Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-01-15
Thirty-siStL Congressional Session
"WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 8, 1901.
SEN l,Ni,


"WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 9, 1861.
SENATE.
A message was received from the President
of the United States.
Mr.. Seward said he desired the floor for
Saturday, and Mr.. Hunter said lie desired the
floor fer Friday on the Presidents message.
Mr. Yulec introduced bill to facilitate the
peaceful adjustment Of difficulties between the
| States
Mr.. BiSler presented si-ty-four memorials of
citizens Of PENNSYLVANIA, on the affairs Of the
country.
Mr.. Slidcll offered the following:
Resolved That the President be requested
to inform the Senate whether John 3. Floyd,
appointed Secretary Of War, ard confirmed by
the Senate, in 1857, continues to hold said
Office; and il not, when said office became
vacant, and further to inform the Senate how
and by whom the duties Of ti:a; office are now
discharged, and if an appointment of an act.
ing or provisional! appointment Of q Secretary
Of War has been made; and how, when and by
what authority it was so made, and why the
fact Of said appointment has not been made
known TO the Senate. Laid over.
Mr.. Clark offered the following:
pesolrea. That the nrovis;nns Of the consti-
|
Union ans! the protection OF all the national in
terests Of the country; that it needs 10 be obey
cd rather than amended aud that an extrca-
ton from our present dangers is to be looked
for in strenuous efforts to preserve the peace,
protect the public property aud enforce the
laws, rather than in any new guarantees for
particular interests and compromises for par.
ticular difficulties to unreasonable demands.
Resolved That all attempts to divide the pre-
sent Union, or overthrow abandon the pre-
sent Constitution, with the hope or expectation
Of constructing i new one. ar. dangerous, llu-
sorry and destructive; that in tlcoplnion Of the
Senate Of the United States, no reconstruction
is practicable, and therefore, 10 the Inainte.
nance Of the existing Union ard Constitution
should be directed all the energies Of all the
departments OF the government. AMI the efforts
Of all good citizens.
The resolution was laid over.
Mr. Seward called for the reading Of the Spc.
cial message Of tine President
Mr. Mason desired his resolution. offered by
him some time since considered
The President decided that the reading Of
the message WAS in order. The message was
read, together with all Of the correspondence
exchanged between the President and the
! SCUM carolina COMMISSIONERS.
After the reading
Mr. Davis said-Mr President, at this time
when the whole country was locking to South
Carolina, and especially to the port OF Charles.
ION, the excitement WAS intensified by the ar
rival of the Commissioners from South Caro-
lima, with al effort to make peaceablc negotia-
ton. and TO adjust the difficulties between
South Carolina ind The United States. The
high character Of these Commissioners was
well known-cSpcclaly one Of them was well
known TO those who have served in the Senate
for mnny years, for his urbanity and Christi
anity in .ll the relations Of life, and gave as
suruncc that this negotiation ight be peacea-
bic; it gave reason TO hope that they might be
successful. They were, however, suddenly
terminated, and the rumor went forth that,
Notwithstanding the high character Of these
gentlemen they had violated all the amenities
OF life, and had insulled the President; and the
fact was known everywhere that the Cominls
soners had retired from Washington, and the
negotiations were abruptly terminated
The President in his message here does not
even aludc 10 the cause Of the failure Of those
negotiations AID docs not even tell us that the
commissioners have gone home lie stops with
the letter which lie sent to them, and which
must say, with all respect to the high office
which he holds, was wanting in iirmncsS, and
was pcrversiJn Of the arguments which they
had presented They replied TO him and cx-
posed the unlairncss OF his treatment Of the
! facts which they stated, and certainly being
most uncomfortable TO him. he returned their
letter which lie could not receive, and
in his communication 20 us he docs not even per-
init lis to know that these commissioners had
ol I've. I'm hu boI Ia
ken But with this mis- statement of his paper
to them he sends that paper to the world with
out even reference TO The fact that he was an
swered. have an authentic copy Of their an
swer, and Send it TO the desk that it may be
read.
Mr.. King sad that the Senator from Msss-
sipp talked Of the high character Of these CON-
miSsioncrS Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr
once also had high characters.
! Mr.. Davis -(inierrupting with much vehe
mcnce)- e)-I'he Senator from New York once has
occupied much higher position than he does
now. I call him to order, sir
| Mr.. kinc-lhcSe men are messengers OF
treason [Crcs Of order! urder!j
! Mr.. DaviS-I cali the Senator tn order.
sen; that paper 10 tue char to be read. Cries
of order! order!
sipni 10 order object to the reading
Mr. Davis. s.-If the Senator from New York
has the mcanness to object, lie, him do s0.-
! ICries of order! order
Mr.. king object 10 the reading. | do
no; want to hear the paper read.
| Mr. Davis said that he intended to present
the paper MS a portion of his remarks. but as
the Senate had taken possession Of it, they
could keep it Or lei il alone.
On n vote Il was agreed that the paper
should bc rcad-yeaS SO, nays l3.
THE paper was then read 1t is an authen-
, tic copy OF the reply returned by the President
TO the l:olrult:cc Ii has been published in all
the daily Journals
Mr.. Davis, resr,ning, said, that the long cpl
Sodc hctwrcu the first part OF his remarks and
his present words had essentially changed
Their Tenor | feel uow, even more than be-
fore, piy inr the Chief Executive OF the United
States The proposition was made here 10
read paper MS II part Of my remarks, when
the Senator from Ncv York Or. King took
upon himself tie duty Of protecting the ESecu.
tive. Fallen. indeed, is lr.t Executive who so
lately vas bnrneinlo the high office which he
holds upon ;ir shoulders Of tho Democracy Of
the land, wien he comes down to depend upon
the Senator from New York for protection.
lie thanked The Senator for being the means
Of bringing IL light = communication which
nigh, not otherwise have hrcrI specially no.
,ica lIr tncn yielded 70 post tponcnent Of
the message Till tomorrow, when he will al.
dress tho Senate.
The Pacific railroad Lii vas taken up after
Il brief debate.
Mr.. Rec moved to postpone it indefinitely.
prutling 4 Vote the Senate adjourned.
gzouse OF Representatives.
The message from the President OF the Uni
ted States, relative TO the South Carolina and
accession n,o"eInentS, generally, and seizures OF
forts, &c, al the Soulh, was received md read.
Mr. Howard, Of Michigan, re-intToduced his
resolutions to the following purport:
1st. Whether any officers Of the govern.
ment are nnw treating with South Carolina.
End Whether any officer had proposed ar.