote, of Mississippi, on this 3. that
| Northern men who sympathized with tsicrs
of the Senator from New York, Mr. fARrl
| whose names had been sent into the : nc lv
| General Taylor, must be prescribed H. Do:
| Senators remember that Mr.. Fillmore Id. in
that work of prescription? Is there hhioc
| sectional in all this
| Senators can see nothing sectional II - chm
| stitution of the committees of this bodH Nbc,
that subject was referred TO a few da sfince, The
| Senator from Alabama Mr. CLAY1 A. ms dat
in the House of Representatives, W. the Re!N
publicans nave the SneaAeE. there r. sou. -.
prescribed on the committees | have VL
| .hose committees, and find that of the We
| important committees, consisting of one huDreA
and eight members, fifty of them are SouIC-u
| men, or Northern men who affiliate with them :
| have looked at the eleven important committees
| OF this body, and find that the Republicans
| have nine out of siXty-fve members | did not
| expect anything very liberal in the formation of
| the committees. The Senator from MARYLAND
Mr.. PEARCE brought in the list. That Senator
in published address to the country, referred
| to the Republican party rs a "motley alliance
as "perniciOus party" and he spoke OF its
leaders as "mad agitators,' men of inlamei
passions" and perverted Judgment He cllsscd
the Senator from New York and myself among
the leaders. Entertaining this opinion of the
party and of its leaders, it could not be expected
that he would be over generous. As the Scna-
tors own State seems to have paid but little heed
to his denunciations of the Republican party and
its leaders, | am sure we can be equally indifcr-
ent to his censures.
The Senator from South Carolina MR. BUTl.ERI
boosted of the great contentment among. the
slaves in his section of the Union. He told us
that slaves who had run away were returning 10
their masters and that this was the best kind of
Fugitive Slave Flaw Perhaps the Senator il
right; but the events Transporting all over the
South hardly sustain the Senator'S declarations.
commend to him, whenever he boasts on this
floor of the contentment of the bondman the
words of Edmund Burke, L" He who makes con-
tented slave makes degraded man."
Look at the condition of affairs in Your section
of the Union to-day; in many places your peoplc
think they have found evidences of incipirnt
rebelions. The supporters of Buchanan and
Fillmore have rivalled each other in misreprcsrut
ing the sentiments, principles, aud policy. of the
supporters of John G.. Fremont. The leaders of
the Southern Democracy have evervwherel de-
nounced the Republican party as party in fAyor
OF emancipation by the exercise of the powers OF
the Federal Government The hungry ear of
these bondmen drank in these false accusations
and unjust rcproacheS. Your words will Ir to
them a possession forever. exciting homes 1hat
will never die. Go home--undeceive those whom
you have deceived. DO us Justice Place us
where we are, and where intend to stand
opposed to Slavery everywhere, in favor of lis
abolition everywhere outside fthe slave Staff
opposed to the domination of the Slave Power
but conceding TO the people of the slave state.
their constitutional rights to settle the matter in
Senators desired to know how we should III,
on the admission OF Kansas rs q Slarchoitug
State. answer for myself if Kansas aIliies
for admission as slave State, will reply IN tue
words of Caleb Gushing, the law officer Of this
Government. In arguing the question of the al
mission of Arkansas, he said, speaking in res gard
to the power of Congress over the subject;
1.-THE Constitution cOnfcrS upon us the discre-
ton to admit new States at will 1t limits in
certain respects, Ourpower 10 act airmatively;
but it does not limit, in any respect, our discre
ton, on the negative side, of refusal to admit
new States"
Resting upon this authority of the distinguished
legal adviser of the Administration, will answcf
your question, whether will vote for the a,buis-
sion OF Kansas as n slave State, in his words.
" do not persuade myself that Liberty i, IN
evil, or that Slavery is n blessing When called
upon to accord my official sanction to a fonnoj
Government which not merely permits, but cy-
pressly perpetuates Slavery, should be false
to all the opinions and principles OF my lie If
did not promptly return a peremptory aud
emphatic No -"
The Senator from Texas commends our dsvo-
ton to the Union. We have ever supported
the Union, and tell you, sir, what We intend 90
do in regard TO its support. The Senator from
pennsylvania the other day denounced the Barn
well Rhctt school of politicians. | suppost he
thought it safe TO attack that little squad Of ia
sir, we the Republicans do not cOnfne our de-
nunciatons to that little faction. We dcnoincr
your Governor Wises, all your chosen leaders
who have threatened TO destroy the Union il the
fortunes of the election went against them
the men who have your confdencc-the men Who
go to Wheatland, and have the ear of your inton-
ing Executive. give you notice to-day, gentle
men, what we intend to do If the incoming
Administration sends into this body the nOInina-
ton of a single man who ever threatened the dis
solution of the Union, We intend to camp on this
floor, and to resist his confirmation to the bitter
end give you notice now, that we shall resist
the coming into power of all that class OF men,
rs enemies of the Constitution and the Union
We go further. We TO hold the in,om-
ing Administration responsible, If it gives conf
dence or patronage TO your Richmond Ehgm-
rers b" and "Ekammers' your Charleston -NT-
euries and " .SdnddItG',' your "Ncw Orleans
DeLfasn and your "Souh Side Democrats, or
any Democratic journal in the United States which
threatened the dissolution of The Union in the
event of success. We intend here in our
places TO defend that Union which makes us one
people, against tue men of your party who have
threatened to subvert and destroy it. We intend
to GO a little further Your slave propagandst
journals have denounced the Independent labor
ing of the North "greasy mechanics
" filthy operatives " small-fsted FARMERS
yaoon- struck theorists" We mean To hold
you responsible, if you hestow your confidence
and patronage upon journals which maintain that
" the principle Of Slavery is itselfreht, and does
not depend on difference Of complexion
Senators have told MS they want peace-they
want repose. Well, sir, | want peace want
repose. The State ] represent wants peace
wants repoSe. Tens of millions OF our properly
are scattered broadcast over the Southern Siair''
The business men, the merchants, the mnnliiac-