Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-05-08
CONGRESS.
REPORTED FOR THE ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE.
Senate, Monday, May

was occupied principally by the ladies.
In the business of the morning hour,
Mr. Chandler offered resolution that gov
ernors of States be admitted to the floor OF
the Senate for to-day.
Mr.. Pearce objected. 1t was referred
to the Committee on the Library-ayes 81,
nays II.
Mr.. Cameron presented petitions of citi-
zens of Pennsylvania, praying some change
in the revenue laws. Referred.
House bill setting apart certain lands Tor
the half-breed Kansas Indians Of Kansas,
was passed.
At one o'clock the special order came up
the resolutions relating to slavery IN the
Territories and
Mr.. Davis addressed the Senate, saying that
this government wis favored more than all
other countries, by having written Const-
ton. From this initial standpoint he based
his resolutions.
When the Convention was sitting, MI.
Randolph proposed to arm the National Go
vernment with power to coerce the States:
Mr.. Mason and even Mr. Hamilton opposed
the proposition, ard it was lost. lie quoted
the debates to show that it was never IN
tended to trouble community independence
and State equality. lie wondered that any
man should desire to trouble those 1ounda-
tons laid in eternal Justice. This being SO,
he WAS indeed aston;shcd that men should III
sist that the property Of some States should
he protected. and net that OF other States.
He must be pardoned, he said, Tor ailudmS
in this connection, to the Democratic party.
The States had met in council at Charleston.
They could not agree.
II was something new that division had
crept into our ranks. That Convention was
broken up, and its enemies await the invita-
ton to its funeral Yet he had trust that
the good sense and patriotism OF the Demo.
cracy, would declare the truth, ana the good
sense of the people sustain them III II. lie
believed the Democratic party to be the stay
of the Union. The Wing party, which had
his homage for its sincerity, was party OF
history, and in its place had sprung varle-
tv of radical parties. who had gone 50 lar
beyond the progressive Democratic party, as
to make that party the res9volr OF conser-
vatlsm.
He admitted that the United States had
power to acquire eminent domain and SOW
eirnty over cedcd territories, but denied that
the Federal Government possessed either the
| right TO eminent domain OF sovereignty. NO
| mower conferred in deed of cesslon upon the
| General Government, could enlarge the lIml-
| ted authority conferred upon 1t by the Con
stitution. 1t was but an agent of limited
mowers and neither sovereignty nor eminent
domain was one Of them. All the power 1t
nossessed over the territories w;ls confined
to an exercise of sound discretion III max
~; hn
its of necessity. Attorney General Gushing
had decided that Congress could not cNer-
else sovereignty, and anticipated Iii ms oplhs
ions, the bred Scott decision. he had
| opposed squatter sovereignty in Its hrst buSh,
| and was nov, least Of ALL inclined 70 give 1t
| ouarter. 1t had been tried, tried on the
| blood-red fields OF Kansas, and 1t was IN
| theory, heresy, and IN practice, failure.
If the ''Squattcrs" have won sovereignty,
they have Won it by no process known to MS
torv-withuut grant or without revolution.
| If it was claimed that this power was grant
ed by the Federal Government. II must he
claimed that the grantor gave more than
he himself possessed. "Non-nterVentlon
when it was first proposed, meant 0n'y
that Congress should neither establish or
prohibit slavery i'll IA territory. Now, 1t
was construed to mean that Congress
| should pass no laws to protect slave pro-
pertv. lie mad always differed with the
Senator from Illinois. Mr.. Douglas voted
| then against repeating the laws Of Mexico
prohibiting slavery, voted TO prohibit slave
| nv by law, and voted to confirm the Mexican
laws that prohibited slavery. lie Mr. Davis
did not ask speculative legislation. lie
demanded that the Territorial legislature
should know that Congress did not grant To
them power to interfere with the rights "l
property, and that il such attempt was made,
Congress would apply the remedy. Ills
colleague, Mr. Brown did not think he had
gone far enough, saying thata necessity FIR
protective legislation 10y Congress already
existed. To this he answered that these
resolutions were declarations Of opinion, that
might be followed by legislation. The
pledge Of faith in regard to fugitive slaves
| had been disregarded by thirteen States OF
the Uniun-as many as first formed it.
He adyerted to the general policy OF the
Black Republican party. The declaration
of war was an overt act; why should any
one wait action until the city was sacked.
The action of the South in proclaiming Il
manly defence of her rights, had been con
strued as menace. 1t was warning. lt
was given to those who were one with ~ IN
| destiny, and it said-''stop, for thy tread is
On an empire dust
The whole anti-Slarerv war was gotten up
bv English Vaccinations, to rend this Union
asunder, and destroy alike the power OF the
producing and the trade of the manutactur-
| ing States. He said that our naval officers
| died in service on the coast of Africa, that
English colonies might he peoplcd with ne
gro-captives. He adyerted 10 the Coolie
trade and the wreck Of the Flora Temple,
and concluded by expressing the trust that
| there was yet time for true men to restore
the right, equality and fraternity Of States,
left us by our revolutionary fathers.
Mr.. Brown. of Miss, replied briefly to his
| colleague lie moved to amend his filth res
olution, so as to declare that the time for Goa
| pressional intervention for the protection OF
slavery. had arrived.
Mr.. Clingman, Of n. c., took exception to
some portions of the speech OF Mr. DAVIS
with the general positions Of which he an
nounced his concurrence. lie. however, de-
clared that "non-intervention with slavery
by Congress-" was compromise between
the Northern Wilmot Proviso Democrats, and
the Southern pro-slarery Democrats, and he
was in favor Of maintaining that compromise
Before the conclusion of his speech, tie
Sanote AT o'clock adjourned