Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-25
rH1grY.FFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION
WEDNESDAY. Feb. 90. 1852.

w. u. W l>E, Sc'icttiN
THIgrY-FIFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION
WEDNESDAY, Feb. %. 1852.
SENATE.
Mr.. Houston said that on Monday he should
claim the floor for the purpose OF making a per
sonal explanation, and gave this notice in adj
vance.
Mr.. Doucla offered an amendment to the act
organizing the Territories OF arizona ana la
cotah; which was laid on the table.
Mr.. Hunter offered a resolution that alter To-
day the Senate meet at II 4. VI. Laid over.
The hour of | o'clock having arrived, the cx-
%ecutive, legislative and judicial appropriation
bill was taken up.
The question was upon tho motion OF SIT.
Hale to add the following to the bill rs an ad-
ditional section:
Sec. -. And BE- il .further enacted, mat tne
first section Of the act entitled IAN act Tor the
admission Of the State Of Kansas into the
Union" approved May :, 1858, be, and the same
is hereby, amended by striking out the follow
ing words, viz: whenever it is ascertained by
a census duly and legally taken, that the popnL-
lation Of the said Territory equals or exceeds
the ratio Of representation required for men,
bcrs of the House Of Representatives IN the
Congress of the United States y which words
are hereby repealed.
Nj. Stuart. Of Michigan, said he had always
been opposed To the restriction which it was
proposed to repeal. and would vote accordingly,
but he regretted that the exciting subject had
been thus brought before the Senate.
Mr.. Seward said he was surprised at the gen.
tleman's remarks. Congress had said that I'M
less Kansas would accept the Lccompton con-
s~titution, she could not coIne into the Union
until she had 4 population Of %, 400. He thought
that every man opposed to the odious and un-
inst restriction would embrace the first oppor-
tunity to repeal it.
Mr.. Brown expressed the opinion that every
State coming into the Union should have the
population required for representative IN Con'
gress. lie was, however, willing to admit
Kansas either as 4 free or slave State. with the
fractional part Of the representative ratio which
entitled South Carolina to q member oil Con-
grpss, but a census was necessary TO ascertain
her population. This was a question which
would have an important bearing upon the next
Presidential election.
The gentleman from Michigan, (Mr. Chan
dler.) had anticipated the success OF his party
in that contest; he with equal confidence cN.
pected a triumph Of his party. But in this
| matter he neither wished 10 cheat or be cheated.
He wanted a full understanding, and he de-
sired a triumph Of principle. The spolls Of
office to the people were as sounding brass or Il
tinkling cvmbal. The South wanted her rights
in the Onion and she wanted the bred Scott
decision faithfully carried out. By that de-
cisicn it was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
that the citizens of all sections Of the country
had the right to carry their property into
the territories. but the right was valucless
unless it carried with it the obligation to
make laws to sustain that right. Ii laws 10
! protect slavery did not exist in the terrific
ries, the right to take the slave property there
WAS a nullity. The constitutional right must
be sustained by positive enactment. 1t was
the duty Of the Territorial Legislatures to
frame laws accordingly, and if they failed to
| do so, it was the duty Of Congress, whose crca-
lures they were, TO deprive them OF their pow
crs and carry out the provisions of the consti-
tuition. Slave property was entitled TO protec-
ton. and being of a peculiar character peculiar
| laws should be enacted in its behalf. .Amcri.
can ships on the high seas were entitled under
the constitution to protection, but how could it
be afforded without the Legislative enactments.
lie regarded the Territorial Legislatures as the
mere creatures of Congress, and their powers
! should be annullcd if they did not discharge
their duty in providing protection for all spe-
cics Of property. He denied most cmphatically
their right to exclude slavery.
Mr.. Douglas, Of ILL.,, cncrgetically defended
: his doctrine Of popular sovereignty and Con-
! grcssional non.intcrvcntion, and reiterated the
| doctrines concerning the force Of the bred
Scott decision and slavery in the Territories,
| cnunciatcd during his recent campaign in Hi
nois. lie held 10 its fullest extent the power
of the people of the Territory TO decide the
question of slavery for themselves. lie thought
thew possessed the right of self.gorernment as
fully as the people Of Q State, and should not
be subjected TO Congressional Interference
This was the doctrine Of the Cincinnati plat.
form-it was the doctrine Of Mr.. Buchanan's
letter of acceptance, and under any other in.
tcrpretation he could not have carried a single
Northern State. The Cincinnati platform con-
coded the right of the people Of a Territory TO
exclude or admit slavery, as they choose, and
under no other construction would q Northern
State have voted for Mr.. Buchanan, and he
| wished Southern Senator's 10 understand that
fact. Mr.. Brown wanted to force slavery upon
q people, whether they desired it or not. lie
wanted the people to decide the matter for
themselves.
lie believed that under the bred Scott deci.
sion a Southern man had an abstract right to
take his slave into any territory OF the United
States, but he could not hold it there unless
the legislature passed laws for his protection,
and they had the rishtto refuse to do so if they
chose. In reply to 4 question propoundcd by
Mr.. Bigler, he replied that ne did not recognize
black men as citizens this was 4 government
OF white men.
fApplausc being manifested in the galleries,
which were densely crowded, the chair gave
orders that they should be cleared if the dis
turbancc was repeated.
Mr.. Douglas concluded by saying that there
was no use for excitement or anger upon this
subject. If Southern men could not stand
upon the same platform with him, it was bet
ter quietly to separate. The Senator from Mis-
s~issippi had said that he wished neither to
cheat or be cheated. lie had hoped nc had met
him in 4 kind and friendly spirit, and that his
position had been clearly and unequivocally de-
fined.
Mr.. Davis replied to Mr.. Douglas elaborate
ly, denying that he rightly interpreted the OBJ
legations Of the Democratic party. ..,i
Mr.. Push said that Mr.. Brown had asked If
Northern Democrats would vote for Congress
sional intervention to protect slave property
against local legislation. lie would answer
never! II is monstrous. 1t is against the
plichtcd faith of both the South and the North.
Mr.. Pugh discussed the question at length,
and said he stood on the platform of his party
with the Interpretation which he explained,
Mr.. Green said he was sorry this subject Of
contention had been brought forward to try to
bring discord into the Democratic party-the
only party able to override the Republican par
tH. lie hoped and believed that there was no
difference between the North and South. y
government is formed to protect persons and
property, and when it ceases to do either, 1t
ceases to perform one great function. Mr..
Mr.. ~IIalc's amendment had brought up the
qucstion-What is property! He maintained
that under the Constitution and by the deciS-
ion of the Supreme Court, slaves are property,