The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-12-12
Alrhmonn Qispatrb.
WEDNESDAY, MUhNIN,t DEO 10 ,s,a
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE, MONDAY.
Ahe rebate In the Senate--yIews Of th.
NoF'hwestern Democrats of the House.
Rhe Fort of New York, &cSc

| there was, perhaps, a slight show to conserv..
tism:
The two Senators from Conn ecticut. Messrs
Foster ana Dixon, both rather extreme Re-
pnhitcsns, expressed their determination To
let party slide" III preference to endangering
ine Uhion. Whatever the South might de-
mand within the limits of the Constitu,iop
tney were prepared to grant, and they would
also meet the question tree from all partv
feeling. They repudiated the assertion tbat =
The people of the North hated the people Of
me SCUM, and did not believe that the peopie
OF the South entertained such enrnity 10 Inc
Nofth As had been represented
Pres ton King, in reply 10 some Question.
from Mr.. Benjamin, declared that hs had no
iears of dissolution of the Union. The pre-.
sent excitement did not tronhIe hin, in ~ q
least As 10 secession, he recognized no such
risht, aud would have the Government trent
reoeilious State as 1t would rebaIlious ci,i
zen. General Jackson had settled that point
10 the satisfaction of the whole Union These
with few snarling remarks from Mr. Snn
hsr, accompanying a letter. which he read of
feh. Jacks0ns. on the subject of secession
we're we're Ine evidences during the debate OF an un-
compromising spirit on the Repn bIicau side
Jeherson Davis and Mr.. Brown of Mississin
pl, both regarded secession as a fixed fac, ra
curing only time tor It's consummatiop. and
therefore was opposed TO the resolution and IN
All compromises. 1t was now "too late" was
thelF cry, and they could not vote for Il resoln
uoh looking 10 compromise when they did
no' believe Ihat any could be made or would
II
their hearts, and compromises cannot chsnra
The sentiment OF the people.
In the House. MT Hawkins. OF Florida
agaln explained his position in asking 10 be
| excused ifom serving on the Committee or
Thirty three Va
Mr.. Fallandigham proposed to vote for the
motion TO excuse Mr. Hawkins II is. he said
IDLE 10 attempt to coerce q gentleman To servs
upon this Committee, who assigns such ron .
| sons FOR his refusal as the gentleman from
lofiaa mas given and in justice TO him and
| MS STATE, but above all, 10 the very purpose
ot the Committee Itself, l Cannot so yoIa-
\ ou may decline to excuse him but Won can.
not compel hIm TO discharge with good will or
aiacrIty The duties you impose upon him But
what kind OF coucIliation and com mprunise is
that which begins by forcing man TO serve
on Committee raised for the very purpose
OF peace What prospect, in Gods name-I
speak IL reYerently-is there OF adjustment
"hen you are Obliged 10 resort to conpuIsiOn
TO make up your Committee on conference and
adjustment pass by, without comment The
| IaSt that with Tar more propriety and effect
ms proposition might have come from the
ReDubilcan party III this House-the party
tnat mas just triumphed IN the election which
| IS the eliminating point of ali our contTo-
| yers!es and OF the dangers which Surround Us
| Ine gentleman who Is The Chairman uf this
| Comnittee, Fir CorWin,( distinguished tor
his age, experience clog ueRC5 and moderation
to cay Eo hing OF his position as The leader OF
| tnat party, might have assumed the respOnsi.
| bilIty OF taking the initiative in that great
| work of reconciliation, w hich alone can save
| Us now, instead of allowing it 10 be devolyed
| upon The representative of that particular
| spot IN Virginia which abolition madness and
| Wlckedness selected as the weakest point of
| attack along the en1ire slaveholding borders
of this Contederacy
| pass by also the cumbrous construction of
| this Committee with the single remark that 4
| council OF WAT never fights and a committee
| OF thIrty-three never Will agree upon any,
| thing-at least upon anything, not SO weak so
diHused, so diluted as 10 be utterly inadeq uale
~ "a ? n
| ana most ma efIal question which hus ever
| been presented III modern history. | will not
SO much as suggest the possibility that he la
| bOTs Of this Committee Will all end in nothing
| and in worse Than nothing; nor will | even
| remark upon th6 peculiar composition of This
| Oommi ttee IN having men placed upon 1t who
| represent nobody, not even themselves or who
| are culIarIy odIous 10 q majority, or a very
| large minority, of the sections from which they
come, and thus are calculated much more ~
| embarrass and defeat than TO advance the
| avowed purpose for which the Committee was
| ordered.
| There is not one solitary representative OF
| the Democratic party upon the Committee
| from the sixteen tree States of this Union eaeI
| OF the Rocky Mountains. The PacIIic indeed
| is represent ted but 10 thanks-it was Hobson,s
| choice. There is no Republican from Califor-
| MIA here, although Lincoln, bV the infinite
| subdivision OF his opponents, has managed 10
| secure the electoral vote OF the State The
| excellent and intelligent gentleman from Ore
| gon (Mr. StouD is indeed upon It. because he
| Is oItunate in having no colleague; although
TO tell the truth, should not have been sur
| prised, remem beTing The representation of Ore-
| gon in some recent political Conventions, to
| nave seen The gentleman supported by Horace
| Greeley, or possibly the mem Der from Massa-
cnueetls. Mr. InaI er,l though perhaps that
MT IN Der is Il little too strongly tinctured with
the doctrine OF popular sovereignty 70 suit The
| times.
| In speaking Of the power and geographical
| advantages of the great West, he said we have
| an empire eq ual in area TO the whole of Rus
| Ella, and we mean neither to be dependency
| or province of the East or the S1uth, nor
yet an Inferior or second rate power upon
| this Continent-and if we cannot have arnari.
| time boundary secured upon other terms we
| WILL cleave our way to the seacOast with the
| sword. A nation OF warriors we NAV be hut
| g tribe of shepherds never, And vet nearly
| one-hRIf the people OF this vast empire W Which
| is very soon 10 play 30 important part in the
| affairs OF this continent, are utterly ignored
and excluded from this CommitIee. More
| than SIX hundred thousand voters, represent
ed here by sixteen members upon this floor,
are Sllenced and DISTINGUISHED in its arrange
ment. what do you propose TO do without
their votes at home and our votes heTei Or
are we both blindly TO take whatever your
| Committee may choose graciously 10 report,
aud be thankful for il! We have one State
| (Illinois) with a Democratic majority upon
| ths floor, and she at least had right to be
represented upon your Committee.
The time is short-the dana er is imminent
the malady deep-seated and OF long standing !
Whatever is done must be done at once and
thoroughly. Every remedy must go right
straight to the seat OF the disease Let there
be no delays-po weak inyentions-no tempo
riZing expedienis. Otherwise not the secession
OF few States only, buta total disruption OF the
whole government is inevitable. We are
standing now in the forum of history; we are
acting in the eye of posterity. We have solemn
duties TO the whole country to perform, and I
we do not discharge them Instantly and
Alright
NJ oil I thaA
Will medicine us To that sweet sleep which yes
terday we owned"
In the name of The Democracy of sixteen
States Of the Union, protest against the ar
rapgement OF this Committee. MY motives
may be misinterpreted now. Be 1t so. Time
will, In Little while, yindcate them.
Mr.. McCierpand said that secession opened
a troublous future. He did not believe our
government could be dissolved by the action
of one OF It's constituent parts. Bound to-
sether, as we are by a common language and
religion. and common mountains and rivers,
ii is only by civil and sectional war, such as
the sun never shown on, that such a result
can be produced. There is more strength In
eur government than is extensively believed,
and the people will sooner or later raliv TO its
main tenance. The gentleman from Florida
had alluded 10 the fact that the Northwest De-
mocracy has been excluded from the Commit
tee and he urged this as lhe reasan why he
should be excused He thanked Mr.. Hawkins
from his heart for TIE motives which prompted
this generous manifestation. Nevertheless, he
(Nr. McClerpand) could not agree that mr.
HAWKINS should be excused from serving on
The Committee.
He was amazed tina. the entire Democracy
from the North should be excluded from rep
rssentation on the COMMITTEES. He could not
believe the South would now desert their
friends In the North Would they not consult
their own safety by meeting with the Mort Ia
the prescription of merciiess Republican
foe ! Let us fight the battle out under the
xA-. n. . II Ia Ia