East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1863-11-25
ed for the proposition, and every Re.
publican against it.

As for the Cotton States States Sem
ators who withheld their votes on the
10th of January, so that Mr.. Clark's
amendment might prevail, L have GER
tainly no apology TO mako 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 Critten-
den proposition, what shall we say of
the Republican Senators, who, at the
same time, east solid vote against it,
as have already shown. 1t was.no
halfway business with them, they
aimed directly atits final defeat Some
of the Southern Senators, ON the other
hand, who had withheld their votes
on the 18th, --Messrs. Slidell, Hemp
hill and Johnson Of Arkansas,--by
the 18th had repented their error, and
east their votes to reconsider and re-
vive the compromise proposition, but
tho Republicans persisted in their hos
tility to the end.
Nor is il true that the votes of the
Cotton States Senators, with those of
all the Northern Democrats, could
have saved and secured the Critten-
den Compromise. They could have
given it majority, but everybody
knows that the Constitution requires
vote of two-thirds to submit amend
ments to the Constitution for the rati-
fcation of the States. These could
not be had without eight or ten Re
publican votes.
But suppose the Constitution did
not SO require, what could it have
avaiied to have adopted u settlement
by mere party vote? twas COM
promise between the two sections that
the exigency required. The Republi-
can was the dominant party in the
North, and no compromise or adjust
ment could be successful, either in thu
Senate or before the people, without
their active support. They constitut-
ed one of the parties to the issue, and
it would have been folly, worse than
folly, TO have attempted settlement
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 Critten-
den proposition. 1t is To show that
tho South was not for it and did not
desire n compromise, and hence the
Republicans are not responsible for
the horrible consequences of its fail
uro. On this point the testimony is
yuIy conclusive, ond i sholl Sivo it at
some length, please or displease whom
it may. If Republicans choose to
take the responsibility of saying that
they were against the proposition and
determined to make no settlement,
however we may lament their policy,
no one could object TO that position,
as MATTER of fact but. they will for
ever fail to satisfy the world that the
South was not fairly committed TO Il
settlement on the basis of the Critten-
den proposition, or that the Northern
Democrats would not have compromis-
ed 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 that section back into the Union,
oven on the conditions of the Constitu-
ton. They certainly can have no
complaint against my views and senti-
mcnts.
When Congress assembled in De-
cember, 1861, il 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 imminent peril
tic tural consequences of n prolong-
ed war of elimination and recrimina-
ton between the extreme and imprac-
ticablemen of the North and the South.
The anxious inquiry was heard every
whore, "What can be done to allay
the agitation, and save the unity and
peace of our country Z" Among those
who were willing to make an effort TO
compromise and settle, regardless Of
sectional, party or personal consider
atoms, consultation after consultation
was held. The first great task was to
discover whether it was possible to
bring the South up to ground on which
the North could stand. Many and
various were the propositions and sug-
gestions produced. But il was finally
concluded that the proposition from
the venerable Senator from Kentucky
(Mr Crittenden) was most likely to
command the requisite support in Con-
gress and before the people. These
together with all others of similar
character, were referred to a select
committee, composed of the following
Senators
Messrs. Crittenden, Powell, Hun
ter, Seward, Toombs, Douglas. Cola
mer, Davis, Wade, Bigler Rice, Doc
little and Crimes five Southern men,
five Republicans and three Northern
Democrats. The Southern and Re-
publican Senators were recorded as the
parties of the issue, and hence the rule
was adopted that no proposition should
be reported to the Senate as a com
promise unless il received a majority of
both sides. All the Southern Sena-
tors, save Mr.. Davis and Mr.. Toombs,
were known to favor the Crittenden
proposition. On the Odd of December,
this proposition came up for consider
alton, and it became necessary for
Messrs. Davis and Toombs to take
their positions in regard to it, and
shall never forget the substance of
what both said, for / regarded their
course 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 consti-
tupnfe hod an ouuol rirbt with those I