The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-03-29

could hardly say what II designed 10 DO itsen
IN the Senator expected to attain II, as my |
friend from New Hampshire Mr.. Clark sug..
gests, why not call upon the President himself
Instead Of the Secretary, and ask him 10 com |
II consistent with the public service,
30 much Of the facts inquired about as ne wished
TO do. In the usual form, instead OF calling on
the Secretary TO tell what the policy Of the Ad.
is, Why, sir, We understand all
that. For my part, therefore, was perfectly
willing. as am not very much given to speak
ing-i believe the Senator will bear me witness
that have occupied as little time rs almost
any man in the Senate during the session that
has passed. was perfectly willing that the
Senator should say what he had to say. lasked
him question or two with reference to certain
statements he made / put them In respect
full tone, and got the answer. They were 10
correct what | supposed TO be errors OF the
Senator. intimatcd nothing except that they
were errors, and endeavored to correct them.
Now, therefore, II Is perfectly obvious what
ought TO be done with this resolution. VI
course, shall not move to lay II on the table,
because, after making the remarks that have
made, should not be justified in making that
motion. Nor, sir, shall endesyor to reply TO
the thrice, nay, ten times, q hundred times told
tale about the position Of the Senator upon the
subject of non intervention. l thought the
country had settled that, North and South, ana
all parties, with regard TO his doctrine. heas-
sumes that we have come over to him; that We
have placed ourselves under his banner; that
we are now subscribing to his doctrine; and he
congratulates himselfapparently upon that TACT
Now, 50 far as that goes, il strikes me II would
have been the part OF n magnanimous man 10
have rested content with that triumph; to have
been quiet with the knowledge that, in spite OF
all that had been said and done, and In spite
even of the victory that had been gained over
him, public sentiment had settled down upon
him as the great exponent OF true constitution.
al principles, and having saved the Union, had
leit Others TO sing pieans to his praise. one
would have thought that would have been mag
unanimous, instead Of doing 1t himself but u
is not the first time. Sir, we are content to let
that pass. We have done what we saw TIT to do
precisely in relation to this matter. We have
carried out ON policy, 50 far as We had any,
up TO this point. We hope to develop hereaf-
ter what may be our policy with reference TO
the country, and that II may be successful.
But, sir, allow me to say one word in closing,
and that is this: when the Senator assumes, and
takes IL for granted, that We could have passed
any bills during the last session, and talks
about our power in this Senate up TO the time
when the last Congress adjourned, will not
say that he knew he was stating what was not
true, but will say, that II he had given him
self a moments time for reflection, he must
have been aware that every body about him
knew perfectly well IL was not 50. There was
never a day during that Congress, from the
beginning 10 the end, that we had the power to
pass any bill against the will OF the other side
of this House. There never was day when
we had majority in this Chamber. On some
questions, We had the aid Of the Senator IRON
Illinois himself, and Of some other Senators;
49,. l.oI Ia bill
that the majority chose that we should not pass,
in any case. knew very well that we could
not pass the bill TO give power to the President
to suspend these Southern ports as ports vi en-
try. or any other. There never was time when
we could do il. We had other important meas
ures to attend to. We knew that they would
be fought. knew IL, for consulted with gen.
tlemen on the other side, and II was stated TO
us as reason why they would DO fought, and
why they would be contested here, by certain
ly more than one Senator, that they were con-
sidered, or that particular bill was considered,
as dangerous, because il would excite the South
ern people, and therefore il was best not to pass
il, but to leave IL as IL was. Sir, we had other
things to do. We had tariff bill to pass. We
could not have passed that without the aid OF
those on the other side Of the Chamber. We
had also 10 pass the appropriation bills neces-
sary for toe support OF the Government. They
were almost all done within the last days OF the
session, or but very short period before: we
understood perfectly well what we could do,
and what we could not do. We are "respecta-
ble' enough on this side of the Chamber, in
point of ability. to have some idea Of what we
are about, and know something OF what we
wish TO accomplish, and how much We can ac-
complsh of what we want to do, and how much
we cannot. If we had the power to do those
things, we might have done them, possibly have
done more.
| regret. sir, that that bill, with reference to
the collection of the revenue, was not passed.
do not admit all that the Senator has stated
with regard 10 our position, with regard to the
position of the Administration, in reference to
collecting the revenue there; and allow me to
say, further, that the Senator, in his argument
and il has been n labored one-upon this sub
ject, has added nothing that can perceive to
the argument that WAS made carly in the ses-
SION by the honorable Senator from Louisiana
MIR. Benjamin., who went over the whole
ground upon the subject, and precisely the
same ground that the Senator from Illinois has
occupied this morning. Part Of 1t was very
correct, and part Of il was not am not pre-
pared, and have no desire, to so into On exam
nation of il. Let il be enough to say, with re-
gard TO those things, that the President has
declared that he will not make war upon any
body. The President has declared that II is his
intention TO execute the laws OF the land legally
and constitutiOnally; and when he has not the
legal and constitutional power to execute them,
that he will not attempt to do II by illegal or
Unconstitutional measures. That is not to be
Inferred; and therefore il Is not to be inferred
that the President or bis party mean war
They say they do not mean war. There has
been no declaration of war upon this side OF
the Chamber. There has been none on the part
of any body We have heard war cried on the
other side. II has been one everlasting reiter-
alton of the word, to draw us into discussion
of that subject. We chose to DO wise, accord
inc to our own ideas of wisdom, and not talk
of what we did not mean, or be tainted into
saying what we did not mean to say. That was
our position then, and it is our position now.
Now, sir, having said this much, and having
again told, as do now, the Senator from llli-
nois that his whole attack upon me was entirely
unjustifable; that neither said nor intimated,
by word or look, any thing that was dsrespect-
full TO him to bring upon me such torrent OF
wrath and abuse, end, not By moving to lay
the resolution upon the table, but by saying
-. a Al n