Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-24

Tuesdav's Proceedings.


salisbury presented resolutions from the Leeis-
azure OF delaware directing the Representatives
o oenn.ors 70 use their best efforts for the passage
OF tne Srittenden resolutions. or some other mea-
ior saving the Union. Ordered to be print
Biger presented a petition asking the Honsa for
the passage of the CIittenden resont;ons. a. e.
proceedings OF certain meeting in Pen1svIvan;o
Fitch moved that the Vice President no artbo--
Yea 10 MI the Tacanc les in the Committees
The Vice President said there was no reco~a :,
the journal of the absence OF any Ssnator 1 "a
had no notification of the fact, and the names ..o
still called on the roll He would like the Se"t
to instruct him as to whether he should recognize
| their action. So
Fitch suggested that there were vacancies II. The
Committees, and the Chairman of the Committees
might report the absence, so far as the Committees
| were concerned
| Hale thought that thai was the proper way.
Douglas said there seemed TO be no trolble We
have been notified that certain Senator's have re-
tired and do not intend to be here again this session
Hence there are vacancies. Their taking leave has
nothing to do with the question whether the States
| are out of the Union or not.
Trumbull said that his colleague was right. He
thought their names should be stricken from the
roll and they be considered Senator's no longer.
Wilson didn't understand that the Senator's had
resigned, as those from South Carolina had done.
We could recognise them as temporarily absent but
| he considered them members Of the Senate yet.
81
| could any power prevent them from voting?
benjamin commended that the journal should at
least record the fact that the Senator's declared that
thelr state had seeded, aud that they had with
Sessrd said it would be doing discourtesy if we
put the tact on record without putting thereon the
reasons OF the Senator's. He was entirely opposed
| 10 MAKING any entry. The least said is soonest
mended he was Tor leaving the seats for the Sena-
ators to resume in their own good time and he
hoped the time would not be long before thew re-
| sumed them.
Fessenden held most decidedly that no State had
right to seeede but the fact is they did resign no
matter whether their reasons were valid or not
Hunter thought the Senator's were subject to the
call of the Senate, and the only reason for excusng
them was that their State had withdrawn but the
Senate could fill vacancies on committees.
Further debate ensued.
On motion of Mr.. Seward the motion was tabled
-32 against p.
Messrs. Gwin, Latham Salisbury, Bigler and
johnson, of Tennessee, voted with the Republicans.
Crittendens resolutions were taken up.
Powell argued that division of the Territories,
as proposed by his colleague, Just and equita-
BILE, and thought it eminently proper that a settle
ment should apply to future acquisitions, to
take the question out of Congress. He cOnteuded
that IL would in way encourage ilibusteFing, for
territory couldn't be acquired in that way He
claimed that the Constitution recognized slavery.
and there was need of advocating protection for
protection was the plain duty of every Government.
lie said that the Senator from Ohio asked what the
charges were that they might be repealed. One
was that bands organized in the free States to
steal property in the South.
Wade asked for proof. He did not believe word
of it
Powell said the underground railroad was well
known. He spoke of slaves carried Off-this, from
a foreign country, would be cause of war. Per-
sonal Liberty Bills was another cause of complaint
They were clear violation of the Constitution.
Wade wanted some specific charges against Ohio,
so he could answer them. He was tired of hearing
general charges.
Powell said the Governor of Ohio refused to de-
liver up fugitiVes from justice. The Republicans
had elected a President who declared he would not
vote to admit slave State, notwithstanding the de-
cision of the Supreme Court.
Trumbull said that this was directly the reverse
Of what the Senator said.
Powell said he would examine and if wrong would
strike it out of his speech. He had desire to do
injustice.
Bigler said that Mr.. Lncoln had said he would
vote against allowing slavery in a Territory.
Powell said it amounted to the same thing.
Trumbull read the answer Of Mr.. Lincoln when
he said, Al do not now, and never did, stand
pledged against the admission Of slave States into
the Union"
Powell thought that if he wouldn't let slavery go
into the Territories we could not have any more
slave States. He continued, if anything is done to
save the Union, it must come from the Republican
party.
Wade said the Senator from Virginia (Afason) said
that Ohio refused to repeal the Personal Liberty
Law He (Wade) did not believe Ohio had any
law which was unconstitutional He thought the
Senator from Virginia mistaken. The law
framed last year gives further security to free peo
pie and when il came up this year. was postponed.
that the mistake of the Senator. The law il ex
actly the opposite OF what he supposed.
Mason said he saw no use of the Republicans of
Ohio refusing to repeal the law under which Mar
shals had been imprisoned.
III.
entirely from the law of Virginia Such a law
ought not to be repealed. He saw no reason for
compromise with anybody. There are no Organi-
cations Ohio to interfere with laws. He did not
doubt that slaves escaped. but there was no Orga-
nzed company for such purposes.
Mason said the Governor of Virginia demanded of
the Governor of Ohio the surrender of fugitive
who had committed murder Ond arson in Virginia.
The Governor of Ohio refused to deliver him; he
was one CT John Browns company.
Wade said such a refusal was not peculiar to Ohio.
1t was Vexed question everywhere.
Douglas said such cases were common to all States.
The first one was in I79l The Governor of Vir-
ginia refused to deliver fugitive to Pennsylvania
and did not think such cases could form subject Of
complaint now.
After further remarks, Wade said that all COM
plants against Ohio come back to one thing-they
say all attempts to save the Union must come from
us-you, who seek to overthrow the Constitution,
who say you are about to rebel and wage war, |
should give some specification where We have Of
Tended.
Mason explained the case in Virginia. 1t occurred
before there was any law in the United States on
the subject The Attorney General of Virginia based
his decision the fact that there no law autho
rising the arrest. Adjourned.
HsUsE.-Whitely presented resolutions frsm the !
State of Delaware. urging the adoption Of the Crit
tenden Compromise.
Harris, of Maryland, gave notice that he would |
move the resolutions of the Border States Conven-
ton AZ amendment to the propositions reported
from the Committee of Thirty-Three.
Harris then presented memorials from seventeen |
thousand citizens of Maryland, representing every
district and county in the State, in favor of the
adoption of the Border States resolutions.
Colfax from the Postofice Committee, reported /
back the bill authorizing the Postmaster General to
suspend the mail services in the seceeding States,
&C. [See bill published in proceedings of yester-
day.l
Colfax said he would not have introduced the bill
if the Federal Courts had remained in tact, but
persons may open the mails and rifle them and there
are no means by which they may be brought TO JUS
tice. II the postmaster refuses to ray the drafts
given the contractors the latter hold Congress
respOnsibe therefore it became the mperltive duty
Of the Government to discontinue the postal service
where there is no means of protecting 1t.
Branch wished to offer a substitute covering
more ground than was proposed by the bill before
the House.
The President has communicated to Congress that,
owing to the existing condition of affairs, the laws
cannot be enforced in South Carolina. That mess
age is now before the Select Committee. ..
Branchs substitute was then read against using
force, and to prevent the breaking out of civil
war pending the deliberations of which Congress in
the existing crisis of public affairs ali laws of the
United States be ard they are hereby suspended I'M
til the LIST Of January, 1862 in and those States
who have heretofore may hereafter adopt ordi-
nances of secession.
Colfax would not accept the substitute.
Dawes inquired whether it was hIs (Colfax's) III
tention to move the passage Of the bill under the
operation of the previous question
Cofax replied in the affirmative.
Dawes thought the bill of too much Importance to
be thus passed through the House
John Cochrane raised the question whether the
avs could thus be cOnsttutionally suspended. This
was grave inquiry. Was this as Mr.. Colfax sta
ted, a measure of peace, or a piece of a measure.
-LPughter
Coifax repeated that in view of the existing revo-