Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-01
IhnTySnTW CONGRESS SECOND SESSION.
wAsnIraroN, December 81.

Ladies, also, were in the lobbies and on the
floor.
Mr.. Crfttenden offered resolution, that a
portion of the gallery be set aside for ladies.
Mr.. Crittenden asked that the Senate
would set apart some day for the consider
alton of the Joint resolution offered by him.
The resolution was then made the special
order for Wednesday.
Mr.. Wilson offered resolution, that the
Secretary of War be requested to inform the
Senate what disposition had been made OF
the arms made at the national armories; II
any had been sold; if so, at what price, and
to whom; what number there were in the
arsenals, and how they were protected. OBJ
ected TO- and laid over.
The bill to organize the Territorial Gov
ernment of Arizona was taken up.
Mr. Trumbull spoke in favor of the amend- |
ment to the amendment to allow the Mexican |
law abolishing slavery 70 continue in force.
Mr. Green said that Mr.. Browns amend
| ment did not 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 bill for the admission of Kansas was
postponed till Monday next.
| Mr.. Benjamin, of Louisiana, arose to ad-
dress the Senate. He said he had supposed
ere this we would have had official informa-
ton of the position of affairs in South Caro-
lima, but in the absence Of it he should pre-
sumo that he had such information.
The South, be said, repeatedly warned
the North that they were driving them to
point that would result in q separation, and
for this they had only been sneered at and
malipned. He (Beniamin) wished to speak
in no spirit of recrimination, but toperform
his duty. He would call attention to the
speech he made four years ago, predicting
/ this result. He did not believe there could
be peaceable secession. He said that the
words he had then uttered had proved true
to-day He would to God that the fears of
civil war then exercised would prove only
: fears; but from what he had heard, it almost
seemed as if the other side of the Chamber
desired to bring about a civil war.
: South Carolina had declared herself separ-
ated from the Union, while other States stand
ready to support her or put her down. That
is the real issue and there is no use to dis
/, guise it. ~ are permitted to ignore the
fact that the determination to secede is not
> confined to South Carolina alone, for next
g week, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida
q will separate from the Union. A week after,
a Georgia will follow, then, a little later,
u Louisiana will secede, and, soon after her,
y Arkansas. Now, then, shall we recognize
y South Carolina as Tree and independent
State, or shall we coerce her by force2
y He argued that South Carolina had right
Is to declare herself free; it was inherent in
g alienable. South Carolina had, by the voice
Oh of her people, when they met in Convention
4 in 1860, repealed the ordinance made by he
T people when they met in Convention il
IN 1S77 Mr.. Webster had said that q compac
IN broken by one could be broken by all.
l1 Mr.. Benjamin also quoted from Mr.. Madi
nu son to sustain his position.
Mr.. Benjamin said that no one could fin
nu any article in the Constitution requirin
mt force to be used to coerce a State. He re
ed ferred TO the old Confederation, and said tha
lS, nine States seeded from it for the expires
al reason that the compact between them wa
ne not kept and finally all the States secede
m, but Rhode Island and North Carolina, lea'
n1 ing them as foreign States. He claimed tn
III as q precedent in the formation of the pre-
'hs ent Constitution, to show the right OF
State to secede. Who was to be the judg
OF If the contract was broken in pecuDiar
IN matter the Constitution provided.a way
10Y settle the matter, but if it was broken poll
Ine ically the Constitution provided no wa
on He read from the debate of the eonventiC
az which formed the Constitution to show tn
.eS, the members of that convention refused
make the Senate the judge of or give u
teu President the power to veto the action of
av- State; that they refused to give Congress u
IN mower to negative State legislation; and tn
req they specially refused to give any power
rrl- coerce States; yet when the States come
ov- ratify the Constitution complaints we
MN made that the States were not sufficient
zoe secure. 1t must be admitted that certa
lILe political rights are guaranteed the STATE
ave but when these rights are denied whose
III the remedy
og- Suppose that South Carolina should ser
, as two Senators here, and the majority shou
gal refuse to receive but one, what power C
IVY compel the majority to repair that wron
ion Supnose that South Carolina should then
nan tire from the Union, who could say it "
oot- a violation of the Constitution? Suppo
OUT again, wrong is perpetrated which does I
a. 10 flah hnrfl hui Z
70 pear clear TO South Carolina; suppose she
t@ne @ denied access to the Territories, is she Wi
tes, out any remedy under the Constitution
nay there is none, then she must be the judge
the wrong, and the mode of redress.
I 10 10 He read an extract from an address
tne livered by John Quincy Adams, in N
I, 10 York, in 1888 in which he said nations the
tner selves must be the sole judges whether &C
aDle pacts are broken, and also saying that wi
all fraternal feeling was gone between
Wer States, then it was time to separate In pc
a3la I and return to their original state.
Ine He BeDjsmin) said that sectional P II
pp%oP. dent had been elected, who could, with
Lnen aid of sectional Senate, grant all the be
10 % oi fits to and appoint from one section all
ent; officers in the gift Of the Government, {
ilte1 thus ruin the South. Suppose that So
ed. Carolina persists in believing that wr'
has been done her, still that does not a
lded the issue whether he should permit her
ding withdraw or force her back.
nal. In reply to the Senator from Wiscor
peal (Doolittlel he (Benjamin) claimed tina
don't citizen was bound to obey his State Cove
State ment. The Republican Senators say t
law will not coerce State, but enforce the Ii
n of against individuals. But how can they p
d to ish an individual in State for treas'
have Where are they to find judge and jury
,ertV do SO, when all the citizens in the 81
think that he has done right?
ir,a He said they could not blockade a ?
49, without declaring war. They could
io11 embargo one port without closing the ot
sSas He claimed that neither the President
tSa, Congress had the right to go into 81
with a military force without the interV
Law ton of the civil power. Some civil pro-
,n'c 20 must precede the military force.
nS, He argued that they would not collect
Ia Ia revenue by force. Threats were only
+ the text to cover up the real question, whic
a he no other than this; Shall we ackhowle
tbev the independence of seeding State or
" ~ duce her to subsection by war?
y Mr.. BENJAMIN here read from Waite
and show that hypocritical keeping of C
- pact was of no avail he referred to Rht
'H'u' messing, who promised not TO use steel ag
,r a captive, yet smothered him.
we Mr. BENJAMIN closed his speech with
st OF earnest appeal to the Republican Sena
lst OF He said that they claimed the right III
inder the Constitution, to deny the rights OF
d Dy South to slave propertyi to encourage
ouse' robbery of that property; to call
nInlt- thieves and murderers; to deny them
ess 70 right of transit, and to accumulate a
Otnef | oeroua nonnlatiOn in their midst. He