The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-04
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 81.
SENATE.-The galleries were crowded and
there was large crowd about the doors.
Ladies, also, were in the lobbies and on the
floor. Mr.. Crittenden offered a resolution
that portion of the galleries be set aside
for the ladies, which was adopted.
Mr.. Douglas said he wished to speak on
the present condition Of the Union, but
would postpone his remarks until We'd
nesday.
Mr.. Crittenden asked that the Senate
would set apart some day for the considera-
ton of the joint resolution offered by him.
The resolution was then made the special
order for Wednesday.
Mr.. Wilson offered resolution OF enqui-
ry that the Secretary Of War be requested
to inform the Senate what disposition had
been made of the arms made at the national
armories if any had been sold, and if so, at
what price and to whom what number
there were in the arsenals and how they
were protected.
Objected to and laid over.
The bill to organize the Territorial Gov
ernment of Arizona was taken up.
MIR. Trumbull spoke in favor of the
amendment to the amendment to allow the
Mexican law abolishing slavery to continue
in force.
Mr.. Green said, Mr.. Powers amendment
did not change any law, but proposed to
continue an existing law. lie was In favor
of leaving the people free to choose their
own laws.
The special order, the bill providing Tor
the admission of Kansas, was taken up and
postponed till Monday next.
Mr.. Benjamin, Of Louisiana, rose to adj
dress the Senate. He said he had sup
posed ere this he would have had official
information of the position of affairs in South
Carolina, but in the absence of it he should
presume that be had such information. The
South, he said, had repeatedly warned the
North that they were driving them to a
point that would result in separation, and
for this they had only been sneered at and
maligned. He (Bepjamin) wished to speak
in no spirit of recrimination, but to perform
his duty. He would call attention to the
speech he made four years ago predicting
this result.
Mr.. Benjamin here quoted from the
speech be made in Sc, in which be said the
time would come when the South would
throw the sword in the scale, with all the
rights of the sword, because be did not
believe there could be peaceable secession.
He said that the words he had then uttered
had proven true to-day. He would to God
that the fears of civil war then expressed
would prove only fears, but from what he
had heard, it would seem as if the other
side of the chamber desired to bring about
q civil war. South Carolina had declared
herself separated from the Union, while
other States stand ready to support her, or
else to put her down. That is the real
issue and there is no use to disguise it. We
are permitted to ignore the TACT that the
determination to secede is not confined
to South Carolina alone, for next week
Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida will
undoubtedly separate from the Union.
A week after Georgia will follow them.
A little later Louisiana will secede, and soon
after her, Arkansas. Now then, shall we
recognize South Carolina as free and in
dependent state, or shall we coerce by force.
He argued that the people of South Caro-.
lima hada right to declare herself free. 1t
was an inherent, unalienable right. South
Carolina had by the voice of her people
when they met in Convention in 1900 re.
pealed the ordinance made by her people
when they met in Convention in l778.
Mr.. Benjamin here quoted from speech
of Daniel Webster, in the Rhode Island case
to show that Convention of the people
duly assembled had proper authority. He
(Webster) had said that compact was not
binding on one party unless the other par.
ties to it lived up to it and that compact
broken by one could be broken by all. Mr..
Benjamin here quoted from Mr.. Madison to
rustain bis position.