Year: 1860

warrant to summon posse cOmltatus, t


be so used as to restrict it to cases where vic
. Ience or rescue is attempted. The laws 70
= the suppression of the African slave trad
ought to be effectually executed.


The bill for the admission OF Kansas wa


taken up.


On motion of Mr. Green, it was made The
special order for Monday next.


aiF. PowelFs- resolution was taken up
and after the discussion of points of order


Mr.. johnson of Tennessee yielded the
floor to Dir. Hale, who said he simply rose


to say that whatever he thought of the
practicability of the resolutions of the Sem


ator from Kentucky, he had no doubt about


the purity of his motives and integrity, and


the disinterested fervor of his patriotism.


But tie Senator from Louisiana, Mr.. Benia-


min, asked what was meant by the amend


ments of the Senator from New York, MIR.
. King and he now rose to ask for informa-


ton. He had listened to the long and able
! hut cratic speech of the Senator from Tex


as, Mr. Wigfall, who seemed explicit in his
demands. But the Senator from Kentucky,


Mr.. Crittenden, seemed of an entirely diff
| ferent sect in politics. The demands put
forth to day were entirely different from
those of the honorable Senator from Texas.
| His desire was to know which represented





He wanted to know if ne Senator from
| Kentucky represented the people, or simply
the effusions of his own patriotic heart. If
| the people are really represented by the
! Senator from Texas, be would like to know
! which of these two gentlemen represent the
| state of feeling at the South.


Mr.. Salisbury said, he was q Union man
and his State was for the Union. He was
prepared to accept the proposition of the
Senator from Kentucky. He asked the
| Senator from n H., if he was willing to do
so, and to urge the people to accept.
! Mr.. Hale said not to the full extent, though
he liked many things. He had listened to the
denunciations of geographical line so long
he could not suddenly become convert
He would wait for some assurance that the
line would be kept. He did not believe the
remedy lay in new provisions, but in a
faithful, prompt execution of things already
established. He was willing to look the
! thing all over. He had no doubt his State
would render anything just and fair. He
would not pledge for his people lie thought
they had given the pledge Of fidelity aud
would give il still. He thought the gentle
men too prone to throw the blame on the
Republican party and make that the pack
horse of all the troubles. lie said the que5-
ton would not be settled here but by the
people.


Mr. Johuson Of Tenn. suggested that the
resolution of Mr.. Powell for the committee
be adopted, that they might 90 to work to
make an effort to save the country.


Mr.. PowelIs resolution was adopted, and
the President authorized to form tue COM
mittee. ..-.e ...


Mr. Critlenden's resolutions were referred
to the committee.


Mr. johnson of Tenu. referred to his re-
solution and argued in favor OF different
mode Of electng the President, but he
should not now discuss the resolutions. He
thought it deYolved on every man to come
forward and make an effort to save the
country. He did not differ much from his
Southern friends except as to the mode of
redress. He was opposed to secession and
would fight for the rights Of the
South in the Union and upon the
battlements of the Constitution He
was not a compromising man or con-
servative man, and would not demand any
thing but what was right. He should act
on the basis of the resolutions passed by
large body of the people of Tennessee. !
Many believed that a State had the right to /
secede, and the belief was based on tic
resolutions Of IT9S. Letus examine these
resolutions.


3 Air. johnson then read from letters of Mr.. !
Madison TO show that the government was /
one nation and not mere partnership that /
a State has no right to secede and that TIE |
only way for her to go out of the Union
was by revolution. If the doctrine of seces- /
sion was true, then we have no government |
at all. The government has no right to CO.
cree State, but has the right to enforce |
the laws The legislation of the North was
unconstitutional and revolutionary, but this |
was no reason why the South should follow
in revolutionary acts. He (Johnson) was .
in the Union and meant to stay in the Un-
ion. He was not to be driven out by any .
act but meant to fight in it. Suppose n
slave should go to Vermont and on his ar
rest there mob should rescue him. That
would be an act of notification and rebel
lion which should be put down by the gov
ernment. -.... .-.s.s-tts ...H


Mr. Collamer said that as his State was
referred to, he would like to correct a wrong
impression. Gentlemen seemed 10 think
that all the laws in the North in relation to
slaves were especially enacted against the
fugitive slave law. Now the personal lib
erty law of Vermont was adopted six years
before the passage of the fugitive slave law
of 1850. There are two modes of recover
ing slaves. One is taking him just as you
would any other stolen property and bring
ing on suit afterwards This gives no pro-
lection against kidnappers. The laws of the
North were made against this mode and not
against the fugitive slave law at ALL The
people of the free States never held the doc
trine that the State could nullify an act of .
Congress. There was no reason for suppos- /
ing that the North was unfair or uncandid. .


Mr. Johnson.-Did not Vermont pass a
law relating to the same subject i'll 1883
and he would ask the Senator Il he thought
it unconstitutional.


Mr. Collamer said that it was in the his
tory of the transaction that at the time Of
the adoption of the law, the Supreme Court
had passed law deciding that colored men
had no rights under law which white men
were bound to respect.


Mr.. Benjamin asked ifthe Supreme Court
had ever decided it So


Mr.. Collamer said, in his opinion it had.
He said the people of Vermont never in
tended to pass an unconstitutional law.
The Senate here adjourned.