The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1862-10-16
position, and every Republican against it.

position. aud every Republican against it.
As for the Cotton State Senators who
withheld their votes on the 10th of January,
so that Mr.. Clark's amendment might pre-
vail, have certainly no APOLOGY to make
for their mischievous and wicked conduct
on that or any other occasion, but if they are
blameworthy for withholding their votes and
not sustaining the Crittenden proposition,
what shall we say of the Republican Sena-
tors who, aG the same time, cast solid vote
against it, as 1 have already shown. 1t was
no halfway business with them-they aim :
ed directly at its final defeat. Some of tho
Southern Senators, on the other hand, who
had withheld their votes on the 10Th
Messrs. Slidell, Hemphill and johnson. of
Arkansas-by the 18th had repented their
error and cast their votes to reconsider and
vve the compromise proposition, but the
Republicans persisted in their hostility to
the end.
Nor is it true that the votes of the Cotton
| State Senator'S with those of all the other
Southern Senators and those of all the
Northern Democrats, could have saved and
secured the Crittenden Compromise. They
could have given a majority. but everybody
knows that the Constitution requires vote
of two thirds to submit amendmen to the
Constitution for the ratification of the States.
These could not be had without eight or ten
Republican votes But suppose the Consti-
tuition did not so require what could it have
availed to have adopted settlement by
mere party vote? 1t was a com prom Use be-
tween the two sections that the eXigency re-
CURED. The Republican was the dominant
party in the North and no compromise or
adjustm ent could be successful, either il
the Senate or before the people. without
tbair aA
of the parties to the issue, and it would have
been folly, worse than folly. to have at
tempted a settlement without their sanction
and support before the country.
But no one can misunderstood the real
object Of the Republican orators in parading
the fact that six or eight southern Senators
had, at one time, withheld their votes from
the Crittendcn proposition. 1t is to show
that the South was not tor it and did not
desire com promise, and hence the Repub-
licans are not responsible for the horrible
consequences of its failure. On this point
the testimony is very conclusive, and l shall
give it at some length. please or displease
whom it may. II Republicans choose to
take the responsibility of sayi ing that they
were against the proposition and determined
to make no settlement, however we may Ia
ment their policy, no ore could object to
that position, as matter of fact; but they will
forever fail 10 satisfy the world that the
South was not fairly committed to a settle
ment on the basis of tn e Crittenden PROPOSE
ton, or that the Northern Democrats would
not have compromised on that ground, had
they possessed the power to do so. | am
aware that there are plenty of Republicans
who would still spurn to settle with the
South on such conditions. as there are also
radical fanatics who would not take tn at
section back into the Union even on the
conditions of the Constitution. They cer-
tainly can have no complaint against my
views aud sentiments.
When Congress assem- bled in December
1861, it was obvious to every one who was
at all willing to heed the signs of the times,
that the peace of the country was in immi-
uent peril; the natural consequences of a
prolonged war Of elimination aud recrim
inaton between the extreme and impracti-
cable men Of the North and the South
The anxious inquiry was heard every where,
"what can be done to aliay the agitation and
save the unity and peace of our country?"
Among those who were willing TO make an
effort to com promise and settle, regard less of
sectional party or personal considerations,
consultation after consultation was held
The first great task was to discover whether
it was possible to bring the South up to
=
Many and various were the propositions and
suggestions produced. But it was finally
conclude ed that the proposition of the ven
erable Seua tor from Kentucky (Mr. Critten-
den) was most likely to command the req
uisite support in Congress and before the
people. These. together with all others of
similar character, were referred to select
committee, composed of the following sena-
tors:
Messrs Crittenaen, Powell, Hunter, Sew
ard, Toombs, Douglas. Collamer. Davis.
w ade. Bigler, Rice, Doolittle and Grimes
five Southern men. five Republicans and
three n orthern Democrats. The Southern
and Republican Senators were recorded as
the parties OF the issue, and hence rule
was adopted that no proposition should be
reported to the Senate as compromise un-
less it received majority of both sides
All the Southern Senators, save MI. Davis
and Mr. Toombs, were known to favor the
Crittenden proposition. On the 23i OF De-
cember this proposition came up for consid
Grafton, and it became necessary tor M es rs.
Davis and Toombs to take their positions in
regard to it, and l shall never forget the sub
stance of what both sail, for l regarded
their cou1se as involving the fate OF the
compromise. Mr.. Davis said. THAT for
himself the proposition would be a bitter
pill, for he held that his constituents had
an equal right with those of any other Sen
ator to 90 into the common Territories and
occupy and enjoy them with whatever
might be their property at the time; but
nevertheless, in view of the great stake in
volved, if the Republican side would go
for it in good faith, he would unite with
them" Mr.. Toombs expressed nearly the
same sentiments and declared that his State
would accept the proposition as final set
clement Mr.. Toombs also, in open Senate,
on the 7th of January, used the following
language: