Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-06-23

! United States Senate, the other day, on a
| proposition to make a small appropriation ior
! ''garden seeds, for the encouragement OF hor-
| ticulture," Mr.. Toombs of Georgia made a
warm speech against it, as "without warrant
in the constitution" This called up Mr.. Big
Ter or Pennsylvania. who was in favor of the
"seeds, he contending that there was no con-
stltutional objection. 10 appreciate the re-
, marks of Senator Hale. in answer to both
these gentlemen, it must be borne in mind
| that Mr.. Bigler is one of those Northern
| democrats" so much in 1--we of slavery that
| they seldom ask for their constituents even so
| much as "a few onions and little garlic.
| Mr, Hale said
sit is very rarely, sir, that debate in the
| Senate is intended to influence the action of
members here, uuti is made to influence the
country. confess, however, that this de-
bate has enlightened my mind. L was at
hrst inclined to 60 against this appropriation,
but the considerations which have been urged
with so muck force by the senator from Penn
sylvania, l confess have weakened my con-
vlctlons IN that direction, and have almost in
duced me to go tor it. If the appeal which
he SO powerfully and pathetically made to the
honorable senator from Georgia has not nov
ed him, he must be impervious to eloquence
and to 2athos.
1 think that the case which the senator
from Pennsylvania has presented is eminently
| just. [ agree entirely with what he says,
when he declares that in his course here he
has not been looking to popularity. l think
that the whole North-Pennsylvania no less
than any other part of the Union-will en-
dorse his veracity, if nothing else, when he
declares that he has not been seeking popu-
larity; and when he appeals to the senator
fr,Vr I IL H. L. Al
Northern Democrats have had to travel, how
much they have had to sacrifice and to face,
and then asks if, in return for all this, he can
not let him have few onion and garlic
seeds daughter, l confess, ifthe Senator from
Georgia was not moved, I was. (Laughter.)
L think it is reasonable, and no more than rea-
sonabe if he has asked for a little of the veg
etable full grown. But when he says, Look
at the North, and see on every side, and hear
by every mail that we have not pandered to
popularity; see what we have suffered in
your behalf; when you see all that, and see
that we are not eXOrbitant we do not ask for
oihces; take your foreign missions and dis
tribute them where they properly belong;
take the Federal Treasury and use it but
when we 60 home to an outraged constituent
cy,. will you be so illiberal as not to let US
carry few onion Seeds little garlic, and
now and then a cabbage, Caughter) so that
our constituency may be inclined to wink
little at the course we have taken on this
great question, upon which we have sac
rihced so much for you ;" l confess that
even if had such strict rules as the Senator
from Georgia entertains upon the Constitu-
ton, when such an appeal as that came from
such a source, the right bower" of the ad-
minlstration, not asking to take the ace,
or anything else, but simply little onion
seed-s vegetable, that under peculiar states
of application, is calculated to produce tears
-(laughter) cannot you let US go home and
cry with our constituents over what we have
done? l do not want TO be personal but 1
appeal to the honorable Senator from Georgia,
and l ask him-I can ask him, for we have
always been on friendly relations
Mr.. Bigler-Allow me. have no idea at
all that the Senator intends to be personal.
Mr.. Hale oh, no.
Mr. Bger-But he uses terms which do
not MISUNDERSTANDING about the fright
bower" and IS ace, and all that sort of thing.
(Laughter.)
Mr. Hale-Well, sir, do not understand
them; but thought the Senator did, be.
cause the Senator from Georgia spoke of it,
and he seemed to understand it then. CLaugh-
ter) l do not understand it then but l
suppose it is parliamentary, highly so, Qaugh-
teri or else it would not have been intro
| duced. ] do not know what the Is right
bower is. suppose it is a naval Tknave-al
term, tlaughter) or something of that sort.
But l was proceeding. The Senator from
Georgia and myself do not agree on political
1 questions we have differed but, believe,
| in our social intercourse we have never had
any difficulty; and whenever it has been in
| my power-l do not know that l ever had an
| opportunity where it was in my power, to do
him slight tavor-but if it was the case, 1
would do it; but if he has the slightest per-
sonal regard for me, beg to throw it into the
same scale where the eloquence and pathos OF
the Senator from Pennsylvania have gone be-
| fore me, and both together, we ask fora lit
tie onion seed. (Laughter.) Can he, under
| these Circumstances, resist No, Sir.
| am as strict constructonist of the Con-
stitution any, not excepting the honorable
! Senator before me (Mr. 1oombs1 but have
read all the platforms, and l suggest to the
! gentleman from Georgia that he is a little too
fast. think, considering what has been
done, we may continue to vote these seeds
at least, until the Charleston Convention sits ;
and then, have no doubt, after these devel-
| opments, there will be new resolution that
| will cut off these seeds, and that onions will
be unconstitutional ever after. daughter. ]
But until that is done-until that provso is
| put in think the faithful may construe the
provisions of the Constitution and the Gin
cinnati platform as the honorable Senator
from Pennsylvania has suggested. | think
| we may construe them without straining the
Constitution any more to BUY onion seeds
than 1t does to catch runaway slaves. Iguess
when you find a provision in the Constitution
that there is a mode to take money out of the
Federal Treasury to pay for returning fugitive
slaves, you will find, also, the provision that
a little sum may be paid for onion seed.
Until a clause forbidding it comes either in
the Constitution or the Charleston Conven.
ton, let us have the seed But l have nc
doubt it will be unconstitutional after the
Convention sits.