Year: 1861

Clerk during the disability ofthe present Chic


CLERK. Agreed to.-Mr BRIGHT moved to post


pone its further consideration until the lst Monda


OF December next. Lost by yeas II, nays 90


The resolution was then agreed to--Mr HALL


offered resolution that the Senate will, on Satur


DAY next at P. NJ, proceed to the election of


Sergeant-at-arms, doorkeeper and assistant door


Keeper. Laid over.-Mr. POWELL offered n re


solution allowing clerks of the committees addi
tlonal compensation TRUMBULL an(
CLlNGMAN cOntended that the regular paw of tn,
c,erks was ample Compensation CLING


SS pan SAID the pay was Sc per day, and he had nc
uouot tnat they could get competent persons to dc
tne work for half that sum.-Mr. POWELL saiG
ne ne had no doubt persons could be found to fill the
senator's place for half he received. He was as
much for economy as any man in the Senate but
the clerks had to remain here after the session Ia
nnlsh up their work, and were entitled to pay-
Mr. TRUMBULL said the Republican party was
lor economy.-Tbe resolution was rejected by yeas
-, nays 25.-The resolution of Mr.. Doug as was
taken up, and Mr.. BAYARD continued his re-
marks. He again contended that under the treaty
making power the President had the power to re.
cognlZe the Southern COmmissione S, and to adjust
questions relating to the division of common prop
erty and the apportionment of common liabilities


II matters were left in their present unsettled con-
olton, war was at any moment likely to occur
policy of inaction would be virtual recognition
| OF OF the dc tGcto government Of the Confederated
! ot'tes. Any attempt to enforce the laws by mill
tary force would lead to protracted war which
would necessltate large standing army and lead
ultimately, to military despotism. He expatia-
eed at length upon the evils which would result
| from the adoption of a coercive policy, and
| showed the folly and inpossibility of any at
! Tempt to subjugate the Southern States
AS the invaded States, the South would have the
advantage, for men always fought more resolutely
for their homes and firesdes than for purposes of
conquest He hoped the idea of exciting seryie in
surrection to subdue the South was not entertained
but if it was,it would prove futile-Mr. HOWE,
OF Wisconsin, said he was opposed to the passage
the rpsOlntIOn nplar L..
It was unnecessary. The Senator from Illinois, (Mr.
Douglass to judge by his speech, seemed already
TO have the information sought for. He was fur
ther opposed to the resolution, because the Secre-
Lary OF ar, having but recently entered upon his
uuties, might not be prepared to answer Just now
Another Objection was, that he did not think it
proper to give to the country the information de-
lnahdea. Ihe country was excited, and it was said
war was threatened. If this was so and they had
an enemy confronting them, it was hardly wise to
publish to the world all the details asked for. and
all that they intended to do. 1t would be more
Judcious for the Administration to keep its
counsels to itsel, and not even to communicates them
to all ofits friends When the Administration of
Mr. BUCHANAN came into power this government
was respected, its authority obeyed at home and
no one dared insult its flag abroad BUTT was now
saiu i tnat rival government had sprung up by
slde and that in that section of the country would
require 285 000 men to enforce our laws The
people were asking how this had come about, and
Degan to think they had not been fairly dealt BY





the arguments by which it had been enforced
particularly he found himS If unable to agree
with the positions assumed by the Senator from
Illinois, MIR. Douglas.) He felt difidence
"a "a joining issue with so tried statesman the
Senator, but there this characteristic attending
all the speeches be had heard from him ana Others
winch was persistent belittling of the people and
the Government of the United States They were
toid they could not do this and that, and the Sena-
tor from Kentucky said they must abandon all the
forts, &C.. in the seeded States This was strange
language, coming from representatives of the A me-
rlcan people. He had thought the authority of the
united States extended to its utmost limits and
could be everywhere enforced within those limits
That used to be the idea of the American people
and he hoped it would be the idea again. The new
Administration had indicated its determ ination
10 MAINTAIN the authority of the United States by
peaceable means if possible. Such a purpose
should call for the aid of every American He did
not think the Senator from Illinois had furnished
that assistance, but had rather confronted the gov
ernment. lie told them they coaId not collect the
revenues of the country, nor blockade the ports
ana pointed out provision here and statute there
which placed difficulties in the way of the execu-
tion of the laws. This looked more like aiding the
enemies of the country than anything else though
he wouid not make the specific charge. If another
revolution was to be thrust upon the country, he
trusted that the future historian would not be com
PEELED to record that the sembIance of the COW bows
OF the Revolution of l776 were found in the Senate
of the United States. He denied that the Republi-





people OF any section; and the apprehensons
orthe South had been created, not by anything the
Republicans had said done, but by the misrepre-
sentatIons OF their mali igners. The Senator from
Illinois had spoken of the North making war upop
the South to euslave her. The Senator must have
known no such purpose has been entertained
Why then alarm the country with such a state
men? All the President proposed to do was to
enforce the laws which be found on the statute
noo's-laws placed there certainly not by Repub-
lican votes, but rather in opposition to them The
Senator from Illinois had indicated in his speech
the policy which he thought the President ought
to pursue. He had said that there we're but
three alternatiyes-either to amend the Con-
sutntion SO as to secure the safety tran
guilty and equality of all the States or to enter
into negotiations lor peaceful separation, or to
make war upon the seeded States. The Senator
said of these alternatives that the first was the
best, and the last was the worst. In his CHowe's)
opinion, the first was the worst-he would not say
that the last was the best. He objected to the first
proposition, because it contained the admission
that fraternity only could be preserved by chang
ing the present Constitution. He was opposed to
any such alterations, especially such as might be
obtained by operating upon the fears of any part of
the country. He was unwilling to see amendments
adopted under the threats and at the dictation of
one section of the country. That would be an
absolute surrender of the Government ITSELF He
did not think they could afford to have peace on
any such terms. The precedent sought to be estab-
lished was one fraught with danger to every part
of the country. That peace which was only to be
preserved by the abandonment of the opinions and
feelings of the majority of the peope,was not worth
preserving. 1t did not become the people of the
United States to adopt amendments to the Copsti-
tuition because demanded by certain individuals
who refused to obey the authority of the Govern
ment: Should they yield new demands would CON
stantly be made. He did not know what would be
the result of the other propositions subn tilted BY
the Senator from Illinois; one could predict the
mischiefs likely to result from disruption of the
Union. It a division submitted to- no one
ma n thnrI I1rrf 4
He was therefore opposed to any surrender of any
portion OF the United States.--Before Mr. Howe
concluded the Senate went into Executive session,
and afterwards adjourned