Year: 1859

Ferry invasion, again came up


Mr.. CLAY said he wished to know where we
stood. Let there be no conceament. The Sena-
tors the other side profess to respect the consti
tutOnal rights of the South, and declare that they
will preserve and maintain them. If that declara-
ton is sincere, and the Republican party will keep
their pledge, there is no cause for complaint But
the South has good reason to mistrust these pro-
iesslons when the conduct of the Opposition Sena-
tors is so different.


One Senator treats the whole matter with Ievity
which would be offensive if he did not ALWAYS treat
every subject IN the same manner; and he will prob
ably die like Rabelais with jest upon his lips and
never wake to the responsibilities OF life and DEATH
until called to Judgment.


Another Senator ridculcs the cowardice, weak
ness and impotence of the South in suffering a
handful of to seize the arsenal at Harper's
Ferry in the face of fifteen hundred inhabitants.


Another entertains us with newly discovered
opinions OF Washington, Jefferson, and other
fathers and trainers of the Declaration of indie
pendenee, the Federal Constitution, disapproving
of slavery.


The same sentiments have been often avowed in
different language by the Senator from New York
{ Mr.. Seward.) The Republican party in the
North have opposed slavery by non faction in refu-
sing to enforce the Constitutional guarantees and
have also adopted unfriendly legislation. For
ma1y years past, negroes have been stolen, either
by individuals or organized bands of predatory in
vaders, sometimes openly and shamelessIy, and at
other times secretly. Yet the Northern States re-
fuse to execute the fugitive slave law and cndeavor
10 throw Sucn obstacles IN the way OF its execution
tina: their owners will be unable to recover this
species of property. None of the Republican Sen
ators would rise and say that they condem such q
line of policy; on the contrary, they encourage
these depredatiOns slave property by non-action
and by the unfriendy legislation adopted in Massa-
chusetts and elsewhere.


Mr.. DOoLIrTLE stated that the Constitution of the
United States, when properly construed, gives
Congress no power to pass fugitive slave law. 1t
simply inhibits the States from dschargng the fll-
bn mo ho halH hut Ia &
the State from which he escapes.


Mr. CLAY replied that he would not enter into
constitutional argument respecting the fugitive
slave law oflS5O, or that of 1898; but the Wscon-
sin Legislature had never passed any act for the
rendition of fugitive slaves. Would that Senator
say here that he would advise his Legislature, in
the absence of Congressional legislation on the
subject to pass laws for the punishment of the steal
ing and robbery of Southern negroes, and to pro-
vide for their rendition


Mr. DOOMTTLE made reply.


Mr. CLAY proceeded to remark: Y GU violate the
fugitive slave law, because you do not regard it
as cOnstitutiona and yet you will pass no act for
the purpose of securing to US rights, solemnly
guaranteed to US by our fathers and yours He
went on to argue that the principles of the Repub-
lican party, if logically carried out, would lead
them to contend for the abolition of slavery in the
District of Columbia, and alluded to their refusal
to vote for the Amstad claim. They seek to de-
grade the South, and then menace Southerners
with halter and hangman if they dare refuse to





were foremost to threaten generally the hind
most to execute; bat still the South, being fore
warned, ought to be forearmed for the hour of
trial


Mr. GwIN believed the views expressed by the
Senator from Alabama were those OF a majority of
the Southern people, and that the inevitable action
OF the Southern people in the event of the election
OF a Republican President would be to recede from
the Union. Under those circumstances he should
be taItniess to his trust he to refrain from
lifting up his voice of warning at this juncture
There great delusion among the people of
the nOn-sIavehodng States in regard to the state
ot public sentiment at the South. Although the
South revere the Union, vet the election of Re
publican President, after what has taken place.
would inevitably those bonds lie was satisfied
that the saveholding States could establish a sepa-
rate and independent government that would be
impregnable to the assaults of any fOreirn power
for they have the elements Of strength in them
selves


Messrs. HALE and WILSON replied to Mr.. Gwin,
reterating arguments heretofore employed.


Mr.. WADE has the floor for tomorrow. Adjourn


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,


The House met at the usual hour.


The question before the House being on the mo-
ton OF Mr.. HICKMAN to amend Fridays Journal by
inserting that he had offered a resolution for the
adoption of the plurality rule.


Mr.. SICKLEs observed that he would not trespass
the time of the House did he not deem it his i'm
perative duty to protest against much which had
been said on this floor in the of the discus
sion as to the s. ntimcnts of the North.
The gentleman from Pennsy ylvania (Mr. Hick-
man) had avowed the ''irrepressibIe conflict as
not in the future, but existing in fact, and as here
now. Mr. Sickles said that the Northern senti-
ment is otherwise. There beats in the North mil
lions Of hearts, devoted not only to the Union, but
to the Constitution which it rests; and they
would never renquish their allegiance to it, or be
unmindlul of the duty OF perorming their obliga-
tions with which that allegiance is inseparably CON
nected, and without which their love for the Com
stituticn and the Union would be hypocrisy and
delusion.


He said that Mr.. Hickman's view of the North
ern sentiment is otherwise uufounded in point of
fact as the charges he makes in the name of the
North, well as the reasons for this feeling, are
unjustiable.


In the Of his reply to Mr. Hickman's
charge that the South has violated covenants. com
pacts and compromises, he referred to the history
of the adoption Of the Constitution and kindred sub
jectS, to show that there had been violation of
good faith by the South. He desired an antdote to
60 forth with the poison. The gentleman from
Pennsylvania could not sustain himself in his first
charge that the clause in the Constitution for the
abolition of the slave trade a concession to free
dom the part Of the South, when he (Mr.
Sickles) had proved that the clause originally
ported by eleven States, was enlarged and sustain
ed on motion of gentlemen from the North.


There no instance where the Southern courts
had failed to take cognizance Of, or punish those
engaged in the slave trade. Expeditions with this
view were fitted out with vessels, sometimes built
expressly for the purpose and the proceeds of the
traffic distributed in the North and East, and in all
probability at the South.


The late District Attorney of New York, Mr..
McKeon, gave it as his opinion that more slave
trade expeditions fitted out and sustained
by Northern capital than from any other part Of
the Union.


As to the charge that the South had broken the
Missouri Compromise, he argued that it could not
be called compromise. 1t was an experiment.
and had ceased to have vitality in the quarter
where alone it could be sustained. When the vio-
lent and excited feeling, produced by the repeal of
the Missouri restriction shall have ceased. the
North will, heretofore, regard the principle of
the Kansas and Nebraska bill as congenial to their
conviction and on which the best hopes of the pa
triot rest, and entirely fair to all portions of
the cOniederacy.


He maintained there had been no violation Of the
Compromises of 1850 and 81. The gentleman from
Pennsylvania had said the great question to be pre-
sented in the next Presidential election was: ''Shall
slavery be allowed to go into the Territories" ?"


The gentleman had not shown any reason or JUS
tlhcatOn for that issue. In view of such n con
tingency in our affairs existed two or three years
ago, with reference to Kansas, We were to under
stand that it to be brought forward
abstract, not as existing question. But the
North does not desire to enter on the Presidential
contest any such question.


When the people of the North witness the inevita-
bic result of the doctrines of ''irrepressible
fict' and acts of fanatics and traitors, invading
peaceful homes and iiresides and creating alarm
and death; when they find such are the conse-
quences of giving an ascendency to sectional
party, they will sweep it out of existence as sum-
marly as they would drive away the enemy from
their doors. In view of the danger to the
peace and harmony of the Union, he said it was his
duty faithful sentinel, to admonSh the North,
who, in the full understanding of the facts be be-
leved would give patriotic response. As a citi-
zen of New York, he would say thai State
would prove itself faithful to its history
faithful to the period of 1900, When it gave its
decided vote to jefferson for the Presidency, and
laid, with foundations deep the mountains,
the Democratic party.


On the conclusion Of his speech he applauded.


Mr.. ADRIAN alluded to an article in the Constitu-
ton, rejecting upon his political course. He be-
leved that that paper the organ of the Pres-
dent, and would ask the Democrats whether it
their organ too. If so, how could he be asked to
vote for Mr.. Bocock, when he had been charged with
bribery Pending the Kansas discussion, he
approached with a show of corruption, and was as
sured that if he would vote for Lecompton, he
should have foreign appointment for one
and dear to him.


A leading member here said this question had
already been settled in the Cabinet


lie had been charged BY the Constitution with
being Black Republican, AbOtionst, and no
Democrat. But he trumphautly referred to the
fact that, notwithstanding the Union newspaper
had at that time denounced him. he was returned
to Congress. He had never been anything but
Democrat. This Administration had endeavored
to read out Of the party greater man than him
self-Stephen A. Douglas. He sent up, which
read, the resolutions passed by both wings of
the New jersey Democrats, in which they maintain
the people of Territory have right to regulate
the slavery question for themselves, independently
of Congressional action; and candidate for the
1 ,to.,, .