The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1863-01-16

/
publican members. Hence the sole res
possibility of our disagreement, and the
only difficulty in the way of an amicable
adjustment, is with the Republican par
ty." These remarks were made, as
we'll remember, before very full Senate
in the presence of nearly, if not quite
all the Republican and Southern Senators,
and no one dare to dispute the facts sta
ted.
Mr.. Pugh, on the I'd day of March, in
the course of a very able speech, remark
ed -
"But suppose that Senator does prom
ise me vote on the Crittenden proposi-
ton; I have followed him for three
months; I have followed my honorable
friend from Kentucky Mr.. Crittendenl
for three months; [ have followed my
friend, the Senator from Pennsylvania,
[Mr. Bigler1 for three months; I have
voted with them on all these propositions
at time when there were twelve other
Senators in this chamber on whose votes
we could rely; and what came of it all !?
Did we ever get vote on the Crittenden
proposition Never. Did we ever get
a vote on the Peace Conference PROPOSE
tion /? Never. Did we ever get vote
on the bill introduced by the Senator
from Pennsylvania Mr.. Bigler] to re-
NIT these propositions to vote of the
people? Never. They were not strong
enough to displace the Pacific railroad bill,
which stood here and defed them in the
Senate for more than a month. They
were not strong enough to set aside this
plunder bill you call tariff. They were
not strong enough to beat pension bill
one morning. For three long months
have followed the Senator and others,
begging for vote on these questions !;
never can we getit never; and now I am
to be deluded no further; and l use the
word delusion certainly in no unkind
sense to my friend.
"The Crittenden proposition has been
endorsed by the almost unanimous vote of
the Legislature of Kentucky. 1t has been
endorsed by the Legislature of the noble
old Commonwealth of Virginia. 1t has
been petitioned for by larger number Of
the electors of the United States than any
proposition that was ever before Congress.
l believe in my heart, to-day, that it
would carry an overwhelming majority of
the people of my State, aye, sir, and Of
nearly every other State in the Union
Before the Senators from the State of
Mississippi left this chamber, 1 heard one
of them, who now assumes, at least, to be
President of the Southern Confederacy,
propose to accept it, and to maintain the
Union, if that proposition could receive
the vote it ought to receive from the 9TH
er side of this chamber. Therefore, of
all your propositions, of all your amend
ments, knowing, as [ do, and knowing
that the historian will write it down, at
any time before the 1st of January two
thirds vote for the Crittenden resolutions
in this Chamber would have saved every
State in the Union but South Carolina
Georgia would be here by her representa-
tives, and Louisiana also-those two great
States which, at least, would have broken
the whole column of secession"
MIR. Douglas, at the same time said in
reply, II can confirm the Senator's de-
claration that Senator Davis himself, when
on the committee of thirteen, was ready
at all times to compromise on the Critten-
den proposition. I will 60 further and
say that Mr.. Toombs was also ready to do
so."
But if this testimony were not in exist
ence at all, do we not all know that the
great State of Virginia endorsed this pro-
position and submitted it to the other
States as basis ola final adjustment and
permanent peace. 1t was this basis on
which that State called for the Peace
Conference which assembled soon thereaf-
ter.
1t was also endorsed by almost the
unanimous vote of the Legislature Of
Kentucky, and subsequently by those of
Tennessee and North Carolina. But it is
useless to add testimony. The Republi-
can members of the Senate were against
the Crittenden proposition, and the radi-
Gals of that body were against any and
every adjustment. When the Peace Con-
ference had assembled, and there was
some hope of a satisfactory settlement, it
is we'll known that Mr. Chandler, Mr..
Harlan and others urged their respective
Governors to send on impracticable fanat-
les as Commissioners, in order to defeat o
compromise.
In what have said I have not intend