The southern aegis, and Harford County intelligencer., 1863-01-16
BEL AIR, MD. FRIDAY MORNING,

y
den proposition had been defeated.
This motion came up for consideration
on the 18th, and to the amazement OF
every body not in the secret, Senator
Cameron voted against his own motion,
and was joined by every other Senator Of
his party The vote is recorded on p.
433 of 1st vol. Congressional Globe, and
is as follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Bayard, Bigler, Bragg,
Bright, Clingman, Crittenden, Douglas,
Green, Gwin, Hunter, johnson of Arkan-
sas, johnson of Tennessee, Kennedy,
Lane, Latham, Mason, Nicholson, Polk,
Pierce, Powell, Pugh, Rice, Salisbury, Se-
bastian, and Slidell-27.
Nays-Messrs. Anthony, Baker, Bing-
ham, Cameron, Chandler, Clark, Cola
mar, Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot
Foster, Grimes, Hale, Harlan, King,
Seward, Simmons, Sumner, Ten Eyck,
Wade, Wigfall, Wilkinson, and Wilson
"a.
This vote was regarded by many as
conclusive against the Crittenden PROPOSE
tiou, for the reason that the Republican
Senators, after full deliberation and
consultation, had cast a united vote
against it. l shall never forget the ap-
pearance and bearing of that venerable pa.
triot John J. Crittenden, on the announce
ment of this result. His heart seemed
full to overfowing with grief and his
countenance bore.the unmistakable marks
of anguish aud despair. The motion of
Senator Cameron to reconsider had inspir-
ed him with hope-strong hope but the
united vote of the Republican Senators
against his proposition showed him too
clearly that his efforts were vain.
The final vote was taken directly on
agreeing to the Crittenden proposition on
the Sd of March--one day before the f.
nal adjournment of Congress-and is re-
corded on p. l405 of the Congressional
Globe, second part. On this vote every
Democrat and every Southern Senator,
Gncludlng Mr.. Wigfall, who voted against
the reconsideration of Mr.. Clark's amend
meht) voted for the proposition, and cOery
Republican against It,.
As for the Cotton State Senators who
withheld their votes on the 10th of Janu-
ary SO that Mr.. Cark's amendment might
prevail, I have certainly no apology to
make for their mischievous and wicked
conduct on that or any other occasion,
but if they are blame-worthy for with
holding their votes, and not sustaining the
Crittenden proposition, what shall we say
of the Republican Senators who, at the
same time, cast solid vote against it, as
| have already shown :? 1t was no half
way business with them, they aimed di-
rectly at its defeat Some of the South
ern Senators, on the other hand, who had
withheld their votes on the 10th, Messrs,
Slidell, Hcmphil, and johnson, of Arkan-
sas, by the 18th had repented their error,
and cast their votes to reconsider and re-
vive the Compromise proposition but
the Republicans persisted in their hostili-
ty to the end. Nor is it true that the vote
the Cotton State Senators, with those of
all the other Southern Senators and those
of all the Northern Democrats, could have
saved and secured the Crittenden Compro-
mise. They could have givin it a ma ajori-
ty, but every body knows that the Consti-
tuition requires vote of two-thirds to
submit amendments to the Constitution
for the ratification of the States These
could not be had without eight or ten
Republican votes: But suppose the
Constitution did not so require-what
could it have availed to have adopt
ed settlement by a mere party vote !?
1t was compromise between the two
sections that the exigencies required
The Republican was the dominant party at
the North, and no compromise or adjust
ment could be successful, either in the Sem
ate or before the people, without their active
support. They constituted one Of the
parties to the issue, and it would have
been folly-worse than folly-to have at
tempted settlement without their sane
tion and support before the country.
But no one can misunderstood the real
object of the Republican orators in para
ding the fact that six or eight Southern Sen
tors had, at one time, withheld their votes
from the Crittenden proposition. 1t is to
show that the South was. not for it and
did not desire compromise, and hence the
Republicans are not responsible for the
horrible consequences of its failure. On
this point the testimony is very conclu-
sive, and shall give it at some length,
please or displease whom it may. If Re-
publicans choose to take the responsibility