Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-01-02
xxxvlTH CoNGREss-sECoND SEs
SION.
Mondays Proceedings.
W.c.r>.crox Daa

WASHINGTON, Dec. 81.
Seuate-The galleries were crowded, and
there was large crowd about the doors.
Ladies were also in the Hobbies and on the
floor.
Mr.. Douglas said he wished to speak on the
subject. but would postpone his remarks I'M
til Wednesday.
Mr.. Critterden 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 or
der for Wednesday.
Mr. Wilson offered a resolution of inquiry
that the Secretary of War be requested to in-
form the Senate what disposition had been
made of the arms made at the National Ar
mories, 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. Obj cited to and laid over.
The bill to organize the territorial gov
eminent of Arizona was taken up.
Mr. Tsumbull spoke in favor of the amend.
ment to the amendment to allow the Next
can law abolishing slavery to continue in
force.
MIR. Green said that Mr.. Browns amend
ment did not change any law, but only pro-
posed to continue an existing law. He was
in favor of leaving the people free to choose
their own laws.
The special order-the bill providing for
the admission of Kansas was taken up and
postponed till Monday next.
Mr.. Benjamin rose to address the Senate
He said be had supposed, ere this, he would
have had official information OF the position
of affairs in South Carolina. but in the alb
sence thereof he should presume that he had
such information. The South, he said, had
repeatedly warned the North that they were
driving them to point that would, by and
| by result in separation, and for this they
had only been sneered at and maligned. H.
| (Benjamin) wished to speak in no spirit OF
recriminaiion, but TO perform his duty. He
would al attention to the spe ches he made
| four years ago, predicting this result. Mr..
Benjamin here quoted from the speech he
made in 1856. in which he said the time
would come when the South would throw th,,
sword into the scale with all the rights af she
sword because he did not believe th're could
he peaceabfe secession. He said that the
words he had then uttered had BECOME true
to-day. He would 10 God that the fears OF
civil war, then predicted, would prove only
fears; but from what he had heard. it seemed
as if the other side OF the chamber desired to
bring about a civil war. South Carolina bad
declared herself separated from the Union,
while other States stand ready to support
her or put her down. That is the real issue,
and there is no use to disguise it. We are
| not permitted to ignore the fact that the de-
| termination to secede is notcon6ned to South
Carolina alone; for, next week, Mississippi,
Alabama, and Florida, will separate from
| the Union. a week later Georgia will fol-
| low. A little later Louisiana will secede,
and soon thereafter Arkansas.
Now then, shall we recognise South Caro-
| lima as free and Independent State or shall
we coerce, by force. He argued that the
people of South Carolina had right to de-
| clare themselves free. 1t was an Inherent,
| inalienable right South Carolina had, by the
voice of her people, when they met in Conveu-
| lion in 1878. Mr.Benjamiu here quoted from a
speech of Daniel Webster in the Rhode ISL
| and 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 10
sustain his position. He (Benjamin) said
that no oae could find any article in the
| Constitution requiring force to be used to CO.
| cree a State He referred to the old con-
| federation, and said that nine States sece-
ded from it for the express reason that the
compact between them was not kept. and
| finally all the States seeded but Rhode Is
land and North Carolina, leaving them az
4 foreign States. He claimed this as a prece-
/ dent in the formation of the present Con.
slitution. to show the right of a State to Sc
| cede. Who was to be the judge? If the
compact was broken in a pecuniary matter
the Constitution provided a way to settle the
| matter. But if it was broken politically the
Constitution provided no way of settlement
He read from the debates of the Convention
| which formed the Constitution to show thai
| the members of that Convention refused to
make the Senate the Judge of, or to give the
President power to veto, the action of a
State; that they refused to give Congress the
power to negative State legislation, and thai
they specially refused to give any power te
coerce States, yet, when the State Conven
tons came to ratify the Constitution, com
plants were made that the States were moi
sufficiently secure. 1t must be admitted that
certain political rights are guaranteed tc
the States, but when these rights are de
MED, where is the remedy? Suppose thai
South Carolina should send two Senators
here and the majority should refuse to re-
ceive but one, what power can compel thai
majority to repair the wrong? Suppose thai
South Carolina should then retire from the
Union, who would say that it was a viola
ton of the Constitution? Suppose, again
that wrong is perpetrated which does not
appear quite clear to the North. but does ap
pear clear to South Carolina-snppose she i;
denied access to the Territories. is she with
out any remedy under tie Constitution
IF there is none. then she must be the judge
of the wrong and the mode of redress. He
read an extract from an address delivered
by John Quincy Adams in New York in
1888, in which he said Nations themselves
must be the sole judge whether campacts are
broken,v and also that s.when all fraternal
feeling was gone between the States then i,
| was time to separate in peace and return ts
their original state.' He (Benjamin) said
that sectional President had been ELECTED
/ who could, with the aid OF sectional Sen
| ate, grant all the benefits to and appoint
from one section, all the offices ia the gift u
the government. and thus ruin the South.
Suppose that South Carolina misjudges il
believing that wrong has been doue her, sill
that does not alter the issue whether WI
shall permit her TO withdraw, or force her
back. In reply to the Senator from Wisco1
sin Mr.. DooilttIe) be (Mr. Benjamsn) claim
ed that a citizen was bound 10 obey hi
! State government. The Republican Sena
, tors say they will not coerce State, but en-
force the laws against ildiyidaais- bat hus
can they punish an individual in n State. 70