The national Republican., 1861-02-01
THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS,
SECOND SESSION. "a.
Thursday, January 81, 1861.
SENATE. -

York. lie said, althOugh tnis senate ChamDer
was the largest legislative chamber ever erected
since the beginning Of the world, except the
House of Representatives, this memorial would
cover space that is eight times as large rs this
chamber. He had already presented similar
memorial, with twenty FIVE thousand names,
all urging conciliation. The committee who
brought this memorial were the represent.
atives Of the largest commerce in the world
q commerce which, in any other country, would
be paramount to all other interests. Happily,
here it was not so. He had been requested to
support the views Of this memorial, and regret
ted that he had seen no disposition Oh the part
of the seeding States. and their friends to al.
low of any practicable effort at compromise, on
the part of the adbering States. He, however,
held himself open to such propositions, and
was rejoiced at the fraternal feeling manifested
by the people of hi. State in these memorials.
He did not fear for the Union, nor did he be.
leve these difficulties would be settled in nine.
ty days but, nevertheless, he believed it would
he settled. All platforms or men that stood in
the way Of the preservation Of the Union would
all be swept away. The great qpG1ipp Of sla.
very or freedom in the Territof been
greatest in 1850. The admission Of Kansas,
California, and Oregon, had reduced the ques.
tion to a very narrow compass. Or that part
which remained, nearly all was slave territory,
over which slave code extended. There were
but twenty -four African saves-.but one for every
forty thousand square miles. He did not fear
slave aggression, which had only carried twen-
ty.four slaves to all these Territories. Why,
then, should he despair of the Union Why
could he believe that thirty millions of people
would reduce themselves to the scorn of man.
kind for this question. This was Confedera-
ton, not an Imperial Government. Submit
ha d IN ha pallad
cording to the forms of the Constitution, and
the world would see how thirty.four States
could peaceably adjust this difficulty.
Mr.. Mason moved that the memorial be
printed. He understood it to be a memorial
praying for the adoption of the Crittenden
amendment. He did not think that this time,
when six States had seeded, and others were
arming, under these circumstances, did the
premier of the new Administration propose
any practical measure. All knew, by his votes,
his opinion on the Crittenden amendment, and
by his vote for Clark's resolution, that the Con.
stitution needed no amendment, but that the
Constitution and laws should be enforced. He
had, even in his speech to-day, spoken of CON
tributing money to the Union. He would like
to know the meaning of that7
Mr.. Seward said he meant that the people
should advance to the Union the funds by
which the credit of the Government should be
sustained.
Mr.. Mason said that he had not done him
the injustice to suppose that he meant the
money to subsidize or demoralize any port OH.
He merely meant to pay the army to conduct
the fight.
Mr.. Seward said that he meant to advise,
after all Congressional compromises, the as
sembling of Convention Of all the people of
the United States. If that failed, then to ad.
wise them to stand, as he should do himself,
i'll the breach for the Union.
Mr.. Mason said he now understood the Sen.
ator. He meant, if negotiations failed, to use
war and bloodshed to preserve the Union. The
Union was gone, and no attempt at subjuga.
tion could restore it. He wanted his people,
who were meditating to restore broken
Union, to understand these things.
Mr.. Seward said he meant nothing that was
attributed to him by the Senator from Virginia.
He did not believe that bloodshed would be
necessary. He believed the people would set
tie it. The Union was not gone, for the Sena-
tor was here to sustain it.
MIR. Mason said that the Senator still means
force-the force of the tyrant to restore the
Union. He wanted his people to understand
this .pusillanimous attempt to hoodwink his
people, by crying peace, peace, when there was
no peace. If there were any likely to be de.
ceived by these puny propositions, he pointed
them to the propositions Of the Senator, first
money-then battle. The fleets and armies
of two of the States and those of the General
Government were already in hostile array
against each other, and every ear was open to
listen to the conflict the Senator counselled.
Vote-hang- for the Union.
Mr.. Seward defended his position, and de.
clared that he had been ever since Congress
assembled, friend of compromise.
MIR. Mason said that he spoke in the interest
OF Virginia, and had yet to hear any response
to the proposition she had made.
MIR. Cameron said he understood that the
Senator from Virginia would not accept the
Crittenden propositions. He did not know
what proposition Virginia had made.
Mr.. Mason said he did not know what the
Senator from Pennsylvania understood him to
say but he would say, that he would never
consent to submit any proposition to the people
OF the United States, as mass. The State of
Virginia had submitted propositions, which,
had the Senator listened, he would have found
in the resolutions from Virginia. read the other
day in this Chamber.
Mr.. Douglass in response to Mr.. Mason's re.
marks in regard to puny efforts to persuade
the people there was no hope, said in response
to note from Virginia, he had declared, in
conjunction with the Senator from Kentucky,
that there was a strong hope of the adjustment
of the difficulties. He had received letter
from Virginia this very morning, and had re.
piled that if Virginia remained in the Union,
| the Union was safe. He noticed the singular
fact that the extreme men on both sides of the
chamber seemed to be acting in concert.
| When the Clark resolution was proposed, a
portion of the extreme Southern Senators re.
mained in their seat and permitted that res.
oution to pass, and then telegraphed South
that all hope was gone because it had passed.
| (Appapse.) He urged that this system of pro.
lection to slavery had been Intellectual as it had
planted but twenty-four slaves in all the terri