Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-07-31
8lc5ulollo Enquirer.
by RlTcHIE DuSNA4ANT, TYLER 4 WISE.
TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 81, 1850.
John EelI.s Congregational Record.

EbG"DAf MORSsNG, JULY 81, 1850.
john HcIl's Congressional Record.
ms AEoLiTJ0y .;SEN7IuEETS AND F0TE&
Having been repeatedly solicited by our rnIi-
Temporary, the Richmond "Wbig," to inspect
Tile boaSted pro slavery record Of John Bell,
we entered upon that duty with no peculiar re-
lIsl and have completed it, filled with no little
disgust
Proclaimed, as Mr. Bell has been by his
friends, as the SouudcSt or the most sound men
on the slavery question; held up as the wiSest
OF the most wise statesmen Of our country, we
had expected o.hayc found i record of nmthe-
matical straighlncss, unbcmshcd in the puri-
ty OF its principles by single spot of favor to
aboIillonlsm. In all this We have been very,
very mIlc! disappointed An attentive inyes-
tlgation Of hls record from 1926 to 1871 re-
veaS him Il scni.abolitOnist in the House of
Senate as one of those few Southern men who
gave more attention tu the 'senSibiliticS" of
the North than To the principles of the South
The opponent OF Henry Clay in 1850, and the
supporter of Gen. Tay ylor--the advocate of the
Omnibus Bill an! the assailant of the report
and resolutions Of the Committee OF Thirteen
and supporter Of the Homestead Bill--these
constitute the principal events in his uuimpor-
tant public life.
John Bell entered the House Of Repre-
sentatives in 1920 with his political prin-
ciplcs uniformed, and his political status
undetermined. The successful opponent of
Felix Grnndy, he ''cntcred Congress warm
admircr Of Mr.. Calhoun, and strongly opposed
10 the proLcciyefystem, against which nc made
Il speech in 1892" But, unsettled, vacillalng
ami unstable he soon arraycd himself with
the proteclioniSts, and became an 'advocatc Of
the policy Of protecting American industry"
While protesting admiration lnr Mr.. Calhoun,
hr wis opposed to notification. lie WAS in
favor If Il United Stale; Bank, but voted against
the bill FOR its rc,cllartcr, in 1872 Protesting
political friendship for Gen. Jackson, hcsyet
opposed the removal of the deposits; and this
act twas one Of the CAUSES which led to the
subsequent breach between himself and Prcsi-
dent jackson and the Democrdtic party and
finally TO his cooperation with the Wings :"
and the biograIhcr adds "l'his change Of
party relations vas much accelerated by his
election to the Speakcrship Of the House of
Representatives, in 1884" Whether the
"cnangc" was made to accelerate the election,
it i; no; Tor US 10 say
ABOLITION nr SLAVERY IN TILE DISTRICT OF CoLrM.
The session of Congress for 1887 80 is memo,
rablr for the excitement caused by the great
number Of abolition petitions with which it was
londcd, and the perlilacity with whicl. they
were presented and their reading and reference
insisted upon. On tic Goth Of December, 1887,
Mr.. Sla,c, Of Vermont presenting abolition pc
titiunS, moved their reIrreEce to select coin
! lUrlnily with their prayer. This motion,
says Mr. Benton, il his Thirty Years, "in
tianmalory and irritating i'll itself, and without
practical legislative object, as the great majori
| ty Of the House Was known 10 be opposed TO it
was rendered still more cyaSpcrating by thC
manner Of supporting it, Entering into !
general tisqnisiion upon tie subject Of slavery
dcnunciatory and offensive to Southern Inelu
bers, Mr. Shade entered upon the discussion 0
the question, " What ~aS slatery'' and WI:
proceeding To irraign the institution within tn,
States, :t,ld to make the Federal Congress thu
tribunal from which to a+Sa slavery in Eir
gnia Mr.. Denton says:
a visible conlnution began 10 pervaae TIN
| [IouSe--mrmbcrS rising, clustering together
aud talking with animation Mr.. Sladc con
tinucd, and was about reading Judicial opilI
ion in one Of the Southern States, which lletneu
slave to be chatlcl, when Mr.. Wise cale'
| him 10 order for speaking beside the question -
the question being upon the abolition of SLAYER.
in the District Of Columbia, and Mr.. SHADES re
marks going to its legal character as lropert,
! in Il State
Parliamentary tactics Of every kind were re
sorted 10, to stop the iudomitable S!ade; fore
was even ntimatcd, if h. did not desist; South
ern delegations retired rom the Hall, and final
| ~ Mr.. Mickey, uT North Carolina, " interpose'
an objection which headed Mr. Slale." Their
was rule n the House, that when L mcmbc
was called tu order, he should take his seat
and if decided TO he Ont Of order, he shonld no
br allowed to speak again, except OH leave O
! Ii LAT Sl,,l
/ could rot 80 on without leave Of the House frs
| obtained Mr. Benton continues
"Alr Rcnchcr. of North Carolina, moved Al
| Adjournment Mr.. Adams (J. o. and many
others demanded tlr yeas and nays on thI
rnntion, which were ordered, and resulted il
! l06 yeas, and rs hays >"inc ~ Or tO mem
bcrS having withdrawn. 1hm oppoaitt"n Il
! mLjOarmmrnt tr"s one n Tie rost .fenfareS o
that unhappy days work-thc only eIlect
Keeping thu House together being /" increase
! irritation and multiply the rlIaIr''S tor an out
break. FROM the beginning Southern IncIntrr:
| had been III favor al il, ami c>Saycd I" accouI
| pliSii IT, but were prevented by tlIc tcnacIty
! with which Mr.. Sade kept l"rS>cSSlpn ot thu
floor; aud nuw. at last when it WAS time L
! adjourn any way-whcn The House WIS III ;
condition in which no good could be expected
and great harm might be apprchcndcd, ther'
were Sixly-thrrr members, being one third 0
the House, willing 10 continue it III session
And John Bell was the Southern reI'rcscn
lativc among the Sixty-lhree. They were:
! Mrs<Is. Join Quincy AdalnS Alexander Q
Ohio AIl.n of Vermont AIlcn of Ohio
! AycrIgy nl New Jersey, DELL VI TENNESSEE
/ Bi1dc vi Pennsylvania, Bond Of Ohio, Border
of Massachusetts, Briggs of Massachusetts
Lallruu Of Massachusetts, Collin Ut Ohio
. truriSlulruf Rhode Island, Curtis Of New York
Gushing ri Massachusetts, Darlington OF Penn
/ sylvauia. Davis "r Pennsylvania, Dunn Of In
diana. Evans Ut Maine. Everett of Vermont
Ewing OF InrliaIru, Fletcher Of Vermont, Fill
more of New York. tioode OF Ohio, Grrnnel D
, Massachusetts. Haley of Connecticut, Hall o
! Vermont. Hastings OF Massachusetts, Henry o
PENNSYLVANIA, iIrrod Of Indiana, Hoffman o
. New York, Lincoln Of Massachusetts, Marvin
, of New York, Mason of Ohio, Maxwell Of New