The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-12-26
The Deba,e. in Conrr..-

DID not want the Republican party 10 10 h.id
IA hhesPonsiple e Tor his utterances. He said they
uons In regard to Helpers pamphIet and !.
speech delivered by Governor Seward. These
tnlngs were thrust In their faces with th hreat-
ana - ssaa OF the Union on that account,
a ana ~ was even threatened here that II they
be severed instanter sA,A''
He proceeded to read from the Richmond
nma, aa,.ef, eoited by Messrs. Richie, Pryor and
Duhnavant, the leading Democratic paper. Of
: June, 81, and of May and June. 1856. to show
that that journal had uttered airrepressib.e
conliicr' doctrines, and pronounced free socie-
ty failure, and further said that wa n het
the two systems will rage everywhere until
the one conquers. and the other is exterminat-
ed Mr.. Seward, he said, never uttered airre-
pressible conflict" doctrines half SO strong as
that. Senator Hammond he added had pre-
sented similar sentiments in regard TO s,,ch a
conflict.
Mr.. Farnsworth, in his remarks, said that
the Democrats had endorsed a book called
Black Diamonds, which advocated the re-
opening Of the African slave trade, and an in
fraction and violation OF the laws of the United
States, for that purpose. He asked whether
this was the sentiment of the Democratic
partyl
Mr. Cobb said he utterly deprecated the re-
opening of the slave trade. Now, he would
ask, does the gentleman endorse Helpers
book
Mr.. Farnsworth wanted to ask Mr.. Miles
thas question.
Mr. Miles replied that he heartily, utterly
and from the bottom of his heart, deprecated
the violation of any law. TApplauseI He
recognized the higher law OF sentiment and
honor, which compelled him to obey the Con-
stitution.
Mr.. Farnsworth asked the gentleman whether
he was in favor of the repeal Of the laws
against the slave tradel
MIR. Mills replied that he was not prepared
to say that he would not be in favor at some
"a IIo hn.
iieyed that 1t was useless to discuss the q ues-
non. No man believed that in the present
Union the slave trade could be re-opened.
Mr.. Reagan remarked that he was against
re-opening the slave trade in or cut of the
Union. Do you endorse the Helper Book .
Answer like man.
Mr. Stanton utterly denied for his party that
tney endorsed anything whatever tending to
civil war and lnSurTection. He utterly alb
horred and detested It,
MT. Bonham regarded the act of fS20, which
sugmatlzed slavery as piracy, as a blot on the
statute book. As to the law of 1919 he was not
prepared to say that was unconstitutional
Ihere was no considerable part of the Sou tn
or the democratic party who agitated the q ues-
hon. lie said that the re-opening of the Afri-
Confederacy.
Mr.. Farnsworth wanted to know whether
Mr.. Bonham endorsed the sentiment in the
"3lack Diamonds for a revival of the African
slave trade by lawl
Mr.. Bonham replied, it was impracticaple.-
He did not stand in the attitude of wishing to
Wolfe any existing law.
Mr.. McRae having been similarly interro.
gated, said that, individually, he was in favor
OF re-opening the trade but this was not the
sentiment OF the Democratic party in Missis-
sippi.
Mr.. Farnsworth said he did not believe that
the National Democrats could be charged with
advocating the re-opening of the African slave
trade any more than that the Republicans en-
dorsed the acts of John Brown. He said he
did not endorse that part of the Helper book
which advised insurrection and arraying
slaves against their masters.
Mr.. Lamar poured some hot shot in to Sew
ard, and declared himself against the Reopen
ing of the African slave trade.
Mr.. Farnsworth. resuming, said while he
would not resist The Fugitive Slave Law by
force of arms, he would not help to catch fn-
gitiye negroes. He would leave that dirty
work for the Democrats.
Mr. Barksdale said that the gentleman had
sworn to support the Constitution, and any
man failing TO carry out his oath was a trai-
tor. This sentence was applaudedl
Mr.. Farms worth spoke for two hours and a
half in defence of the Republican party
Mr.. English caused to be read an extract
from the Chicago Democrat, to show that. not
withstanding Farnsworth's denial that there
was not man in Chicago who sympathized
with Browns raid, Brown sympa thetic
meeting was held in Chicago.
The debate was further continued.
The House again voted for Speaker, Mr. Sher-
man, as on former occasions, wanting only
four of an election. MI GiImer received 10
and MIR. Bocock 10. There were SO votes scat
tering among twenty-four different gentle
men.
Without further action the House adjourn
ed.
In the House on Saturday, Mr.. Fouke pro-
ceeded to reply to MIR. Farnsworth; and in
conclusion referred to a conversation between
Gov Seward, of New York and Gov. Smith,
of Virginia, in lS47 or 1913, as reported in the
Congressional Globe, in which the former had
expressed preference for negroes over for
eigLerS
Mr. William Smith, of Virginia narrated
the conversation as we'll as he could remem-
Der it. The substance of it was that while he
was Governor of Virginia, he was sitting in the
council chamber one day, when stranger en-
tered ard announced himself as Mr.. Seward,
of New York. conversation ensued, in the
course of which Mr.. Seward remarked that
they were going to allow all to vote in New
York. negroes as we'll as whites. To that he
had replied that, if they had no objection to
free negroes in New York. they would send
them certain number in every packet from
Virginia. Mr.. Seward said he had no objection
to that; they would receive them with plea
sure. They had much trouble with Irishmen
and the Irish vote. A good deal of money had
to be raised at election time to secure them,
and the rascnis would take their money and
then vote against them; but they had no such
MIR. Smith had then told him that he would
be happy to receive an eq ual number of honest
hearted Germans or Irishmen for all the me-
groes that were sent to New York.
When Mr. Fouke had concluded his remarks,
Mr.. Farnsworth made short reply to some OF
the points raised.
Mr.. William Smith, of Virginia, then took
the floor and spoke at some length in regard to
the issues now before the House, alluding to
the recent raid OF John Brown and the Helper
pamphlet. He asked whether the House would
place a murderer or thief in that chair.
Mr.. Sherman rose and asked whether the
gentleman intended to apply that remark to
him.
Mr.. Smith said he was merely giving an il
lustration.
Mr.. Curtis called the gentleman to order
saying such remarks We're unworthy of any
member, impeaching. as they did, the honor of
gentlemen of this House. He asked the gem
Ileman to recall his remarks.
Mr. Smith replied that when he had any
thing to recall he would do so without being
asked rApplause.l That was his way. II
gentlemen would keep cool they would fare
better by it. He was putting the question
home. He charged nobody with being muir
derer or robber; but he did charge that when
they came here they found sixty-eight mem
bers of the last Congress--some of whom are
now here-eBdorsing what he had right to
believe just as bad, damnable and offensive.
He was showing that il was not in the heart
aud patriotism of the House to elect to the
Speakership man who did NOT disclaim, as
Messrs. Curtis and Stanton did, the insurrec-
tionary doctrines OF that book. He was Illus
trating his position, and with view of ilns-
trating il properly, he had used strong figures
of speech. He did not mean to insinu uate that
gentlemen would do anything dishonorable;
but he would put the question, would they
support the nominee of the Republican party ii
they believed that he adopted those doctrines
Mr.. Curtis. The gentlemen knows that /
would not. / cannot suppose that the gentle
man seriously believes the Republican men,
bers to be SO insensible to honor as TO dare sup
port any one who would adopt such doctrines.
That book contains Infamous matter. de-
nounce and disciaim IT, and so does every other
man upon this floor.
Mr. Smith. Your candidate has not done 1t.