Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-02-19
THrnrY-sIxTH CONGRESS


4 Minnesots. Ordered to be printed.
Mr.. Crittsnden (0pp. Of Ky.) presented a
I netition. signed By ., ,23O citizens Of hfassa-
chusstts, III fsvcr of tbe CTittenden resolu-
tons He said be bebored such peonie, and
fs't cheered BY such a voice from Massacbu.
ssits. Il showed then devoted to the Unibp,
1 for which lhsir ancestors fought.
SPEECH oT M. sUAxEE ON THE unIsrs.
Mr.. sumner lRep. Of Mass said These
petitions ssk, as understand Il, for the mas
( SAGE Of what is fsmilisrly known % the Cdt.
tshden propositions. Their best apology Tor
( this petition is thsir ignorance Of tue eharac-
/ ter Of those propositions. Had they known
Wkat they were they herer would have nut
I their names 10 hat petition. Those resosu-
! tions 20 beyond the Breckenridge platform.
I which has already been solemnly condemned
I BY the American people. They foist into lie
I Constitution Of the United States constitu-
I .iohal guarantees OF slavery which the framsrs
] Of that instrument never gsVe-whIch Wash
/ ington, Jefferson, Franklin, Patrick Henry and
John Jay, II We may credit TIE testimony OF
their lives and cpinicns-Wouid have scorned.
Had any such proposition been made the con-
dition OF Unioa, this Union never could have
been formed Mr. Madison told US In the
convention that 1t Eas wrong to attempt 20 nut
in the Constitution tbei idea Ct property in man,
but these propositions propose TO interpolate
thst idea, and practically carrying IL out,
they run a black line On lhe latitude OF SO
degrees so minutes, and give constitutional
protection 10 slavery In all the territory
South Of taat line now belonging to the republic;
and to make the case still more impossible 10
be rseeissd st TIE Norlhs they mskeit sppliea-
bic 10 ali the territory hereafter to be ACQUIRED
80 that the nag Of the rspuhlic, as it moves
southwsrd, shall always be the Dag Of slavery,
and every future acquisition in that direction
shall be Airicanized, and that BY the Consti-
tuition Of TIE United States. That is about
enough IN this age Of civilization. But that is
not all. Slill further, they insist upon guaran-
ties 10 slavery in the national capital, and in
other places within tbs Federal jurisdiction.
Nor is this al. As II 70 make il especially
offensive to the people Of the North, and 70 the
people OF Massachusetts,, they propose 10 de-
spoil our colorsd felloW-citizens Of their polit-
icai franchise, long time secured to them BY
the Institutions Of that commonwealth. Sir, It
is for these things that these petitioners now
pray. They insist they shall Be interpolatsd
in the Constitution Of the United States.
have an infinite respect for the right Of peti-
tion, and desire always to promote the inter
ests, and to carry forward the Just and proper
desires u ny foiloW-citizens. But must ex-
press my regret that these gentlemen have
mi'sed the opportunity, sfter uniting in such
numbers, OF eslliag plainly and uneq uir0eaily,
as savers Of the Union Of their fathers, for two
thingS-two things all sufh-ient for the prss-
en-. occasion, and with regard 10 which I
expect the sympsthies Of the honorable Sena-
tor from Kentucky. FIRST, the Constitution OF
the United States as administered BY George
Washington, to be preserved intact and blame
less in its text without any tinkeiing or patch
ing And, secondly, the verdict Of the people
last November, by which Abraham Lincoln
was elected President Of the United States,
to be enforced without price OF falter-
ing. There is ground upon which
every patriot and loyal citizen Of theIsnd can
stand, and be has over aim then the Cons,itu-
ton and the fEg Of his country. You had
better have that, sir, than any scheme, device,
jugglery, or hocus P Gus called a compromise
On such ground all men who really love the
Unicn and country can take their stand without
an " X, - or " but" remember, sir, on the
night Of the passage Of the Nebraska bin, it
was after midnight, made the declaration Ia
debate that the tine for compromises had
passed. The events now taking place all
verify his truth. Il is obvious that the existig
difficulties car now BE- arranged onlV on per-
m1nsnt principles OF justice, and freedom, and
humanity. Any seeming settlement founded
upon an abandonment OF principle will be but
miserable patchwork which cannot succeed.
It was only a short tine ago, you win remsm-
shame and dismsy, as the report came TO us Of
the surrender OF southern forts and when it
was known that Fort Sumter, too, was about
10 be given up, a cry went forth from the heart
Of the people, By which that foF ress was
saved at least for the present. Propositions
are now made and brought forward By the
Senator from Kentucky, and now enforced by
a petition ftom the people Of ny own STATE,
calling upon the North TO surrender its priBci-
IL -
of human rights, which constitute our noflh-
can forts. It's even proposed now to surren-
der the principle OF freedom in the territories
the Fort Sumter OF the North. trust that the
CRY viii 20 forth from the people like that
which went forth from them a few daFs ago
to save that other For Sumter when it was
menaced.
For myself, IL stand with many OF with few,
or alone, have but ons thing to say-no sur
render Of the Fort Sumter Of the HoTth-no
surrender OF any Of our northern forts. Nc,
sir, not one. But the bankers and merchants
throw out their fears, and they tell Us the gov
eminent shall not have money il we do not
surrender our principles. Then again, sir, I
appeal to the people. l believe the American
people are not mere unpatriotic than the
French, and onlF want the opportunity to show
Ito come forward and relieve the necessities
n the government, az the French people re-
forward With a loan composed Of small sums.
Our government stands upon the aggregate
vir'Ue and intelligence Of the people, and It
only remains now that we should make an ap-
peal to the aggregate wealth Of tho people,
the farmer, the laborer, the mechanic Every
man who truly loves his country will be willing
10 give Of hIs earnings 10 uphold the constitu-
ton and the national flag and out Of these
small earnings we shall have a fun treasury.
N-a r.
do that is, 70 Btani firm in their position.
They may be gui3sd BY one Of the greatest
patriots Of the age, q mean Lafayetts) who,
when his experience had been ripened by time,
and while looking over he unuttsrable calami-
ties Of The old French Revolution, said, at
was bis solemn duty to declare that, IN bis
opinion, they were to be referred, not to the
bad. passions Of men, but to those timid coun-
sells that sought to substitute compromise for
priBeiPle.n Lafayette may well speak to bis
American feliow-citizens now, to caution them
against any tmid counssls that would substi-
tute compromise for principle.
Mr. Crittenden said be supposed the signers
o. The petition were intelligent men. When be
presented the propositions be presented them
as a basis q peace; but WY bad not gentle
men offered to amend?
Mr. Sumner said be thought them wrong in
every w0Td and every line.
Mr.. Critenden. Had the gentleman no prop
ositiOns to maks2
Mr. sumner said he had-lhe Constitution as
administered BY Washington and our fathers.
Mr. CTittenden. Why did not be move that
then7
Mr. Sumner said be had voted FOR the rsso-
lutions or the Senator from New Hampshire,
which expressed his idea.
PASSAGE or THE NAVY APPROPRIATIONS BILL
SPEECH OF MR. GREEN on THE eRIsIs.
The Navy bill was taken up.
NJ Green, fopp.) Of Missouri, said the
question was whether we should rake an ap-
5ropriaton Of twelve hundred thousand dsllars
ta-buiid sever new steam slooPs-of-Wsr. At a
tins when fhe credit Of the Government is
rainsd, and il eon'd aot pay private claims Of
a few dollars; it is then proposed to pay large
sum FOR war. Senators could vote Home
stead bin 20 gives homes 70 scoundrels and
rsgabonds Of large cities, and could gote one
hundred and tweHsy millions Of dollars 70 build
a railroad, and now they come Up and ask
twelve hundred thousand dollars to build
steamers to coercs States-uot in TIE language
u their eagle-eysd Senator from New York,
but Of the beiicose Senator whose voice Is still
for war. Bat they talk Of the eDforeemsnts Of
TIE laws Every man says, enforce the laws
IA protect the public property. But what Is
: public property We have pu1iic property in
London, where oar minister resides, but won't
take sloops there. But have you public prop
I sIty in South Carolina? No, not one siHgls
particle. Fsrt sumter this day is wrongi1ly
Z held, and lie sn act Of war against South Caro-
Z Ina. He admitted that It was built by the gov-
ernment, bat be said it was built for the proiec-
ton Of the port Of Charleston, and it was now
frowninE with guns against be port it was
built 10 protect. The whole resolves itself to
the question, has S ate a right 10 seeede ?
and she had actually exercised the right. To-
6ividusls in a State may commit treason, but
whether = State can, q aBolher qreetion. The
( Government was a multiple oF units and a
/ State comes in ssparste-a unit-and i an en-
! tirety. A equity in a state is an integral part
I Of State, and II she tried 70 break Of It
woud be rebellion. Bat q STATE comes In By
an act Of Volitiou, and can 20 out the same
Each State must judge Tor Itself il she has
reason Tor going out, and only TIE enlightened
/ judgment Of the world can punish state No
State ever was cOeTcsd into the Union, and
I could not be- South Carolina ias a. much
right to Fort Columbus IN New York hsrboF
I az the United States has to Fort sumter, and
/ as much right to attack It; and be pledged one
feeble arm to act in the contingency which
might arise. He commended the forbearanee