Year: 1860



 Mir. RUST. I have said ,;o .,

 again, that there are number of members

 of the American party upon this floor fo,

 either of whom will gladly vote

 Mr. COX. Not only for m myself but fo,

 a large number of democrats, I say that W.

 LOOK upon the opposition of this House no,

 so S.r4 huoh as the opposition to the republican

 party put as the opposition to the demo.

 MT RUST. The gentleman will pardon

 me II l decline further interruption. He stated his views of the parties here in his speech the other day.

 MT. COX. Not upon this subject Sir you Tn the south find your opposition in the s1utn Sq Americans. They oppose you there. we Tn the north find our opposition among the republicans. The opposition, the re- puollcans, and the Americans. come to this House-they take their seats together they have a common unity, a common pin- culuna binding them ogether-thev fight the democratic party together. They are opposed, not so much the one to the other as to the democratic party. And. sir. look upon that democratic party as the only bond, under God and the constitution. to bind this Union together Laughter from the republican benches And I would. therefore, vote consistently all the time for a democrat for Speaker.

 MT. RUST. You could never elect one then.

 MT. COX. Ifthere is to be an organ- zation, let the republican party, if it can do It, make the Speaker, and take the organi zatlon. If they have power to carry on the business of this House, let them try it. and we will meet them in 1860 with their re- cord, made here this winter, before the peo- pie of the country. l will not help them to the organization. On the united oppo- sltlon rests the responsibility of disorganiz- tion.

 MT. HlNDMAN. My colleague presup- poses that l will do what has been the habit of my past life, and that is, go into a eau. GUS with my fellow democrats and abide by thelr action. l will, sir, but with this ex- press reservation, which applies to the ac- ton of every democrat whenever conven- tion of the party is held, that whenever the democracy will act as, in my judgment, de- mocrats ought to act, whenever they will conform to the established usages of the democratic party in nominating one who approves the principles and who abides bn democratic usages, then l will be found ad. herlng unfiinchingly to that nominee, un- der all circumstances and against every op- position. But l say distinctly that I will not be transferred by the voice of the de- mocratic majority on this floor, or by any other power under heaven, in any case whatever, to the support of a man who does not lndorse and approve democratic prin- clples and usages. There is but one state Of facts that can be supposed, under which l will vote for member of the so-called southern opposition, or, as I term it, the know nothing party, and that is, in the event choice is forced upon me between a black republican and know nothing; then, as choice of evils, reluctantly. and under the pressure ofcircumstances, will be perhaps, to vote for the know nothing. But I repeat that 1 will give min my vote reluctantly.

 1 may say that l know, so far as my ob servation in my own State goes. that aid and comfort--not by design, but in fact has been given to the black republican by the unfortunate attitude which the southern opposition assume in reference to the Kansas Nebraska act Whilst that act has been denounced in the north as a breach of faith, 1t was also execrated as breach of faith in the south; and, sir, it was because of that position of the southern know nothings that, in my judgment, the black republicans were stimulated to the excesses of their after course. I cannot therefore, vote for any man of a party whose action has resulted thus. will not do it, except in the case which I have stated.

 Mir. RUST. My colleague and myself belong to the harmonious democracy of our State of Arkansas, laughter;] and, sir, we will not get into any controversy upon this floor. Each of us is responsible for his own course, and I suppose that each is ready to assume the proper responsibility for his action here. l have submitted my for the organization of the House. Let it be judged by its merits and the object sought to be accomplished by it.

 Mr. Clerk, l may not again secure the floor during this discussion; and, if there be no objection. l will make few remarks upon general topics which have been intro iuced during this discussion Gentlemen from the north have endeavored to justify northern aggression upon southern rights by charging the south with design to reopen the African slave trade When that charge was made, a few days ago, l sought the floor at the time, in order to make reply in behalf of the constituency 1 represent- Perhaps, str, l represent larger number of shareholders than any other member on this floor. 1 have enjoyed tolerable good op- portunities: for informing myself, and l de- clare here that 1 do not believe, in any State, district, or county, south of Mason and Dixon's line, respectable minority-respec table in nlymber-can be found in favor of the re opening of the foreign slave trade. 1 do not beliave that any considerable number of southern citizens would violate the law against that traffic, or vote in favor of its repeal. For myself, if that law did not exist, l will say that l would strive for the floor, the first day after the organization of this House, in order to propose a measure that traffic as piracy, and inn posing the severest penalties upon it.

 And, sir, so far as the expeditions gotten up in the city of New York, upon free soil and not in the south, and which are sustain ed by northern capital, against Nicaragua and the other Central American States, are concerned, 1 tell this House that denounc ed those expeditions in my canvass previ- ous to the election in my district. Yet 1 was returned here by ten thousand majori- ty. l think that the only mistake made by Commodore Paulding was, that after catch. ing William Walker, he did not string him up at the yard-arm of his vessel. 1 de- nounced him as pirate and bandit, dis turber of the peace of the country, and as fit a subject for the hand of the public execu- tioner as any pirate that ever walked quarter deck. There are lawless and wick ed men at the south as everywhere else, but the better class of the souther people. constituting, l am happy to say, very large majority; those who control the poll ties and give tone to the public sentiment of the southern States, yield willing obe- dience to the constitution and treaties of the United States and all the laws made under them. Those laws whose protection