Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-04-18
THIRTY-sIxTH CONGRESS.

dressed the Senate on Mr.. Davis resolutions,
which he favored because they pronounced
against two heresies: first, the sovereign pow
er OF the Federal Government over slavery !;
and, secondly, the sovereign power of the peo-
pie of the Territories over slavery in the Ter
ritories. The first led straight to despvsition,
and the second relieved the Government of
its manifest duties. He falsely charged the
Republican party with wishing the emanci-
patton of the slave; pointed out the disaster
to result from the abolition of slavery to the
great Northern interests of navigation, COM
merce and manufactures, denied that slavery
was moral wrong, and asserted that it had
Its authority in the Bible. He pronounced
the theory of the ssirrepressible confict'' be-
tween the systems of labor North and South
as fanatical and superficial; contended that
the two systems of labor assisted each other
that there was a conflict Of ideas in regard TO
the Government, that wild theories at the
North prevailed, and there could be no peace
there. In the House, Mr.. Hickman from the
Judiciary Committee, to which had been re-
ferred the Presidents protest, made report,
affirming the right of Congress to investigate
the conduct of the Federal Executive in so
far, at least, as it affects the purity of Con-
gressional elections.
APRIL 1O.-The Senate was to-day engaged
in the consideration of the Homestead Bill.
Mr.. DoOlittle advocated the coloniZing of free
blacks in Central America, and criticised the
modern arguments of Southern orators in favor
of the ownership of labor by capital. Mr..
Mason, of Va, assaled the Homestead Bill as
measure calculated to increase the number
of Free States. Mr.. Hammond, of S. Co.,
announced that Slavery is to be eternal-no
restriction on its spread will be tolerated. The
admission of Kansas into the Union was deba-
ted in the House.
APRIL 1.-THE Homestead Bill was further
RI x,.,,k
ted with instructions to be reported back on
Tuesday, with the understanding that it shall
be pressed to final vote. The House passed
by the triumphant vote of 134 yeas to Is nays,
the bill providing for the Admission of Kansas
as State under the (free) Constitution framed
at Wyandot last summer. The vote was near
ly sectional one. Messrs. Barrett, ,Etheridge
and Webster voted aye, and English, Sickles
and Scott voted nay; with these exceptions
the North was on one side and the South on
the other.
APRIL 12.-The bill to appropriate S25, 900
for the support of the common schools in the
District of Columbia, being before the Senate,
Mr.. Clark of N. H.. proposed that the children
of African descent be allowed to share in this
bounty. This excited ebate, wherein most
of the Democratic Senators seemed ashamed
of the necessity imposed on them of resisting
a measure which would give negroes chance
of deriving trif1e of the benefits of education.
Mr.. Mason, Dem. of Va, opposed the amend
ment because he thought it was policy on the
part of the Southern States to withhold edu-
cation from the slaves. Mr.. Iverson, Dem.
of Georgia, in reply to Mr.. Wilson said it was
not true that slaves were not allowed to learn
to read they are not allowed to learn to write,
he said, for that would be dangerous. Mr..
Wilson ventured to utter some humane senti-
ments, for which JEFF. Davis seemed to want
to bully him into a duel, but became satisfied
that Mr.. w. did not want TO give offense, and
so the matter ended. The House talked awhile
about the Pacific Telegraph, and then took up
the tariff bill and talked about slavery without
coming to conclusion.
APRIL 13.-The House act for the admission
of Kansas was read in the Senate and referred
to the Committee on Territories. Mr.. Sum-
ner, of Mass, presented supplementary papers
to the memorial of Mr.. Sanborn. Mr.. S. said
the special committee knew that Gov. Wise
was in possession of important facts relating
to the Harper's Ferry affair, and that he had
thrown down the challenge to the Committee
and the country that he would not appear ;
yet he was not summoned, and two Northern
men, who knew nothing, were arrested, one
put in Jail, and the other kidnapped. In the
House, Mr.. Curtis introduced bill to secure
contracts, and make provision for the safe
and more speedy transportation by railroad,
of mails, troops, munitions of war, &C., be-
tween the Atlantic States and the Pacific.