Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-08-13

Into which the supporters Of the tariff In section OF The Onon
driven struggle for political power to excite an eS
antagonist action In another section The leaders IN the anti
region sought the to which they saw the
protective policy was likely to be carried by combination IN rs "a
between both political parties TO the North and East thouEhtn
ect the Interests Of the minority to souh This Of parties
gave gucdioa by which the projectors Of sought to
Of is regular enSetment and seeking 10 s them upon
authority Of State and local CONSTRUCTION Of the Federal
her sway correcting the into which the spirit Of party
had hurried both Sides 30 many political Interests many
al views and esenments eomHhgled strife
remedial action 1.-THE Force Bill Government itself became
udef though involving its issues civil dsuniOn, and
total overthrow Of the Constitution"
Mr. BELL IN 1885
ExrRAcrs FRoM SPEECH DEvEAED vArxHA NASHVILLE
23sD on MAY, 1855
KxcEssEs or PARTY
81" will be a circumstance In 70 which, As long ash
live can revert with conscious satisfaction that have OPP
posed what appeared to me to be party with
which have acted all the influence could employ andn the
only way which could do without injury to lis principles
While have studied to make myself useful have never set myself
/ up a leader OF he rary or Of party"
MoDENArioS NDPKSsABtY NECESSARY
ASSASSINATION oT THE GovERSNESr.
nothing In the questions which have
within the last eight years In this country necessarily
productive Of the extremes to which they have been carried re-
the proposition Nor there from observation, in the
eaye feature Of our system in the extent Of territory over
ahhed Of the States taken together separately consd
which essentially mpars the prospects OF harmony DURATION
society into which slavery admitted there pecu
conneSon with the designs Of bad who have acquire
acendeny In one OF the other Of the two parties which must
Even then OF these cuares useful rather than u
ous They present obstacles the consolidation
power in any any party founded upon unworthy
bad motives and principles As As MODERATION AND THE
shall preside the administration OF the
federal government any faction which shall seek divide the
Unou either by rousng Of injustice aud inequality in the
cate and nsmuabe question Of slavery in the other always
strength and defeated In its object without the slight
/ est cOnyulsvc sensation in our system"
| DANGER SYSTEM or GOVERNMENT
re real danger to our SYSTEM As in every other system Of free
prescribed aud dsregard minority respectable for It's numbers,
tue exclusive attribute any party such minor
always tempted In resentment for its real imaginary
being deprived Of all actual participation in the Of
the country compelled to obey laws and be the subjects OF poll
minority, repeat seOnsany tempted to seize upon vexed
irritating question: to make with the spirit Of
ITSELF effort to right at all events, to
/ their injuries. This Is the danger Of our system"
MR. BELL AND THE SLAVERY QUESTION-IslO.
| ABOLITION PETITIONS.
The reader will note the difference between rejecting
the prayer Of petition and rejecting refusing to
ceive the petition itself When, in $780, three years
after tine adoption Of the Constitution the Society Of
| Friends Of Pennsylvania forwarded petition to Con-
gress PRAYING its interference with the African slave
trade the petition received although it contained
unconstitutional request-Congress being expressly pro-
hibted Dy the Constitution, for twenty years to come
from NEEDING with the slave trade. No question as to
the reception Of this petition made, although its re-
/ ference commitment TO committee, with view to
It's being reported upon, vehemently opposed by
some Of the Southern members on the ground that it
asked Congress to DO that which unconstitutional
Mr.. Madison advocated its reference
1Gepemen he said "miRht Yote for the commitment for
rsrsnee Of the petition NhOugany intention Of sorH0 the
On a subsequent day. the debate still continuing, Mr.
Madison said;
The debate has taken serious tun and will be owing
this alone, II an alarm created for, had the memorial been
treated would have been considered
Ter eoars and report %h lave been mad: so to have
PRAYED general terms for the Interference Of Congress far
they eontuonaly authoEed but even IT, prayer
as 10 some degree unconstitutional 1t might be committed,
he Mr. Churchman's petition, part Of wh
supposed TO apply for an Interference by TIE
General Government"
From 1890 down to 1885, when the question of the
reception Of abolition petitions rst made in the
House of Representatives all petitions couehed in de-
corous and respectful terms received by Congress
Whatever their subject matter might be. This fact
stated by the late Felix Grundy in speech made by him.
in the Senate of the United States the % of March
1885, from which the following is an extract:
Mr. GRuSDr oS ABOLITION PETITIONS
rherorc constitutional doubts existing las 10
the right Of Congress to refuse To receive the petions he would
matter Of expeency vote to receive the petitions to be FOL-
lowed up with To reject their prayer But he confessed that
Constitutional right refuse receive petition very far
from being clear ihe right Of pe'ioa existed before the orna
ton o. The Constitution 1t was well understood by The trainers OF
that instruments and ahoug only declares that Congress shall
pass laws prevent citizens from peacab assembling and petit
their minds that those 20 whom the petitions 10 be addressed
would refuse receive them OF what value right Of petition
those whom petitions addressed rH nos rsceire Ae
and o7 Hsi The trainers Of the Constitution remembered
/
Sls C lv @ a rhu iomoa e1 M, the &
Constitution rui entered into their minds that petitions
when signed received by those whom they ad
dressed matter OF very Little consequence citizens that
they permitted 10 assemble and petition Tor redress OF grcv
Il after they have done their petitions are not to be re
considered hy those who have the act the
,l9 aS 10 NE and be was unwilling ta 1--WE The A.
ooas the benefit OF them Al present they have no foundation
which TO stand They are giving way ohe pressure Of the pub
he intelligence n the ychong States Put We shall enable
them blend the right petition with their abolition schemes they
rument the wear 1870 down to the present day, all petitions
received by this body which respectful and deco
the petition might be; and At
every the petition Of the Society Of Friends, clothed In STINT
not depart established usage. he considered the
rongs-f course dgr;a,, abolition that could adopted"
| To the same conclusion with Mr.. Grundy -nsmely
that the petitions ought be reee;red and acted upon,
came Mr. Bell; will be by the following ract
OF letter written by him to the late Hon. Geo. H. Gil
mer of Georgia in 1870 and published in u number of
the newspapers OF tue day:
Nh 1870 ABOLITION PETITIONS.
"when the ab ton at the North Rad reached
point excitement which began be et In Congress
The question Of such nature 70 rnder almost
impossible assembly composed Of so may Erdent and ".
mpuye spirits as the Congress Of the United states that
should 0ecome In shape degree connected with the
party conflicts Of the day some Of my most valued and cherished
friends thought fairly and justly assaaabe in the
ground OF his 70 instruct the Senators Of New
friends and supporters at that time shoSed 10 abolition petitions
by voting Tor Their reception and also Tor er reference under
Of attack before the People. demonstrated earnestly with my
friends ganst the policy Of such and against
eeeing whatever which might tend bring division Of
paroles to any extent upon such delicate not to say dangerous
| issue
AT the period which refer, Q5) the opposition to Mr.
South aud Southwest with few exceptions took
the position that the right OF petition did not exist In this case
This opinion maintained upon the ground that Congress had
right abolish savers In the District Of Columbia; and
eoniendd that petition 10 do an unconstitutional act was not
entitled to notice. ought be received TIE argument
carried m further Il srenuouy urged that the ad
mission Of the to abolish slavery In the district would be
A. b.d .,rt.,
on their Tide or not sound policy dictated reception
he asoIon furnish new ground for agitation and rather In
| crease the existing excitement than allay IT,"
Under these convictions, Mr.. Bell only, of all the
southern representatives in Congress (save Mr. Boudin
of Virginia voted against the second clause of the fifth
of
THE ArHERTOS RESOLUTIONS.
which provided that all petitions reating in any way
or to any extent whatever slavery, aforesaid,
the abolition thereof should on the presentation thereof
without any further action thereon be laid the table
without being debated, printed or referred"
The origin of these Atheron resolutions at follows
On the night of the Sth Of December lS3SMartin Van
Buren, being Presdent-there meeting in Washing
ton Of few administration members OF the House OF
Representatives from the South and a few from the
North. The meeting called at the instance Of the
Hon r. B. Rhet of South Carona who, since the days
of notification has had the strongest prociyes towards
dsuniOn and is open dsunionis 10 consider GER
tain resolutions which he had prepared the subject Of
slavery The resolutions considered and adopted,
and it deemed expelient that they should be Of
iered by northern man, Mr.. Atherton, OF New Hamp-
shire selected for that purpose Accordingly, he
presented them to the House three days afterwards
made speech explanatory Of his reasons for FIRING
them, and concluded by calling the previous question:
so as to cut of all debate and amendments. Gov Wise
was at that time Wing representative from Virginia.