Year: 1860

ihihl l-HiA ii tUAuRENN---SLJUAD NLNNlUN,


SENATE.


WASHINGTON, December 1S.-Mr. LANE offered
a series of resolutions prefaced by long preamble
setting forth the resistance, in 1913, to the Wilmot
provisO; the reimbursement, by the election of Lin
con o; that provso, and the consequent imminence
of the dissolution of the Union. The resolutions
as follows:


Resolrd That the several States be requested to send
commissioners delegates to convention to consider
on the changes which the present times REQUIRE: and
whereas the Southern States, being in numerical minor
y, complain OF aggresions, previous and prospective


ReOIrd That the delegates of said Southern States be
requested to convene, first by themselves to confer on
the conditions necessary for their security peace and
submit their conclusions to the delegates Northern
States, separately convened to a Convention Of the
Northern states; and be il further


Reoired That il is contrary and ahhorreut to the reli
gon and civilization of age, and to the spirit
and be it further


Resolrcd, That the Federal Government will abstain
from the employment of all any force to prevent
interfere with any State States which shall deter
mine by itself or themselves any for their own
prosperity and safety, which shall not be aggressive to-
wards the other States and any where there NAV
he danger of collision between any State the Federal
forces stationed there the forces be promptly withdrawn
Mr. DOUGLAS suggested that the resolutions
be laid over, and referred to the Committee
of Thirtcen.--The resolutions were then laid
on the table, to be referred to the Committee of
Thirteen.--Mr. CRITTENDEN offered a series





had arisen between the Northern and Southern
States as to the rights of the common -rritories
OF the United States, and as it is emnently desir-
able and proper that these dssensions should be set
tied by constitutional provisions which give equal
justice to all sections, whereby peace may be re-
stored; therefore


Resolred by the Senate and House, That the following
articles proposed be submitted as amendments TO the
Constitution which shall valid as part of the Consti
tuition when ratified by the Conventions the States


First.-Iu all Territories row or hereafter ar1nired
and min, eIo
Involuntary servitude except punishment for crime
be prohibited while south of that latitude slavery is
hereby recognized as existing and to be inerfered
with by Congress- but to be protected as property in all
of the departments of the territorial governments during
its continuance In all Territories north or south Of that
line, with such boundaries as Congress may prescribe
when they contain population necessary for member Of
Congress, and with republican form Of government,
shail be admitted into the Union equality of any
original State with without slavery, as the Constitt-
tion of the State may prescribe.


Second-Congress shall have power to abolish sla
very IN the places under its jurisdiction, in States
permitting slavery.


Thrd-Cengress shall have no power to abolish slavery
in the District of Columbia while exists in VIRGINIA
and Maryland or in either. Nor shall Congress at apy
time prohibit the officers the Government or members
Of Congress whose duties require them to live in the
District OF Columbia, from bringing slaves thither or
holding them such.


Fourth-Congress shall have no power to hinder trans
poFation of slaves from State another whether by
land, navigable rivers sea-


Fnth-Congress shall have power, by law to pay any
who shall apply therefor full value for the fug
tive slave in all when the marshal shall be pre-
force,
made after arrest In all such the United States
shall have power the county in which such yio-
lence is used rescue made, county shall have
the right to individuals who have committed such
wrong, in the same manner as the owner could sue


SiXth.-No future amendments shall effect the pre-
cedng articles and Congress shall have power to
interfere with slavery in States where it permitted
The last resolution declares that Southern States have
right to the faithful execution of the concerning the
recovery of slaves and such laws ought not to be repeal
ed or modified so as to impair their efficacy.


All laws which conflict with the fugitive law are
6aprn Z ir,,rn
earnestly to ask the repeal of laws That the fug
tive slave law ought to be altered make the fee
of the commissioner equal whether decided in favor
or against the claimant and clause authorizing per.
son holding warrant for the posse coniaius
is attempted.


The laws for the suppression of the African slave trade
are to be more efectuay enforced.


Mr.. CRITTENDEN said that he believed that
these resolutions were the solid foundations for
bringing peace to the Union. We were in the
midst OF great events, and we must elevate our
selves to the level CT the great occasion There
should be no petty warfare Of party, for all were
dust in the balance when compared to the inter
ests of the Union Was it not better that the line
should be adopted which for thirty years the
people of both North and South had looked on as a
settlement of the question which caused this aoita-
tatlon? If something were not done he delared
that it was his solemn conviction that before six
months we should be divided people,
You, turning to the Republicans,) can con
tnue the existence of this glorious Union. The
greatest you could do would be to divide the Ter
ritories among the North and South. This would
be the cheapest price that such blessing as the
Union could ever be purchased at. 1t was thought
that this agitation might pass Off but it was mis-
take; it was spreading, and might swallow old
Kentucky, as loyal and true State as there was
in the Union. [Appause.l He referred to the
concessions made by the South in the early DAYS of
the republic, when all of the Southwestern terrific
ry was ceded to the North by Virginia. whereby
the North became much larger in the
extent OF its square miles than the South
He alluded to this to show that these facts appeal
ed to the North. But old Kentucky would stand
by the Union. She had always been devoted to
it; and is this day attached to it. He did not de-
spair Of the Union when he saw Senators of so
much talent sent here the guardians of the State.
On concluding, Mr.. GREEN called up the Kansas
bill, which was made the special order for to. day.
and on his motion it was postponed until Monday
next.-Mr COLLAMER trusted that the bill
poned again.-Mr. HALE said he did not desire
to make anv remarks on the resolutions pre-
sented by the Senator from Kentucky, (Mr. Crit
tenden.) Whatever might be the wisdom, the expe-
dlency, the practicability of these resolutions,
BODY would doubt the purity of the motive. the
dignity and the fervor of the patriotism of the
Senator. But he in doubt as to whether the
resolutions of the Senator from Kentucky, or the
able and eloquent speech-for in some respects it
was able and eoquent-of the distinguished
Senator from Texas, (Mr. Wigfall), represented
the demands of the South. Both were widely
different. Those of the Senator from Texas rep





plicit. He did not desire those Senators to answer
but he wished to know which of the demands that
had been made, represented the South He
would not hatter himself that the people of
New Hampshire would accept of either of the prop
ositons He had no right to speak for-them but it
was due to caudor that the Union and Disunion
sides here-if there were any of the lattar-should
state their demands. SALISBURY said
that he accepted the propositions of the Senator
from Kentucky, a Union man; and he would now
ask the Senator from New Hampshire, if those
were the only ones before the Senate, if he would
accept them and recommend them to his people?
Mir. HALE said that with all of their present
extent he could not accept the resolutions. There
were many things which were to be COM
mended, while others were not. He had so long
listened to the denunciatons of geographical
line that he had not much faith in it. lie
did not believe in any new constitutional guar
aotees or new compromise lines. There was
enough already written to peace if faithfully
carried out. de hoped that his State would look
this matter all over, fairly, calmly and dispassion-
ately, and if there were any just demands, he be-
lieved that she whould comply with them to the
letter. lie wanted no new compacs. They were
the mere daubing OF the wall with untempered NOR
tar.--The vote on the original resolution of Mr..
Powell, referring SO much of the Presidents mes