Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-08

Senator's present
ssMessrs- Allen Cass, Chase, Everett, Fish, Foot,
Hamun, Seward, Smith, stuart, sumner, Wade,
Those who voted in the negative are
s'Messrs. Adams, Atchison, Badger, Bayard, Beu,
Dixon, Dodge Of Iowa, Douglas, Evans, Fitzpatrick,
Geyer Hunter Jones OF Tennessse Mallory, Mason
Norris, Petit Sebastian, Shields Siide, Thompson, OF
KY, Toucey, Weller, Williams"
Here the motion was taken out that portion
of the bill which declared that the Missouri
compromise was superseded by the compro-
mise measures of 1850; and my colleague,
voted against striking it out. If it had been
stricken out, the clause repeating the Missouri
restriction would not have remained in the bill;
but my colleague said no.
Mr.. BELL Ny colleague can correct me in
facts if he pleases.
Mr.. JOHNSON of Tennessee. / state what is
on the Journal. At page 18S of the Journal
OF the same year, we find, the same bill being
under consideration, another amendment was
offered: H
"On motion Of Mr. DOUGLAS, to amend the amend
ment by striking out in section fourteen, the words
(which superseded by the principles Of the legis
yiton OF 1850, commonly called the com eomse meas
ores, and inserting, (which, being Inconsistent with
The principle OF non-interyention by Congress with
slavery the States and Territories, recognized by
the legislation OF 1850, commonly called the comp,o
mise measures, is hereby declared imperative and
void being the true intent and meaning of this act
pot 70 legisat slavery into Territory State nor
70 exclude thererom, but to leave the people thereof
perfectly free and regulate their domestic rs
.ton in their way, subject only to the Constitution
VI the United States. -
| My colleague voted against striking out
that clause of the bill which repealed the Mis-
| souri, compromise and on this amendment
| offered by the Senator from Illinois, he recor-
died his vote to retain in the bill the repeal of
| the Missouri restriction.
| Mr.. BELL. 1t was not at all Inconsistent
L
! stances precisely as / did. When Mr.. Chase
| made his motion, / did not choose to be divert
| ed from the course had marked out for my
! self, which was to go with the friends of the
bill to perfect it If the history of the bin be
lsexamlned, it will be found that | voted to give
| it such shape that thought ii could never
pass the House of Representatives. and posi-
bly, not the Senate. did not suppose, could
not have supposed that such measure could
| be forced through the House of Representa-
| tives, if put in definite shape SO far as we
were able to do so. consistently with the views
| of a majority of the gentlemen who supported
| it. / think that on parliamentary principles
| was perfectly justified in voting as did on
l the amendments to the bill. but i voted oc-
cording to the dictates of my feelings connect
| Ell with my associations with the South. Many
/ 81 my southern friends had my assurance that
I | would not disturb the bill while they were
| putting it in shape. The vote to which my
| colleague aludes was on the 9Th of February
| 1854. when the question first came up for de-
! cisiOn by the Senate as to the shape the bill
| should assume. / gave that vote conscienti-
Ously with regard to the views which had
| 1t Was my feeling at the time to make the bill
| as explicit as possible. That bill went forth
repeal of the Missouri compromise but even
| at last it did not go forth in that explicit and
| direct manner which it seemed to me at the
time and since. it ought to have done in justice
.-I..9,
+ ton. But | shall not stop now to notice that
/ point.
/ My colleague points to my vote on the re-
| tention of that clause extending my hand
| to the South for the purpose of keeping them
/ firm. while voted against the bill toconciliate
7 the North, thus seeking to unite the two sec
I tons in my support when i should come be-
! fore the people of the United States for higher
honOrs than now enjoy. That is the view my
| colleague has presented as to my course on this
subject, and his language imports elaboration
| and calculation.
l would only desire to ask one question on
| this point: is the whole South to be considered
| so ignorant and credulous as to he imposed
| upon by such a vote as that, when | voted
| against the bill itself? Again, could any SEN
| sible or rational man. any human being of the
! least intelligence who had such aspirations as
my colleague imputes to me, ever suppose that
| they could be realized under such an obvious
| ly double fraudulent course as he indicates
| mine to have been? Whoever expects success
| in this country without the confidence of his
own section, to large degree, at all events !?
| My colleague must suppose that have very
/ little knowledge. very little power of observa-
! ton a que stion of this sort, when he
| chooses to impute to me motives of that des-
| cription, if he supposes | could cheat the
| South into the opinion that / was really in
tending to protect their interests by such trick
cry as this. III could suppose myself to have
the character pictured by my colleague
J. 'wiring in and wiring out
II Leaving the people all in doubt
l. Whether the snake which made the track
l. Was going North or coming back. j"
7 III could believe that such inspirations
! could attach TO my character. | would hold
! myself as infamous in my own estimation of
| myself and | should trust that all mankind
| would fix the brand of infamy on me. But
take my conservative course in regard to the
reception of abolition petitions; take my course
| on the compromise measures of 1850, and on
| the Kansas-N ebrasla bill in lS54 the develop
ments of which | think have shown my sa-
| gacity fully; and who ever could conceive
that all this deserved such imputations as my
! colleague has heaped upon me? Perhaps he liz
| the only man in the country who could be
| capable of such a thing. | do not say that he
is but from the course Of that Senator yester-
day, and his whole bearing imputng to me
trickery. fraud, prem dtated purpose aspi-
| rations for the highest Donors of the country,
| If there is man here capable of it, il is him,
not me; and if be is capoble of it, he ought to
he consigned TO the same infamy that l pre-
scribe for myself if | were capable oft.
Now. sir, | will trace the course of my
colleague little, in referance to the elections
of which he spoke He said, in his speech OF
yesterday:
al know where stand on this question. know
what / could have done IL had been disposed 10
pancr and appeal 10 the fanatcism that exists this
| question, even ia my own Sulte."
! What could he have done? He could have
done probably what have supposed him ca
pahle of doing whenever the time comes when
he shall be tempted to it--carry the torch OF
| domestic discOrd from johnson county in the
east, To Shelby county in the west whenever
he shall be tempted by his ambition TO do it..
Since meeting with my colleague here, in the
| friendly passages have had with him out al
the Senate, began TO correct my opinion OF
what / supposed might be his disposition
whenever he should be tempted to ii by being
thwarted in his career, TO become the incen-
diary on this question in my own State.
lave looked to the possibility of what | must
Relieve to be a proposition seriously entertain-
td in the South--a dissolution of the Union in
certain contingencies; and l have looked Ia
what must inevitably happen in that event
I'm some of the slave States; and have looked
upon my colleague as a man with that sort OF
temper, disposition, and principles who would
not hesitate TO bring the question home in
Tennessee, whatever might be the consequent
ces. Sine, my intercourse with him here
however, began to have somewhat different
views in regard TO him. From the casual
conversation which have had in society where
l have met him, began TO form a more favor
able opinion of him.
But to what does he allude, when he speaks
of what he could have done. He has told you
that the Kansas-Nebraska act was one of tn,
main subjects in issue between himself and hi'
| nnnnncnI. Colonel Gentry. In 1875. which W a.