The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-11
House Of Representatixes.

House OF Representatives.
/ WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 1850
THE SELECT COMMITTEE oY THIRTY THREE
The motion TO excuse Mr.. Hawkins service on tho
select Committee Of Thirty three TO take considera.
tion the perilous condition Of the country coming up
Mr.. HAWKINS, (opp) Of Fla further explained why ho
did not wish to the committee He had been
guided by his ideas to what appropriate on
this The solution Of the question: and the
cluson being simple ne acted entirely his own
sponsbilty true that after he had marked his
course he asked the opinion of the great majority Of tho
extreme Southern members, and they, with or two
exceptions agreed with him By virtue the powers
trusted TO him, he might act committee under cir.
cumstances different from those existing, but no
could not do Florida has initiated for
State Convention the Sd Of January, will take
such steps win be compatible with dignity and
honor was true that the population OF Florida had
been retarded by untoward circumstances She N nu
mercaly weak that she is not the legs sovereign
and ~ entitled TO all the rights and mmunities Of tho
main in the Union II she wants 60 such an at
tempt would be resisted by times the number Of ede
raj troops marched against her The Southern States
are pledged 10 do IT, Virginia stands pledged see
| sovereign State coerced II she thinks the time
has arrived when her honor and safety require 70 90
out OF the Union Florida, he repeated s determined
to settle tor herself and in her the mode and
manner Of redress without trusting 10 Congressional
compromises which have never been productive Of
ana harmony Inc component parts oi this committee
were peculiarly unfortunate and iIadvised. II tho
dictates Of his pure and manly heart he Mr. Hawkns)
believed the material Of the committee would have been
very different No democratic member from the North
west Is on the committee. The interests Of that
have been snguarly ignored The material Of the
mite is most ncongruous and heterogeneous as a
sample OF others he did not believe that the appointment
Of Mr.. Davis of Maryland, fair and appropriate
Maryland at the last session Of her Legislature passed
resolution denouncng that gentleman more particularly
for voting for Mr. Pennington Speaker and by that
vote constituting him the presiding officer OF this House,
The people Maryland well us Of the entire south
hat Cant harm
who thus voted for Speaker traitor that section
and that vote also regarded in opposition TO slavery.
Mr. BRIGGS tAm) OF y. y, IN explanation, sand that
his vote for Mr. Pennington given the object
the gentleman attributed, namely opposition any sec
tion, but as a national vote for a national man. !
Mr.. HwKSs-l was speaking Of Southern men.
Mr. BRIGGs-I beg pardon
Mr.. HAwKSs-n you not Alexander I am satie-
fed you would be Dogenes He proceeded to that
Maryland berg noble state would be true 70 her deg
tiny when the proper time arrives Mr.. Davis Is not
proper representative Of Maryland The appointment OF
the committee constructive fraud, persons
believe IT is great paccator, to heal our wounds and
produce political millennium. The effect, IL carried
out would be 10 demoralze and degrade the South He
sorry the proposition from OF the noble
OF the south. The republicans have idea OF yielding
anything II ridiculous to try to stop the slavery
agitation The only who Is authorized 20 speak for
Mr. Lincoln Senator Trumbull who says the lntrpre-
taton Of the Presidential election that his admin
ton will be the side of freedom thereby op-
position to slavery lie OIawkns) might be called
1atane, but he wished 70 utter few words OF Warning
He would tell the North, speaking by the book, Mlsss-
sippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
and Texas sure 10 follow
Mr.. vMIAxpIonan, opp Of Ohio, and addressed
by the rules of the House upon the question OF
excnsng the gentleman from Florida (fr Hawkns) from
serving upon this committee desire in few words
assign my for the vote shall give With
many oi the reasons gned BY the gentleman from Flo
rda fMr llawkns) as representative from OF tho
free this Union have nothing do but there
der atoms which mpel me, such representa-
tive 10 vote for the motion Il is idle
attempt 10 coerce gentleman 10 upon this
tee who assigns sch the gentleman from Flo
da has given and in justice TO him and 70 HIS state bat
above ALL 70 the very purpose OF the committee
itself IL Is simply unreasonable 10 be-
gan propositions for peace AMI reconciliation by attempt
ing compel the members OF this House 10 serve upop
committee raised for the very purpose OF peace and
concilation. What prospect in Gods name-and speak
reyercnty- there of any final settlement when you
thus obliged TO begin with oompulsion TO m up this
committed PASS by without comment the considera-
ton pressed by the gentleman from Florida, that this
proposition 81 committee might with far pro-
priey and effect have from tho republican party
10 this iiousethat party which has Just triumphcd IN
all controversies, and of the dangers which
round Us, aud that, with great honor to HIMSELF
the whole country, full Of alarm and excitement now.
The gentleman who Is the chairman of this committee
distinguished lor his age, hs experience, his eloquenee
hT modeIat 10 say nothing ot his position as the
leader o that party, might have assumed the rc~pcns-
bily Of taking the initiative IN that great work u recon
cation and reconstruction which alone now,
instead OF allowing IL % be dcvoved upon the rcprcsen
iaon Of that particular spot " Iiarpcrs Ferry, which
point II assault along the entire savchoIdng borders Of
| ms oomsderaey pass BY, aIso, tho cumbersome
construction o. the committee with this remark,
that counsel nehie and committee Of thirty,
three members VIII never upon anythng-at Ieast
not committee weak, 20 diGused 80 diluted as to
be ultimately inadequate 10 the solution Of the greatest
gaves and most difficult and pcrplexing question ever
presented IN modern history Il viii moi sav as mneb
SIR as The possibily that ali tho abors of this commit,
tee may all cnd IN nothing, and IN worse than nothing;
nor VII even remark, q the gentleman has done.
upon tie peculiar position OF tins committee having
men placed upon II who represent nobody, not
even themselves, or who are peculiarly odioos
and dtasteful 70 the section from which they come
and are those calculated Tar embarrass aud de-
feat than 70 advance tho ayowed purpose for which
the COMMITTEES was ltsmed. But there Que consde-
ration which Will absolutely preclude me from yot-
ing 10 ooerce any man To act upon this committee.
The gentleman from Florida hss alluded 70 bu, he has
rot gone far enough There not single representa-
tive Of the democratic party upon this committee from
the sixteen free States east OF the Pocky Mountains Tho
faciho indeed epefenedno thanks ~ him. however.
was obsons choice because there IN no
here from California though Mr. Lincoln by the division
Ia the ranks Of his opponents has enabled 10 secure
the electoral vote of that state The inLlcent and ex
oelient gentleman from oregon OR Stout upon tho
emn,ee bes asse he s 50 unfortunate a. 70 have no
toneague though 70 tell the truth should have been
sufprsed to have seen that gentleman suppanted by
Horace Greeley or possibly BY the gentleman fron Mas
member s little too much ncurcd with tho doctrine
o squatcr sovereignty 10 suit The times Bat repeat,
Mountains and that m ahfy host numbering million
six hundred thousand which FOR many years has stord
as vast break water against the wind and Of tho
storms o. sccfioss, and upon whosc constituent ce-
ment NJ least this country must much
depend, now IN the nidst oi the great events
which are throngng thick upon us, for all
hope OF preservation and of restoration hereafter
SIR IL any here enough TO imagine for a
mt ment that In the midst Of these scenes the great
Nothern and great Western democracy, so essential an
clement and by FAR the numerous element OF TN,
great democratic party which for 40 many years has
moulded the policy and rolled the desnies of this
rtrublc-,hat party which has given 80 tho country
some of the greatest and proudest Of her sons-that
party which placed upon the statute books some tho
no~t important acts Of legislation, which have endurcf
through all tms-thai such section of such party ~
to be us literally ignored nsultcd and thrust aside ss of
vauef tell You you mistake the character OF tha
men you have 10 deal with We are in minority now
indeed nj the ballot box We bow quietly " the popu
lar will thus expressed We defeated but not con-
quered he Il fool In the history Of this world who
thinks that in the nsi ~ - st.rlng and revoluton-
ary events which are upon ", sixteen nnnarcu .npus"
AN sorn free and now the equals Of their brehren-~
,~sn whoae every pulse throbs with the spirit o. lher-
ty--vW ,suey submit TO be degraded 70 inferio,y
g a,.oa NJ ,otcal servitude9 Never, never whild
tha i bnt one uau strike blow AZ the oppressors
~ =. iove his 'on, and than that we obey tho