The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-04
THlRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS-,
FIRST SESSION..
Tuesday, February %, 1853.
HOUSES

FIRST SESSION..
Tuesday, FebrIarf %, 1853.
HOUSE,.
synpois Of the oebate.
The House then went il, Committee of tn,
| Whole, Mr.. Greenwood, Il Arkansas, in tn,
chalr,) aud resumed the Consideration of thu
Indian appropriation bill.
Ar. Burroughs, of New Z ork, addressed th,
COMMITTEE on the subject Il Kansas. He hat
felt exceedingly mortified t~om time to time BY
remarks OF gentlemen on the Democratic side
of the House, who had m; de charges against
| the Republican party, and fhereupon proceeded
| to defend that party againt the charge of sec
| tionalism. He contended that the Territories O.
the United States had beer acquired mainly a
the cost of the North, whsch had paid three
| tourths of the purchase money and furnished q
large proportion of SOLDIER for the wars of &C
QUESTION. The North, therefore, was entitled
TO preponderance in the Territories upon prin
ciples of equity. The threatening resolution.
| OF the State of Texas, aIter the North had
bought the vast territory apJ fought her battles
struck him as being uncall ID for and peculiarly
unfair. lie would not vose for the admission
of Kansas with Slavery, under any possible cir
cumstances, because by right she belonged tc
the North. He denounced the Administrator
of Gen. Pierce, as having sarried on q system
of fraud in reguard to Kansas, and said be
honestly believed that Pres dent Buchanan was
following in his footsteps, ssnd even promoting
greater frauds.
MIR. Smith, of Virginia, called the gentleman
to order for denouncing coordinate branch OIL
the Government.
Mr.. Burroughs was abot-s to proceed, when
his hour expired. s
Mr.. Curry, of Alabama, also addressed the
Committee on the Kansas Cuestion, landing the
Kansas Nebraske bill as u iAz!, conclusivc, in.
revocable settlement of thg vexed question OF
Slavery, in which truth and lstice met together.
and Freedom and the Co &itution embraced
each other. That bill was sntagonistic to cen
tralization, and favorable t,vthe inherent rights
of the States.
He denounced the proposi tionto compromise,
by referring the Constitution back to the people
OF Kansas, as being in direct violation of the
Constitution of the United states and the Kan
sas Nebraska bill, and a re, val of the exploded
doctrine of the unlimited power of Congress
over the Territories.
The present Issue was ofs of fearful import
to the South. The rejectiorE of Kansas bespoke
the dissolution or standardization of the Dem.
ocratic party, which was ele strongest if not
the only ligament that bclnd the Union to.
gether.
Mr.. Morris, of Illinois, as a democratic Rep.
resentative of the State O. Illinois, protested
against the Lecompton ff.ud, and defended
Senator Douglas against tie denunciations of
the extremists of the Sout', a,d of the miser-
able crowd of sycophants al jund the President.
He ridiculed the attempts -n certain quarters
to read the opponents of the Lecompton Cousti.
tuition out of the Democrstic party, and the
puerile threats of Southern * remists of disso-
luton of the Union. This Onion was worth
more to the South than al her negroes, and
these threatening gentlem$n snew it. 1t was
worth more to the South han to the North !;
yet whoever should dare to If his hand against
the Union, should be hung i. her than Hamau.
He denounced and repel 81 the unwarranta.
BILE influence of the heads f'the Executive
Departments, who, not COD e4s with writing let
tiers to political gatherings c sme into this Hall
to intimidate, or at least to9nf uence, members.
Their example was followed by Senators and
public printers, and it was l,3e to the House to
protect its prerogative and defend its dignity.
For himself, he would new " bow the knee to
power, or sacrifice his prin ioles. If proscrip-
ton must come of it, let it 4cme. The imprint
of the power of the Administration was plainly
marked upon this Kansa. outrage; but be
warned Northern Democrats, that If they yield
ed their principles, fearfu retribution awaited
them at home. The attem pts to crowd North
ern Democrats to the wall we're exemplifed BY
the unfair constitution Of lie select committee
on the Kansas frauds. If iansas were yielded
to Slavery, it would not be eng before the sane.
ton of Congress would be sought for the doc
trine that the Constitution sarries Slavery into
all the States of this Union. The passage of
the Lecompton Constitution would not suffice
to enslave the people of K .psas. They would
resist it to the death, sue. supported by the
sympathy of the entire Moth, Kansas would
never be conquered.
Mr.. Andrews, of New " X, agreed with the
President, that Kansas had long occupied
the public attention, but DIS greed with him as
to the best mode of settling the questions in
volved in the controversy. He recounted the
wrongs endured by the Free State settlers of
Kansas, condemned the course of the General
Government in giving aid end comfort TO those
who had usurped the Gove,.,ment of that Ter
ritory, and commended that s;::was plain to every
one that the Lecompton Co astitution represent.
ed only the will of a small minority of the peo-
pie. He would not vote fer the admission of
Kansas with Slavery, even if her Constitution
wer, sanctioned by every voter in the Terrific
ryi for, as ne understood il, such would not be
republican Constitution.
Mr.. Crawford, of Georgia, obtained the floor;
when the Committee rose,