M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1859-03-03
washington News.


iIating been on business ont of the
city for II few days, is my apology tor
not keeping mp my correspondence
with the punclualty Of the mails. 1t
has been, in some respects, n noticea.
De week, and has left its mark on po-
ii.cal ciTcles--a mark not in all res.
pcc's agreeable.
Mr. Hale, OF New Hampshire, the
no'or:ous Abolition agitator, took oc-
cs.ion TO introduce the negro into the
S,aa;e carly in the week by moving,
as an amendment 70 an appropriation
hill, a section repeating the English
Kansas law Of last session. The
amendment was out of place, having
10 business in an appropriation bill,
aud was unnecessary if it had been in
place. It Is now admitted that Kan
fa.. since the Pixies Peak excitement,
les q population Of one hundred thou
sand, and is rapidly increasing. The
English RESTRICTION, thvrvfgre, ann annts
10 nothing, 50 far as Kansas is con-
cernpd, and can have no practical ap-
rication. The Democrats of the
Senate, therefore, by a large majority,
rejected it, Mr.. Crittenden and other
Americans joining with them.
Hale having got the negro into the
Senate, a general discussion about the
merits Of the colOred gentleman en-.
sned. For some hours the Senate
was oblivious of the fact that it had
rny thing but negroes to legisIate for.
To the astonishment and disgust of
the Northern men, and Of all we'll
wishcrS Of the Democratic party, Sen.
ator Brown, Of Mississippi, led off by
coming out fatiooted for Congression-
al intervention in behalf Of slavery in
the Territories. lie said the Consti-
,ntion alone could not protect slavery
in the Territories, and that legislation
is necessary. If the people of the
Territory would not protect it by spec
ial law, Congress must do it. Ne
farther said, that unless Congress
should intervene, i requested, 10 pro-
tect slavery ia the Territories, the
South must withdraw from the Union.
Phis audacious speech, which COM
pletely repudiated the Democratic doc
trine of Eon.ntcrvention, was ably
replied to by Senators Pugh, Douglas
and other Northern Democratic Sena.
tors. They were directly appealed to
by Senator Brown to know whether
the Northern Democracy would pro.
tect slavery in the Territories by Con.
gressional legislation. Douglas and
Pugh assured him in the most emphat-
ic manner, that the Northern Democ.
racy would not. The Northern De.
mocracy would agree that Congress
should neither prohibit nor protect
slavery in the Territories. Beyond
that they would never 20. Mr.. Pugh
was especially energetic and manly in
lis defense Of the Democratic doc
trne. He declared that Browns de-
nand was monstrous, and involved
breach of phghtel faith. Ii there was
any thing that the Democracy North
and South have agreed upon, it was
that Congress should do nothing in
respect to slavery in the Territories,
Senators Hunter, Jefferson Davis,
Green and Mason, took part in the
discussion, and all favored Congress
ional protection to slavery in the Ter
ritories. Mr.. Davis was exceedingly
metaphysical and made the most re.
fined distinction. It's generally con-
sidered that he beat any Of the Vir-
ginians in abstraction; for instance, he
said che could not agree to the posi-
tion taken by the Senator from Hi
Iois, who had based his argument up
on the idea that there was a people in
the Territories. There were inhabi-
tants there but not people" What
q wise and profound discovery. |
hope he will take an early Opportuni-
ty to elucidate the precise distinction
between "McCarty come out" or "come
out McCarty." Ii | recolect Alright
the first Constitution of Ohio used the
word inhabitant to distinguish people,
who for over forty years were not
aware that they were not on that ac.
count the less people. Davis refine
ment is absurd, and it is a wonder
how it found lodgment in the brain
of man Of so much ability.
Senator Mason talked about the
Territories as British Prime Minis.
ter speaks Of the dependencies Of the
British Grown. People there, he
said, had no ,riZhts except what Con
gross gave them.
Senators Hunter and Green were
more conciiiatory in their remarks
the former insisting that the South
had understood the Nebraska Bill to
yield the rights now claimed by the
South.
1t is admitted generally here thai
ifthe South insists on Congressional
protection to slavery in the Territories
it will divide the Democratic party