Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-08-16

the table, without further action thereon. For this
very singular and objectionable conduct Mr.. BELL
gave no explanation at the time, nor are we aware
that ne has ever given any SINCE nor do we believe
that It is susceptible Of any explanation except that
which t carries upon its face. His subsequent his
tory has been mainly consistent in this particular
as will be seen in the progress Of this investiga-
ton.
The goth of December, 1887, was a memorable day
in Congress. Hon. THOMAS H. BENTON in describing
I in his @Thirty Years View" says:
aThe most angry and portentous debate which
had vet taken place occurred at this time in the
| House of Representatives 1t was brought by
Mr. William Slade, of Vermont who besides pre-
senting petitions of the usual Abolition character
| and moving to refer them to committee, moved
their reference to a select committee, with instruc-
tons to report bill in conformity to their prayer
This motion, infammatory and Irritating in itself
and without practical legislative object as the great
| majority of the House known to be opposed to
it. rendered still more exasperatlng by the man
ner OF supporting it.
Repeated efforts were made by Southern members
to prevent the progress of the speech by calls to
order and motions to adjourn But SLADE having the
floor, refused to yield it, and was suffered to pro-
coed. The excitement was intense Several South
ern members called upon the delegations from their
respective States at once to withdraw from the
House, and notice was given of an immediate meet
i lrg OF the Southern members in the committee
room of the District of Columbia A. last
Mr. MCKAY, of North Carolina, made a point
of order which the Speaker sustained, and
SIADE was forced to give way, still, however,
keeping his feet with the intention of resuming his
speech if possible; Mr.. RENcHER, another member
from North Carolina, seized the opportunity thus
afforded of oettinu flo Aeon e,5 ,,,,,,o5 - = A.
ment. The contest had been bitter and violent to
the last degree, and the House was in a tempest
The South and the conservative men of the North
voted for the adjournment, while SLADE and his
hackers opposed it. The list of nays was headed by
JoHN QUINCY ADAMS, and numbered only So, among
whom was included the whole abolition strength in
the House. Three nominal Southern men only voted
Ggainst adjourning enable SIADE to continue
his speech and one of them was JOHN BELL, of
Tennessee
This opposition to adjournment risays Mr.. BENTON,
l0dS Of the loorSt features of that unhappy days
work-the only effect of keeping the House together
being to increase irritation and to multiply the
chances for an outbreak. From the beginning
Southern members had been in favor of it. and es-
sayed to accomplish it, but were prevented by the
tenacity with which Mr.. SLADE kept possession of
the floor and now at last, when it was time to ad
journ any way-when the House was in a condition
in which good could be expected. and great harm
might be apprehended, there were sixty-three men,
bers being nearly one-thlrd of the House. willing
to continue it in session."
meeting of Southern members was held, and it
was proposed at to abandon their seats in Con.
gress and return to their constituents but moderate
councils prevailed and their deliberations ended in
the adoption of proposition to he submitted to the
House, which afterwards known as the 2lst
Rule. 1t provided that all petitions in respect TO
the abolition Of slavery, after being first received,
should without being debated, printed read or re-
ferred. be laid on the table. This was put in the
hands of Mr.. PATTON, of Va. and by him introduced
into the House Mr.. ADAMS opposed its passage and
Mr.. PATTON demanded the previous question The
sixty three including Mr. BELL, voted against
the previous question. The resolution finally passed
l22 to "A, Mr.. BELL not voting
This stifed, and, for a time prevented in the
House, the infammatory debates on these disturbing
petitions. 1t was the great session of their presen.
tation-beng offered by hundreds and signed by
hundreds of thousands of persons-many of them
women, who forgot their sex and their duties, to
mingle in such infammatory work; many of them
clergymeH, who forgot their mission oE peace, to
stir up strife among those who should be brethren.
-[See Cong Globe, ID Session 25th Congress, page
Al and 45.]
June %, 1888, Csee Cong. Globe, I'd session. 18th
Cong, page 474) Mr.. ADAMS in speech relating to
the annexation of Texas, went off on the right of
slaves to petition Congress for their freedom, stat
ing that he should have hesitancy IN presenting
such petition from slave called to order by |
the speaker Mr.. ADAMS appealed from the decls-
Ion of the chair The House sustains the decision |
of the chair every voting IN the affirmative e1-
cept the abOlitionists who voted no. and Mr. BED
lrhO did not U0ts at all.
Again: Dec. H. 1888, a sound national Democrat
from New Hampshire introduced set of resolutions
stronger and more favorable to the Constitutional
rights of the saveholding States than any that had
been adopted in previous sessions asserting that this
Government is one of Limited powers having no
jurisdiction the institutions of the States; that
petitions for abolition of slavery in the District and
the territories of the United States and against the
removal of slaves from one State to another "are
part ola plan Corporations foot to abolish slave
ry that Congress has 10 right to do that indirectly
which it cannot do directly and that the continued
agitation Of this question by petitions and otherwise
was a breach of good faith y and in conclusion of
the fifth resolution, that the constitution rests on
the broad principle of equality among the members
of this Conteleracy, and that all movements to the
contrary are destructive of the fundamental prin-
cple on which the union of these States rests" and
that every petition memorial resolution, PROPOSE
ton or paper touching or relating in any way or to
any extent whatever to slavery aforesaid, or the
abolition thereof SHALL on the presentation thereof,
ho 8
table without being debated printed or referred"
The rule was suspended and the question brought
before the House for action, the resistance of
ADAMS, SIADE & Co. Every member of Congress was =
present except nine, and all ready for bust
ness when up sprang Mr.. BELL, when they had been
in session only the space of one hour and forty min
utes and moUed that the House adjourn. What, but :
t0 delay defeat the question: could have been his
object? But the House declared not to adjourn
against the motion and the vote of Messrs. BELL 7
ADAMS SLADE q Co., and forced the vote, Mr. BELL /
voting atIirmatively on all the propositions, until
hey reached the second branch of the fifth resolu-
ion, when MIR. PoTTs,a notorious Abolitionist from
moved to kill it by laying it on the ia
DE and JOIN BELL voted with ADAMS SLADE & Co.
n favor of the motion.
At the opening of the next session. Dec 30, 1889,
Mr.. WISE rose and said. that " with view of pre-
renting the strife which had heretofore agitated the
House and country he took the earliest op- 3
1ortunity to move suspension of the rules of the Il
House for the purpose of submitting a resolution
hat in future all petitions for the abolition of sla
Tery should be coEsdereias objected to and laid
IN the table without debate. The point which the Il
Abolitonists driving to get Congress to
dmit, nferentiay, by the reception of these pet s.
ions and their reference to committees that Con- ft
ress had power over the subject. Mr.. BELL inqu fl
ed whether it would be in order for him to move
n amendment to the resolution of Mr. WISE that n
IL these petitions be referred to the committee for ii
he District of Columbia without debate and be- ii
ng told that it would be wholly inconsistent with ~
he original resolution, replied, then will intro al
uce resolution to this effect" Mr. ADAMS n
expressed himself satisfied with Mr. BEIs plan ex- r
ept that he thought such petitions as did not re- s
ate to slavery in the District ShouId % IN differ