The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-08-14
Chr BRstRrn gRmurrat.
CHARLOTTE, n. C.
From the Richmond Enquirer
JOHN BELLS CONGRESSIONAL RE-
CORD.

CORD.
Having been repeatedly solicited by our con-
Temporary the Richmond Wing" to inspect the
boosted proslavery record of John Bell, we enter
ed upon that duty with peculiar relish, and
have completed it, filled with no little disgust.
Proclaimed, as Mr. Bell has been by his friends,
as the soundest of the most sound men on the
slavery questions; held up the wsest of the most
wise statesmen of country we had expected to
have found record of mathematical straightness
unblemished in the purity of its principles by
single spot of favor to abotionism In all OF this
we have been very, very much disappointed: An
attentive investigation of his record fIom 1876 to
1871 reveals him a semi-abOitionist in the House
of Representatives, and from 1857 to 1889 in the
Senate IS one of those few Southern men who gave
more attention the ''sensibilities of the North
than TO the principles of the South. The opponent
Of Henry clay in 1850, and the supporter of Gen.
Taylor-the advocate of the Omnibus Bill and the
assailant of the report and resolutions Of the Com
mittee of thirteen, and supporter OF the Home
stead Bill-these constitute the principal events in
his unmportant public life.
John Bell entered the House of Representa-
tives in 1926 with his political principles uniformed,
and his political status undetermined. The sue
cessful opponent of Mr. Grundy, he s'entered Con-
gress a warm admirer of Mr. Calhoun, and strong
ly opposed to the protective system, against which
he made speech in 1882" But, unsettled, va
cillating and unstable he arrayed himself with
the protcctionsts and became an advocate OF the
policy Of protecting American industry" While
protesting admiration for Mr. Calhoun, he was OPP
posed to notification He in favor of Uni
ted States Bank bu; voted against the bill for its
re-charter. in 1892. Protesting political friend
ship for Cen jackson. he yet opposed the removal
of the deposits aud this Twas of the
which led to the subsequent breach between him
self and President jackson and the Democratic
party, and finally to his cooperation with the
Wings" and the biographer adds: 'This change
of party relations was much accelerated by his
election to the Speak ership of the House of Re
representatives., in 1881" Whether the change"
made to accelerate the election, is not for to
say.
ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN THE DISTRICT OF CO.
LUMBIA
The session of Congress for 1S37-'3S is memo
rable for the excitement caused by the great nunI-
Der of abolition petitions with which it flooded,
and the pertinacity with which they presen-
ted and their reading and reference insisted upon.
On the 10th of December, 1887, Mr. Slade, of
Vermont, presenting abolition petitions, moved
their reference to select committee with instruc-
tons to report a bill in conformity with their
prayer. This notion" says MIR Benton, in his
Thirty Years., ''infanmatory and irritating in it
SELF and without practical Legislative object, the
great majority of the House was known to be oppos-
eli to it, rendered still more exasperatng by the
manner of supporting it" Entering into gene
raj dsguisition upon the subject of slavery, de-
nuncatOry and offensive to the Southern members,
MIR Slade entered upon the discussion of the ques-
ton, " What adrery?" and was proceeding to
arraign the ms ttution within the States and to
make the Federal Congress the tribunal from
which to assail slavery in Virginia. Mr. Benton
says:
a visible commotion began to pervade the
IlOuse-menlbers rising, clustering together, and
talking with animation. Mr. Slade continued and
was about reading judicial opinion in one of the
Southern States, which defined slave to be a
chattel, When Mr. Wise called him to order for
speaking Gesid" the questionable question being
upon the abolition of slavery in the District of
Columbia, and Mr. Shades remarks going to show
It's legal character, as property in State"
Parliamentary tactics of every kind were resor-
ted to. to stop the indomitabe Shade; force was
ntimated. if he did not desist; Southern dele
CATIONS retired from the Hall. and finally Mr.
Mckay, Of North Carolina '.interposed an objec-
tioa which headed Mr. Slade.'' There was a rule
of the House that when member was called 80
order, he should take his seat and if decided to
be Of order, he should not be allowed to speak
again. except on leave of the House-the Chair
decided that MIR Slade could not 60 on without
leave ri the House first obtained. Mr. Benton
continue:
MIR Rcnchcr, of North Carolina, moved an ad
journmcnt. Mr. Adams 81. O. and many others
demanded the yeas and nays on this motion, which
were ordered, and resulted in loo yeas, and 63
nays-some 80 or 60 members havin. Withdrawn.
This opposition to adjournment acds one of the
'rorse features Of that unhappy days work-the
only effect of keeping the house together being to
increase irritation and multiply the chances for
outbreak From the beginning Southern men,
hers had been in favor of it, and essayed to accom-
plish it, but were prevented by the tenacity with
which Mr. Slade kept possession of the floor and
now, at last when 1t time to adjourn any
way-whGn the House was in a condition in which !
good could be expected, and great harm might
be appreheuded, there were sxty-three members.
being one-third of the House, willing to continue
in session a"
And John Bell Was the Southern representative
among the sixty-three. They were:
Messrs John Quincy Adams, Alexander of
Ohio, Allen Of Vermont, Allen Of Ohio, Aycrigg
OF New Jersey, BELL OF TENNESSEE, Biddle of
Massachusetts, Briggs If Massachusetts,, Coffin of
Ohio, Crouston Of Rhode Island, Curtis of New |
York, Gushing of Massachusetts, Darlington of |
Pennsylvania, Davis of Pennsylvania, Dunn of
Indiana, Evans of Maine, Everett of Vermont. |
Ewing of Indiana, Fletcher of Vermont, Fillmore |
of New York, Goode of Ohio, Grennel of Massa-
chusetts, Haley of Connecticut, Hall of Vermont,
Hastings of Massachusetts,, Henry Of Penn<y-
yania, Herod of Indiana, Hoffman of New York,