Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-03-07

EDeech of MFR. Davis at ITALIAN HaIl.-The sPeaCe
Congress" and Its Failure.
In accordance with the general DESIRE Geo. Davis,
Esq., addressed his loWcitizens on last Saturday even
ing March 2nd at ITALIAN Hail. in reference to the pro-
ceedings of the late Peace Congress- of which body he
was member giving his opinion as to the probable
effect of such proceedings in settling the distracted ques
tons of the day.
Although the notice was very brief having only ap-
peared at midday in the town papers, the Hall was
densey crowded by an eager and attentive audience
among whom were many ladies.
When Mr. Davis appeared on the stand at o'clock,
he was warmly received. After returning his acknow
Judgements for the very kind reception which his friends
and elIowcitzens had given him, he remarked that he
was pleased to have an opportunity of submitting his
course Commissioner to the judgment of the people
that he shrunk from criticism upon that course,
but indeed invited and sought for it the most rigid ex
animation. He had endeavoured to discharge the duties
of the trust reposed in him faithfully, manuly and con-
scientiousy and whatever might be thought of his poll
cy he felt that he had right to demand the highest re-
spec for the motives which actuated him in pursuing
that policy.
Ia order to place his position, and, as he believed
the position Of North Carolina, fairly before his hear
ers it might be necessary to refer to of the ante
cedents of the case. At meeting held in the Town
Hall, on the 18th day of December last, resolutions
were passed, drawn by himself (Mr. Davs) in which
the ground taken that the present crisis ought not
to be suffered to pass away without such satisfactory
adjustment upon the terms and guarantees to be de-
manded by united South, as will put at rest all dis
turbing questions at once and forever.
The same ground had been taken in subsequent meet
ings and the projet Of adjustment known as the Crit
tenden resolutions, had been directly or theoretically
adopted by public opinion and by the resolution of the
Legislature of the State which did him the honor to ap
point him commissioner, something which n orth
Carolina might accept and less than which she could
not accept.
When the crisis arising out Of the last Presidential
election on, and, indeed for years before, he held
the belief that any adjustment, to be satisfactory, must
be final and conclusive and must forever put to rest all
the open issues arising out of the question of slavery
To do this it must strike at the root of the matter 1t
must distinctly acknowledge and guarantee property an
SLqves and extend to such property full and adequate
protection as to any other species of property This
the Crenden propositions distinctly did south of 36
degrees 80 minutes The Southern Commissioners went
to meet the Commissioners from the North with the
Constitution of the United States in one hand, and the
Interpretation of that instrument in the bred Scott
in the other They said" We have the constitutional
right according to the decision of the highest tribunal in
the land take slaves into any part OF the public
territories and to demand protection for them there
We claim that we have a constitutional right to carry
them even into Washington Territory, if we please but
we wish not TO insist upon extreme rights. We do de-
mand authoritative recognition and embodiment OF
the principle of the bred Scott decision so far as prop
erty IN SaUeS is concerned under the United States
being willing to concede to the North all territories
above Sc degrees 80 minutes, but demanding distinct
recognition and protection for our slave property below
that line" This distinct recognition of the right of
property SaUeS, not merely as the creature OF local
municipal law and the duty to protect it like other
property wherever the Jurisdiction of the Federal Gov
eminent extends, was the vital principle which alone
gave value to the Crittenden resolutions The resolu-
tion8 did not claim all that the South had right to de-
mand, but they embodied principle which lay at the
root of the matter and therefore the South was willing
to take them seeking for peace and for final settlement
Having thus referred to his own previous position,
and what he believed to be the position of the State
far as that could be inferred from the resolution of the
Legislature appointing Commissioners he would now
turn to the action of the " Peace Congress {" itself,
merely stopping to notice some objections which had
been made against that body first because it sat with
closed DOORS and second because of the length of time
it remained in session. In the first instance had the
public been admitted, members might have been dis
posed to talk for effect and the excitement of the public
mind been increased, while at the same time speeches
delivered or commtas early made, being reported and
spread to the world, might hamper the judgments and
control the action of members in spite of any arguments
or considerations that might be subsequently brought to
their attention AS regards the length Of time during
which the Congress remained in session, he could truly
say that to his colleagues and to himself this protracted
session was the occasion of serious inconvenience and
loss But they had gone there to exhaust every
honorable to obtain fair honorable and f.
nal settlement of existing difficulties. He had done so
to the best of his Abilities and had been unsuccessful
for he could accept the plan adopted by the
Peace Congress consistent with the rights, the
interests Or the dignity of North Carolina. Never
AS it so happened that the other four commission
ers from North Carolina equally divided on most
questions the responsibility of giving the casting vote,
generally, if not always, devolved upon him. He
therefore felt that the greater obligation rested upon
him to give full and candid statement of how he had
met that responsibility.
The session had been protracted one. Every word
of the resolutions had been scanned criticised weighed
and pondered, both in committee and in full conven.
ton congress. Five distinct and separate times in
one shape another the true vital principle of the Crit
tenden propositions-the recognition of property in
slaves had been brought to vote and five distinct and
separate times it had been voted down overwhelmingly
There is such recognition in the most important and
most debated section of the report of the congress-
known the Territorial Section. That section pro-
Vdes hrst that in all the present territory Of the United
States North of the parallel of Sc degrees 30 minutes
of North latitude involuntary service except in pun