The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-02-15
TREASON REBUKED.
SPEECH OF SENATOR JOHNSON OF TENN
THE RECORD OF HISTORY.
Tho South wanted no Protection for
Slavery in the Territories.

Slavery in the Territories.
The Globe contains q full report Of the speecl
Of Andrew johnson Of Tenn, delivered In tn
Senate on the 9th and 7th inst. The telegraph
10 abstract. previously published. gave but al
imperfect idea Of the Senator's positions.
pIsuSIoS THE MOTHER OF POLITICAL SIM
As for back rs 1893. when was young
man, before made my advent into puoIc llle
when the controversy arose between the Ie1era
i government and the State of South Carolina
and Il became necessary for Andrew jackson
then President OF the United States, to issue hi
proclamation, exhorting the people 10 obey .n'
law and comply with the requirements oi 'n'
constitution. planted myself upon ,he Princ''
pIes then announced by him, which l advocat,
ii ON the 10Th Of December last. believed
thai The positions taken then by General Jack.
son and those who came to his support, were
| tie true doctrines of the constitution, and the
only doctrines upon which this government
conid be preserved. | have been uniformly
| from that period to the present time, opposed
| 10 the doctrine Of secession or OF nullihcatlon,
which is rather hermaphrodite, but approx
mates TO the doctrine Of secession. repeat
that then viewed il as a heresy and as an ele-
destruction Of this government. l maintain
the same position to-day. then opposed the
doctrine of secession as political hsresy,
rhich, u sanctionsi and sustained as a Jun
domshtdi principle of this government iciH re-
suH in its orerihrop and destruction; for, M
We have seen already, few vi the States are
crumbling and falling of.
oppose this heresy for another reason; not
only as being destructive OF the existing gov
eminent, but as being destructive OF all future
confederaces that may be established In conse.
quence OF disruption Of the present one; and
[ ayailed myself Of the former occasion on
which spoke to enter my protest against 1t,
and to do something TO extinguish political
heresy that ought never to be incorporated up
on this or any other government which may be
subsequently, established. I look upon IL as The
prolific mother Of political sin; as a Jlnda-
msnial error; as heresy that is infoisrabie in
contrast rih the existence of the government
ITSELF look upon il as being productive OF
anarchy, aud anarchy is the next step to des-
potsm. The developments that we have re-
Gently seen in carrying this doctrine into prac-
tice, think, admonsh US this will be the re-
suit.
LOUISIANA AND THE SAvIGATIoS or TIE MISS.
.. But In the acquisition Of Louisiana
We acquired the exclusive and entire control o'
the navigation Of the Mississippi river. We
| find that Louisiana in her ordinance OF seces-
sion makes the negative declaration that she
has the control of the navigation of that great
stream, by stating that the navigation oil the
river shall remain free to those States that re-
main on friendly terms with her, with the pro-
yso that moderate contributions are to be lev
ied to defray such expenses rs they may deem
expedient from time to time. That is the sub
stance of il. Sir, look at the facts. All the
States, through their federal government, treat.
ell for Louisiana. The treaty was made. Al
the States, by the contribution Of their money
paid for Louisiana and the navigation OF the
Mississippi
Where, and from what source, does Louisians
now derive the power or the authority to seced,
| from this Union, and set up exclusive control
of the navigation of that greet stream which II
owned by all the States, which was paid for by
the money Of all the States, and upon Whose
borders the blood Of many citizens Of the States
has been shed!
THE RECORD or HISTORY TIE SOUTH DID MOI
WANT SLAVERY PROTECTED IN THE TERRIFIC
RIEs.
But 10 come back 70 the point at which the
senator from Oregon speaks OF the resolutions
introduced by the senator from Mississippi,
mir. Davis ] had referred to those resolu'
tons to show that there was no occasion for
this immediate secession without giving the peo-
pie time to think or understand what was to be
done. thought so then, and think 50 now;
and want to show what the senator's views
were then, and see what has brought about such
change upon his mind since. We find that
while those resolutions were under considera-
ton, Mr.. Clingman offered an amendment, to
eome in AFTER the fourth resolution, to insert
the following -
"Resolref, That the existing condition OF
the Territories of the United States does not
require the Intervention Of Congress for the
protection of property in slaves.
On the question to agree to the amendment,
proposed by Mr.. Brown, to wit: Strike out OF
| the amendment the word not
II was determined in the negative-yeas s.
nays 49,"
Now, by striking out the word mot 1t makes
the resolution read -
"Resolrsd, That the existing condition OF the
Territories Of the United States does require the
Intervention of Congress for the protection ol
property in slaves"
Mr.. Brown Of Miss, moved to strike out the
word mot thereby making IL read that the
condition Of the condition Of the Territories
does require the protection Of Congress Tor
slave property; and upon the yeas and nays
being taken on the motion TO strike out the
word mot there were cas-, 5, nays ~.
On motion OF Mr.. Clingman,
The yeas and nays being desired by one
| fifth of the senators present.
Those who voted in the negative are Messrs
| BENJAMIN, Bigler, bingham, Bragg, bright,
Chandler, Chestnut, Clark, Clingman, Cola
mer, Crittenden, Davis, Dixon, Doolittle, fitz-
patrick, Foot, Green, Gwin, Hale, Hamlin,
Hammond, Hemphill, Hunter, johnson OF Ten
nessee, Kennedy, Lane, Latham, Mallory, Ma
son, Nicholson. Pearce, Polk, Powell, Pugh'
Rice, Sebastian, Slidell. Ten Eyck, Trumbull,
Wade, wigfall, WILSON,
Thus, .forty-thrss senator's recorded hsir
rotes during the last session of Congress that
IL rds not necessary TO pass a lao to protect
slareTy IN the territories. The senator from
Oregon, in connection with other senators,
under the solemn sanction OF an oath, declared
that il was not necessary TO pass laws Tor the
protection ofslayery in the territories. What
right has South Carolina lost since the last ses.
sion What right hos any state lost since idsi
ssssionof Congress, You declared hdfh trds mol
necessary 10 pass idu 10 protect them In hs
sRoymsRt Of their property On hehrriiories
and now, forsooth, in the short space OF two or
three moons. you turn round and tell the
country that States are justified In going out oil
the Union, because Congress tciH not pa. a
iap 10 project them in tie sUoymsnt Of their
properly in the territories, rhen you said u
,cds not accessory. That is what call draw
ing the nail in. (Laughter.) l will reue
rs | X, along. that the eloquent and dstin-
guished senator who made his yaletictory
here yesterday, on retiring from the Senate,
voted for that identical resolution. This pro-
lection was not necessary then. They said II
was wholly unnecessary then. But since that,
they have walked up TO u sense OF its necessity,
and resolved to secede IL IL should not be grant
cd. To this sane resolution MIR. Albert u.
Brown offered an amendment. Marx you,
This Is the 18th day of May, 1850, and that is
not long ago.
On motion by Mr.. Brown to amend the res
'utiou by striking out all amer the word re-
solved and in lieu thereof inserting
/ wish had the whole continent here to hear
thus paragraph.
That experience having already shown that
I.l .,l h.. Law