Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-01-30
OHIO I.EGISI a AZURE I ! !!!l,
ADJOunNAp sAssI0N
IN SENATE.
TurapAr. JanuarY %. lsGl
AFTERNOON SESSION

AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr.. GARFIELD said that tbs debate had
taken SO wide range that he felt 1t right at
this time TO submit his views upon the whole
question OF the Commission and its purposes.
There are some Senators who seem TO assume
by their manner and bearing certain prescrip.
tive right to all patriotic and bipartisan motives.
There is manner of emphatic statement,
which Is intended, doubtless, to inspire awe,
such as certain aged lady, who wept profusely
at what she called the holy wag Of the minis
ter's head. We meet here as peers; and he
granted no such assumed superiority of any. Sem
Ator.
He adverted to the abuse of the word compro-
mise. Senators tell US that government, all
law, oil peace, rest upon compromise-th BY
compromise God admits man to the Joy of
Heaven. Ifby compromiser Is meant the sub
mission of the minority to the majority, then,
said tho speaker, am oomPToHiissri II % it
Is meant a yielding up OF our peculiar notions
of expedienoy or modes OF action, then ! am
compromiser; If by IL is meant to grant all the
rights and guaranteed TO our Southern brethren
which the Constitution affords them-or
| comfy requires, them am compromiser. But
If by it is meant that man doing what he be-
lieves to be true-renounce his political or reli-
gious faith7-ignore the best impulses Of his
heart-then Is compromise a cheat-a de-
lusion--a lie. In this latter sense there
had been compromises in the legislation
of the general government, and In every
case they had been productive OF tremendous
evil. There had been three chapters In the
history of compromise since the Constitution
was adopted. The Arst was 10 lSl9-2O. The
Question was Shall there be slavery in Mis-
| souri1 The South threatened disunion If their
requests were not granted. And so, good, but
mistaken mel, let the curse be bo extended to
save the Union. There followed peace-ba. !.
was treacherous peace. The second struggle
was 1889. South Carolina said will nullify
the Federal laws and II you dare to hinder me
| | will dissolve the Union. Only one State ex-
pressed sympathy with her. Disunion was but
spark which could have been easily extinguish.
| ed. Jackson had lifted his hand to queDch il
forever, when the cry of dissolution alarmed
that good man Henry Clay, and he came for
ward with Compromise. Carolina went out from
that conflict boastful victor. The Union was
humbltd. 1t had received the most fatal blow
that was ever given IL.
The third compromise OF 1851 was repe-
tition of the same humiliation, and now we are
called upon to take another step in this degrad-
| ing process And for what2 For having legal
| " elected to the Presidency the man Of our
COOlCc. luIS CUuIbC VI CUupTOmlS6 uhS utuOE-
allied and broken up both the Whig and Dem
ocratc parties, and has debased the principles o.
those men who have engaged in il. These gen
tlemen who boast that they lhave sunk the
/ partisan 10 ibe patriot, may YET find that they
have sunk the man in the compromiser. Il il
becoming almost heritical in the eyes of those
patriots for man on this floor to show the doc
trines announced BY the 3 ,s50,0 900 freeman who
voted for Abraham Lincoln. And now remind
these patriots of the fact that the vast majority
of these men are utterly and forever opposed
to the advance Of slavery into the terri
tories now free. Any compromise which prom
ises to do this will be only hollow truce; q
treaeherous compact, which the people will new
er obey. Ohio, he was proud to say, had re-
solved 70 abeolve herself from all wrong to her
sisters, and then she would cling 10 the Consti
tuition as 1t is, and share Its fate. It'll now higf
time to decide whether we have government
or not. II this union is no Usion--this natio or
no nation, let US know it at once, and see il
fragments dash away in promiscous wreck. LIE
us then, il we appoint commissioners at all, ap
point those who represent the principles Of whic
the South complain. But let US tell them th
whole truth-that we hate slavery as we bat
the gates of hell. And though we will never in
terfere with il in the States where it exists, W
: VIII uOt buUOulb W tub ItAuhIus U
those whose motto ~ is TO rule or ruin thei
country. fl
Mr.. MOORE said that the Constitution wa
Q compromise. The gentleman should hav
paid his compliments 10 the fathers of the Con
stitulion. The question then was union or de
struction, and il is now the question, and th
fathers, for the benefits Of union, framed thu
i Constitution which but q compromise
1 The wise men who framed this Con.
| stitution thought IL was better to have un
ion with some Of its evils than to be withou
the Union. So We think now. Let us max
another effort to compromise. Let us appoin
these Commissioners, and meet our brethren Il
fraternal spirit, and try another compromise
Il II We fail, we on this side of the Senate will
not be wanting to save the Union. For God
sake let Us do all We can to save the Union.
Il Mr.. PARISH thought commital of the re
ports would result In no benefit. He oppose
further compromise. The Senate lie now pre-
pared to dispose Of the subject. He desired I
correct Mr.. Moore, By saying he had left ou
one very important chapter on this subject Q
compromises. He directs attention to the Fa
thers. He invokes the name of Madison. Di
Madison ever assent TO the Compromises Of th
ConstitutionT He voted nay every time, an
II was the glory Of his name Upon this yer
l Ouu uuLUmI6 buo laCt1 hFt lunL llG
! States north and south--NeW Hampshire, Mas
sschusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, North an
South Carolina, voted yea; while Virginia an
the other Middle States voted no. why shoul
Virginia favor compromise TO day, when sh
opposed it thenf 1t is to be hoped the gentle
man from Butler will not misquote Madiso
again on this subject But he( Mr.. p. P.)admitted
while he regretted Il, there Was q compromis
In the Constitution. It has proved festerin
sore. Il has increased, until ID now require
more skill 10 heal 1t than ever before.
Mr.. HARRiS0N-Ifth the compromise of I62
had not been disturbed, would We have now bee
troubled with this question. ...-
Mr.. PARISH-The gentleman can answe
that 90 we'll as /. But il that compromise ha
4 not been made, the current WoulG have se
' against slavery, instead Of setting in lie favo
Had II not been made, there would not in hi
opinion have been one vestige Of slavery 10 th
! county 10 day. Now, we K now that Wheneye
! the slaveholders have desired to compromis
, upon slavery, they have always invoked th
, spirit Of the compromise, and perpetually the
} have ever received the advantages which ben
: Gifted slavery, and liberty has thereby lol
ground. He was opposed TO further compro
4 mise, because all compromises are mere con
|, cessions 10 slavery. o When this propositio
( TO appoint commissioners was made, he wa
0 opposed to 1t. Bat he might now yiel
/. his views 70 the majority, becaui
4 there seems TO prevail an idea that som
. good may Aow from il. He prayed God goo
III may come from Il, but he feared evil, Mr.
then proceeded 10 criticise the Virginia resolu
D tons, holding that they apparently contempls
pI ted further protection TO slavery. They ar
to guarantee tho rights Of slaveholders.
They invite oil States thatlarelwlllng to do thi
d but those who are unwilling, they do not wis
!. 70 meet. Their language means something
a | IL wac carefully expreseed. Why was tbia 1,