Year: 1861

IHlkTf-SlAiH UUNGkENN--NECUND NEANlUN
SENATE.


WASHINGTON, January 31.-Mr. SEWARD pre-
sented memorial from IS, 900 citizens of the State
of N. Y, and said that although the Senate Cham
Der was the largest legislative chamber erect
ed since the beginning of the world, except the
House of Representatives, this memorial would
cover space thrtv-eight times as large as this
chamber. He had already presented similar me-
mortal with $4,000 names, all urging conciation.
The committee who brought this memorial were
the representatives of the largest commerce
in the world--a commerce which in any
other country would be paramount to all
other interests. Happily here it not so.
He had been requested to support the views o:
this memorial, and regretted that he had seen no
disposition on the part of the seeding States and
their friends to meet any practicable effort at
promise on the part of the adhering States. He,
however, held himself open to such propositions
and reoiced at the fraternal feeling manifested
by the people of his State in those memorials. He
did not fear for the Union nor did he believe these
difficulties would certainly be settled in thirty, six
ty ninety days. but nevertheless he believed they
would be settled. All platforms or men that stood
in the way of the preservation of the Union would
be swept away. The question of slavery or free
dom in the Territories had been greatest in 1850
The admission of Kansas, California and Ore
gOn had reduced the question to very narrow
compass. In that part which remained, all be-
i7g slave territory, over which a slave code ex.
tended there were but twenty-four slaves-but one
for every 44, 900 square miles. He did not fear
slave aggression which had only carried twenty
-four slaves to all that territory. Why then should
he despair of the Union? Why could lie believe
that &c, 0,0000 900 Of people would reduce themselves
to the scorn of mankind by the dissolution of this
Union for this question? This a confedera-
tion, not an imperial government. Submit the
question to a convention to be called according to
the forms nfthe Constitution, and the world would
see how thirty-four States could peaceably adjust
this difficulty He urged, as last resort, if other
means failed, the calling of a national conven-
tion according to the constitutional forms.
He concluded by saying that he had ad-
vised the gentlemen composing the committee
who had brought on the memorial to 90 home and
tribute their money to preserve the Union, and
when all other expedienIs failed, to fight for the
Union.-Mr. MASON moved that the memorial
be printed. He understood it to be memoriGi
ma3.s-o II. Iiu not think that at this time when
six States had seeded and others were arming,
the Premier of the new administration had pro
posed any practical measures. All knew by his
votes his opinion on the Crittenden amend
ments, and by his vote for Clark's resolution
that the Constitution needed no amend
ments, but that the Constitution and laws
should be enforced. He (Mr. Seward) had
urged his constituents to contribute money to the
Urion. He would like to know the meaning of
that.-Mr. SEWARD said he meant that the
people should advance to the Union the funds by
which the credit of the Government should now be





done him the injustice to suppose that he meant
the money to subsidize demoraize anv portion
OF the South. lie meant to paw the army to con-
duet the fght.-Mr. SEWARD said be meant tG
advise that it, after all Congressional compromises,
the assembling of a convention of all the people of
the United States had failed then for all to stand as
he should do himself, in the breach for the Union.
MIR. MASON said he now understood the Sena-
tor He meant if negotiations failed, to use war
and blOodshed to preserve the Union. The Union
was gone, and no attempt at subjugation could re-
store it. He wanted his people, who were mediat-
ing to restore broken Union, to understand these
things--Mr. SEWARD said he meant nothing
that was attributed to him by the Senator
from Virginia. He did not believe that blood
shed would be necessary. He believed the peo-
pie would settle it, The Union was not
gone, for the Senator was here to sustain it
Mr.. MASON said, the remarks of the Senator in
favor of coercion would undeceive Virginia. and
show her that all this talk about compromise and
concession amounted to nothing Money and war
was the thing the North looked to. He would
speak without angry emotion. Men on the eve of
measuring swords should comport themselves as
gentlemen. He trusted that they might avoid the
ultima ratio, and that the advice of the Senator of
New York would be rejected. If there
was to be confederation of Southern States, he
trusted that they might be permitted to separate in
peace. lie hoped that the good sense, humanity,
civilization, and regard for unborn posterity
would lead the people of both sections to repudiate
the counsels of the Senator from New York. The





prevent collision, which now imminent
The counsel of the Senator from New York
was, that the people of the North should
speak for the Union, vote for the Union, con-
tribute their money for the preservation of the
Union, and fight for the Union. Now for the
first time it was shadowed forth that the cry of
the Republican leaders would be ''force, force,
force" He hoped this would open the eyes of the
South to what she had to expect. If the North
did not repudiate these counsels and civil war en-
sued after years of devastation military despot-
ism would be the result-Mr. SEWARD was as
tOnished at the self-delusion of the Senator from
Virginia, who had made out of speech pacific
and fraternal, a declaration of war He
wished the Union saved by the pacific and constitu-
tiona action of the people, and had spoken of force
as the last resort when every other expedent had
been exhausted. He had been willing to hear and
consider all propositions and was still willing so to
do. New York stood ready to do likewise and set
tie the question peaceably without resort to the
sword. When all efforts failed to satisfy the intense
secessonists in whose interests the Senator from
Virginia seemed to speak, he would appeal to the
Government was to be destroyed ed.-Mr. MASON
denied that he spoke for any other interest than
t that of Of Virginia; and there was no authority
apologized. He had meant nothing often
sive.-Mr. CAMERON asked what Ma
ryand and Virginia wanted.--Mr. MASON
said the demands of Virginia were expressed in the
resolutions of her Legislature, now before the SEN
ate. he made some allusions to dispatches sent by
Mr. Douglas to Virginia, saving that settlement
would be reached-Mr DOUGLAS said he lad
only expressed his views when asked by Vrginians.
Everything depended on the action of Virginia and
the border States 1t was very clear the Senator
from Virginia had one object in view and he another
He was for saving the Union by fair and honora-
bic adjustment but had seen nothing in the action
OF the Senator from Virginia looking to such a
result. He had repelled the advances made by the
Senator from Pennsylvania, and had been applaud
ed by the Republicans for his declaration that the
South wished no concession. The secessionists and
Republicans coincded in their efforts to destroy
the Government, and acted in concert.-Mr.
MASON: "Do YOU mean that we con-
suit ?"--Mr. Douglas: " Certainly not"
He then remarked that by the refusal
of Southern Senators to vote, the Clark substitute
was adopted in lieu of the Crittenden resolutions.
MIR. JOHNSON, OF Arkansas, said he could not
permit thatstatement to go abroad without
ing it. AS compromises not adopted by majority
Of both parties in the Senate would be useless fol-
lowing the rule which governed the action of the
Committee OF Thirteen, certain Southern Senators
remained passive to see what the other side would
do. They had all, without solitary exception voted
against the Crittenden resolves. That was the fact
and he did not wish the Senator to send deceptive
statements abroad, that Southern Senators had
acted in concert with Republicans. [Appause in
the galleries. MIR. DOUGLAS said he could not
know the motives of individual Senators. He only
knew the refusal of certain of them to vote caused
the adoption of Cark's substitute, and upon that,
hope.-Mr. JOHNSON-"There was no de.
ception in that. There is no hope
MIR. DOUGLAS said he never would despair of the
Union. War could only lead to disunion and final
separation He saw no reason why the diff
Guilty could not be adjusted. The Senator from
New York had shown that the government had
been in the hands of the South for twelve years,
and yet in that time had only planted twenty
four slaves in all the territories That showed that
slavery could not be carried in opposition
to national laws. Why then seek to break up the
Union abstraction of no pratica value? A
simple clause in the Constitution forbidding Con-
gress to interfere with slavery in the States or
Territories would close the whole controversy