, 1861-01-01
AAAFfTN WNGRESS--Seeopd Session,


2X4E1TH CoXGREs--seeond Session.
WAsHtsoror, Dec. 81, 1850.
SEHArE.-Thc galleries were crowded.
There was large crowd about the doors.
Ladies also were In tho 1obbIes and on tho
floor. N~~e
Mr. Douglas said he wished to speak on The
subject, but would postpone lis rcmnrks until
Wednesday,
Mr. Crittenden asked that the Senate would
sel apart some day for the consideration Of the
1oint resolution offered by him.
1hc resolution WIS then made the epecial
order for Wednesday.
!, ar: Wilson offered resolution of inquiry
that inc Secretary Of Var be requested to in
ioFm The Senate what disposition had been
made OF the arms made at the national aruo-
fice; Il any bad been sold, and if 80, at what
l'1iGe andfo whom: what number there we're
LII the alsenals, and how they were protected,
Objected to mud laid over
Inc hin to organize the Territorial Govern
ment Of Arizona Was taken M,
MT. 1fumbull spoke In favor Of the amend
meht 70 the amendment to allow the Mexican
lat aoohshlng slavery to continue in force
~, " Gteen said that Mr. Browns amendment
Wa hot change any Law, but only proposed 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 tho
admission OF Kansas was here taken up md
postponed till Monday next.
Mr. Benjamin OF Louisiana rose to address
INC senate He said he had supposed ere this
he would have Ind official Information Of the
position OF affairs in South Carolina, but in
me absence Of 1t, he should presume that be
had such information The South, he eaid,
were driving them to a point that would result
IN Z separation, and for this they had only
been sneeEed at and maligned. He {BcuIamin1
wished to speak III no spirit of recrimination,
MT to- perform his duty. He would cali
attention s.u.sa 10 the speech he made four
Mr.. Benjamin here quoted from tho speech
nc made In 1885, In which be said the time
Wonld como when the South would throw the
sword into the scale with NIL the rights Of the
sword, because he did not believe there could
be pcaceable secession.] He saidthat the words
He would to. God that the fears Of civil war
then expressed would prove only fears, but
from what he had hen1l, it almost seemed ~
u the other side Of Tie chamber desired to
bring about civil war. South Carolina had
.,.1, DECLARED q henolf separated from the Union,
while other Suites stand ready to support her,
or else to put her down. Tint is the real issue,
aud there is no use to disguise it. We are not
permitted to ignore the fact that the deter1ni-
nation to secede is not confined to South Caro-
lima ulone, for next week Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida viii sepuratc from the Union.
\ week After Georgia will follow, then little
later Louisiana will seccdc, and soon after her
Arkansas. Now, then, shall VIC recognize
South Carolina as free and independent State,
or shall We coerce BY force. He argued that
thc people Of South Carolina had 4 right to
Iselare herself free; # .5yas m Inherent, In
Mienable right. South Carolina had by the
voice Of her people when they met in Conyen-
tion IN 1850, repealed the ordinance made by
her people when they met in convention in rs.
Mr bentamin here quoted from speech Of
Daniel Webster in tho Rhode lsland case, 10
SHOW tiiat convention Of the people duly as
tembled had proper authority. He(Webster)
had said that j compact was not binding on
one party unless the other parties to 1t lived
up to it, and that compact broken by one
could be broken by all. {Mr Benjamin here
quoted from Mr: Madison to sustain his posi-
tion] lie {BelJamin) said TINT no one conld
lind any article IN the Constitution rcquir-
ing force to bs used to coerce State. Hi re-
terred to the old Confederation, and said
that nine States seeded from it the express
reason that the compact between them was not
Kept; aud finally all the States seconded but
Rhode Island and North Carolina leaving
them as foreign States. He claimed this rs Z
precedent In the formation Of the pres ut
Constitution to show the right of State to
scccde. Who was to be the Judge II the COM
Pact Wns broken in a pccuniary matter the
Constitution provided q way to settle the mat
ter, but If It was broken politically, tho
Constitution provided no way, [Ilc read
from the debates Of the Convention
which formed the Constitution, to show
That the members Of that Contention re-
fused to make the Senate the Judge of
Or give the President the power to veto The ac-
tion ct State; that they. refused to give Con
E,ress the power to negative State Legislatlon,
and that they especially refused to give any
power to coerce States. Yet, when The State
Conventions came to ratify the Convention,
complaints were made that the States were
ted that certain political :, rights arc
the States, but when these rights
are denied, where Is the remedy. Suppose
4 hat South Carolina should send two Senators
here, and the majority should refuse to receive
put one What power can compel that major
Carolina should then retire from the Union.
Who could FAY 1t WAS q. violation of the Con-
s!ltution: Suppose, asain, that n wrong Is
[,crpretrated which does not appear quite
slear to the North, but docs appear clear to
south Carolina, suppose she is denied access
under the Constitution? 1fthere is none, then
Size must be Judge Of the wrong and the mode
of redress. He read IN extract from an ad-
iress delivered by John Quincy Adams in New
ork In 1888, In which be said nations them
'elves must be the sole judge whether COM
III fratern1 feeling was gone between The
states, then it was time to scpernte Iu peace,
md return to their original stato.1 He {Bepja.
nin) said that sectional President had been
.lecied who could, With the did Of sectional
senate, grant all the benefits to and
in OF the government and ruin the South.
suppose that South Carolina does believe that
wrong has been done her, etilf that does not
liter the issue whether hs shall permit her to |
Withdraw OF force her back. In reply to the
senator from Wisconsin Doolittle} i,e {Bepia- |
ninl claimed that u citizen was bound 10 obey
lis Stale Government The Republican Sena- |
ors say they will not coerce State but enforce |
he laws against individuals; Int how can
beg punish an individual in State for tres
en-: Where are they to lind judge aud jury
Q do so, when all the citizens in tile State |
hink that he has done right: He {fsenja1nin) |
aid they could not blockade port without
eclaring war. They could not embargo one !
ort without closing the other.
Hc claimed that neither Congress nor the
'resdcnt'lad power to 90 into the State with
military farce, without the Intervention OF
.e civil power. Some civil process must pre-
EIDE the military force. He argued that lhay
ould not collect the revenue by force. Threats |
'eFe only pretext to cOrtr mp the real ques-
ion, which il n other thnn this Shall " uc-
nowledsc the Independence Of sece,ling
tate. or reduce her 10 suh}ection By war;
Mr.. Benjamin hcrc read from Vattcl to show
lat the hypocrtical keeping Of compacts vas
no avail, and referred to the case Of Khods-
lfscns. who promised not to use steel asainst
Captain, get smothcred him. Mr. Benjamin
osed his speech with an earnest appeal to
lc Republican Senators. He said that they |
laimed right under the Constitution
, deny the rights Of the South to
are property; to encourage the rob
Try of that property; to cali them thieves
I'D m11rderers; to deny them the right OF
ansit, and accumulate a dangerous popul:,-
on in their midst He besonght them 10 let
it lr.rting be in peace; but If they would p.:r-
ri the Constitution and undertake to subiu-
a;e the South, then appealing to the S,u-
rr1:ir Judge, they would meet the issue us
~ f'ctolncs fEeemen. He could not fprct I'll I
1t isS,,r Of such horrible coutcst The for
l!s,s ii ,7ar might bcadycrse to them Of llc
outh; their cities might be eet on t3rc insur-
'ctioa stirred up, to add to the horrors Of
vii var hut the North could ncrer suhjucatc
Icm. They would never convert hrr
ee sops Of the soil into vassal.,
icy could never degrade them to the condition
u eerTile, Inferior race, Never, never, ncy-
:! las Mr.. B:concladcd his speech, he WIS
reeted with uproarous npplause, nil over tie
illeries. There were shouts, and cheers, ard
! |