IC=
e hands with traitors. When clouds
ig in the future, and there.s.ppeans
of light to cheer our hearts, we are
emitting a proposition to'Sustain the
n and laws, by miserable party dog
we this Union of States as I love the
E that leaps through my heart, and
; to it as long as a single star remains.
WE I". I rise to explain. In :refer
r,-question of slavery in the territo
course of my previous remarks; I
we fully explained my views, and
)1e to misapprehension. I asserted,
tsert, that equal rights prevail to
!erritories as in all the States of the
to not mean to assert by that, that
ition admits slavery there, but that
a of the United' States, recognized
the laws of the United - States, has a
into the territories; and I hold fur
y other construction of it excludes
[lions of citizens, for the benefit of
Is. It is a well-known historical
ierever slavery goes, free labor _le- ,
nn, and vice versa, slavery before free
I say, that when you taken') the Con-
Rite United States, and giveany differ
potion than that which has been given
the origin of this Government, that
iota is national, arid thittslavery
municipal management and law,
a wrong to the vast number of free
the North, for .the= benefit of the
who own labor at the South ; audit
as remarkably .surprising' that ti e
of any portion of, Penisylvtinki
'rected towards the introduction of
n of such a character rather - than
the free latx?renroi t,kelltitaVlA
311. Were it not for the'tiediliar
rhich I have been placed by our Ra
nds during this protracted discus
not occupy the Senatos•by. making
:emarks upon the-subject now un
but as my , position' has been very
presented, and also that of the mi-1
floor, in the views and opinions
•by us in reference to the great na
now impending, I feel called upon
7 words more to what has already
The Senator from Crawford, (Mr.
' other Republican Senators, argued
3 presented by the resolutions of
self, precisely aslfT stood here tct.
ification of the. position of South
d an advocate .of .the right= of woes
3unator from Crawford 'alsc; held
Actions, as well a$ my retharks, set
nner of charges against the Repub
of Pennsylvania. If the Senator
Ird had listened to the remarks I
lorning,he would have found that I
roided every allusion to the, Repub-
because I did not wish to initiate
9ussion at a time when the dark
-e hanging over this confederacy.
:Y. I expressly stated that lin
larks that I should make as
.per
ienator. I spoke of the party to
longs.
_ _
H. Indeed, Mr. Speaker, I was so
tat I said this morning, ad in bet
tid so little, that I was_ taken to
e Senator from Franklin, (Mr.;•
.
not defining my pokitioir more'
greater length. All the argtuneute
Ord here to-day, and allthe &Clark
we been made M reference tol
it ; the position of South Caroline,
tg else in reference to, the question
light have been omitted entirely
ission, without impairing in aug
:ength of the arguments hi opposi ,
!solutions, for I have not attempted
suth Carolina, and have not epokgq,
position of the resolutions - of t
Philadelphia (Mr. Salm) in refer-
;lion. My resOlutions did. not re-,
subject; but, on the contrary,
to a spirit of loyalty to the Con=
}d the Union, and declare, paitic-
Pennsylvania is nowitrue, as she has
fore, to that Constitution and Union;
tore, that the people,of P. ennsylva-
id unflinchingly theEsecutive in
to maintain that Constitution, ex
.; to the laws, and protect the proper
sera]. Government. A great deal has
ere to-day, upon the question of sla
has originated, not by any initia-
part, or on the part of any mem
smocratie party on this floor. lam
, wever, that the dominant partyon
lave been led to, put thernselyes,
ore the people on this question: r.
it the sentiment of . the Republi
, here, though I was' much 'pained
pressed to-day by a RepublibanSen
de floor, that "it is too late to talk
hat conciliation invites contempt."
re that sentiment go abroad through
)n the wings of the wind, in order
Jple of Pennsylvania may see and
- are the real sentiments of the partyt
e controlling power in this Legisla
the time to talk of peace and concil
ram by forever ! And, sir, when I
ame Republican Senator whether,un
astitution, he recognized the right to
gitive slaves, he evaded an answer,
Ott when the subject came before the
would answer my question; when.
second of the resolutions I have of
y bring that question before the.
Much has been said here
2EM
*at, that I have been sorry to hear,
to which I cannot find time
The propositions I offer -are
their nature, and I do not invite
is which have been made, and
le, upon the Democraticparty. They
troduced in any partisan feeling, or
Nse of throwing a fire-brand into our
t this time. I have uttered not a
liable which would justify any such
dr. Speaker, if to declare that the
Constitution to which my resolu
ay referiarelative to the rendition
ayes, is sacred, inviolate, and bind
people of all the States, is to in
ty question into the Senate, then„
have been guilty of ,so,doing.
nice to the words of the Constitu
. floor, and to proclaim what I
the opinions of the people of.
reference to that clause in the
throwing a fire-brand into the
the Senate of Pennsylvania,
guilty to the charge. And if,
the people of all the States
;has in the common- terri
.try, be a political dogma, then
responsible for the uttercuace.of
. But, I deny that such a c9it
sonably be put upon thosi•reso
- this morning, I wan
no allusions to particular Flex
ile Republican or Democratic,.
d to do so, in replying to ques
md positions taken by members
an party. I submit that. I
q.l in reference to the majority
this country having decided!
iples of the Republican party..
,gym Bradford, (Mr: LANDONO in
his remarks, beautiful and elo-
Were, seemed to throw upon me
ig assumed here that a majoriW
this Union had not endorsecithe
e Republican party.. When l l
itimente, it was in. reference to
the Senator froth Blair. So
rsonal explanation.
• I desire to inquire of the
)rk, whether he did not assert
.10 is to be inauguratedpn the
text, was elected by a minority.
people?
I certainly did so smut,
ion assumed by the Senator from
raised "'the guestkm; tainZai
responsible for tie iatioduction
...•4!..,? 4,:* :tot i '7O. , F., ,if . 3 ,5,?:,
.v p
.4 V
. 11CWAI'AVW: 1! .......i..rt cmtoittuan
.tyl: •n ,, 5.7.,..r A 1...., ....t t',?"..-if•
Of the subject. I will not enter into any elabo
rate defence of the resolutions I have presented
to the attention of the Senate, as I prefer to
let the subject be decided by a vote given ac
cording to the calm judgment of Senators. I
shill vote, against - the propositions of the Sena
tor from Huntingdon, as well as in opposition
to those of the Senator from Philadelphia ; and
had I been inclined to vote for the latter, the
remarks of the Senator from Bradford (Mr.
Lassos) would certainly have induced me to
vote directly against those propositions. I
listened to his speech with careful interest;
and when he said that the germ of his re
marks were contained in the resolutions pro
posed by the Senator from Philadelphia, 1
determined that I could not, even if before
so disposed, vote for. ,thcise resolutions. I
would, however, distinctly deny the charge
that has been made upon the minority on this
floor, that the resolutions proposed by myself
are impliedly a defenceof the present position
of South Carolina and of the right of secession.
'When that question comes before us, as I pre
sume it will, under the resolutions of the Sena
tor frorul'hiladelphia, I shall then, if necessary,
say all that.l have say on that point Ido
not hesitate to say that I am always to be found
among=the 'rimy first of those in• this country,
ing.).Vbartl. Arse' all the force and of the
general igoiernment, to put down treason, to
punish traitors, and to hang -them all as high
at: Haman. If the people of 'South Carolina
have committed treason againatthe government
of, the United States, I say, as would "haVe
said' of a certain portion of the people of Mas
sachusetts, at the tiine Wendel Phillips and
his confederates incited a mob residue' the ftt
;gitive slave, Burns, and which mob, in its fury;
murdered an unoffending citizen—let those who
violate thelaw suffer, to tha'ffillest extent; the
punishMent which should be meted out to them
by
- the mitragetiolaws of their country. lam
not in favor or winking at treason in - any por
tion.of this great country, but of purdshing it
whereVer it may be found,' thrmighout the
length and:breadth of our Union. Sir, lam in
favor of a perfect - Union of these States, but I
am also in favor of a just one; --and ''l' want
the rights of the citizens of the South as reli
giowslyguarenteed and observed as those of the
people of the North. I would have the people
of the South feel that whatever their local in
stitutions are; theugh theymay be repugnant to
the sentiments' and feelings of amajority of the
North, yet, as long as they wish their institu
tions to remain, they shall enjoy them without
restraint, and that no barid of traitors in the
North, urged on by abolitionists, or their con
federates; shall wrest from them their rights
and property, and in the attempt murder the of
ficers of the law. 1 would have even handed
justice done to all sections withoukidistinetion,
and until that is done, neither peace, quiet nor
harmony. can be found within:the counaeli Of
the nation. I have not, es yet, alleged that
Pennsylvania-has committed any dearly uncon
stitutional act in the Passage of any statutory
enactment,,and.l. am willing to- admit, for the
sake of argument that she has not- done so ;
yet, it Is clear that she haS laws Upon her
statute 'books which are not in accordance with
the true spirit of the Constitution, and if there
is - a -single statute or section of .a <statute -that
is considered offensive to her sister States, such
statittioisection should behe promptly repealed,
unless we believe, with the junior Senator-from
Allegheny,' (Mr: Lusa), that "it' is too late to
talk and that "conciliation only in: '
vites contempt." What harm can result from
such a course ; and what gbod may not result
from a determination on our part to: show our
selves right upon the record? We, have been
-.told, that the subject of the repeal of certain
sections, as asked for by thousands of citizens,
,has been referred to the JudiciarrCifinamittee ;
hut every Senator here is well avrare of what
the report of that Committee will be, after the
remark of the Chairman, that he did not con
sider any of the laws, named to be obnoxious
or- =Constitutional. I know precisely how .
this >question is to be decided,:: but I am
glad that the discussion -we have had to-daylas '
taken place, for 'facts and sentiments have been
elicited which I would have cleazirprmented f.
_ _
- theealm-and-Amprejndited Minds of the people
Of Pennsylvania. I shall now leave this ques
tion. Ifeel, sir, that I have done my duty in
the course I hive pursued in reference to the
difficulties now surrounding our country, and I
sincerely trust that something may yet be ac
complished by which'the clouds may be drawn
off which now obscure our national horizon, and
that 'peace and happiness may once more be
.found within our borders.
Mr. M'CLURE. I have taken no part in the.
present discussion, except. to keep our Demo
cratic friends within range of the question. I
need not remind the Senate that the Senator
from York, when asked a question by the Sena
tor from Blair, bearing directly upon the-very
germ of the discussion, made no satisfactory re
ply. I am grieved to be compelled to admit
that our Democratic friends have discussed
everything but the propositions before:the Sen
ate. In his resolutions, the Senator from York
makes a startling proposition, viz : that we
shall, by Legislative enactment, establish slave
ry in-Pennsylvania, that we shall strike down
the sacred writ of right ;—yet, in the discuSsion
of those question, she has not approached nor at
tempted to defend his own propositions, except
in general terms. He alleges certain short
comings against Pennsylvania, and yet when
brought to the point, he had no evil to com
'plain of. Ido protest, in the name of Pennsyl
vania, against this tacit tarnishing of her own
fair name. I say it is &wrong to Pennsylvania, '
especially when men living within' her borders
gather' together these inuendoes and roll them '
as sweet morsels under their tongues ; for no
more' fatal way of reaching the fair fame of
Pennsylvania can be conceived •• of. ' If wrong
has been done by our State, either by commis
sion or omission, .I cannot but think that there
is not a Senator • here who will not meet the
question of the existence of that'wrong frankly •
and manfully. There is no real or tangible'
proposition for Pennsylvania to entertain, or
which has been advanced by the South. When
you talk to the people Of that section of Personal
Liberty Bills they respond with their gammon ;
when,you tell them that Pennsylvania will do
right,they reply that they care not ; that they axe
in favor of revolution. The gentleman from York
must admit, upon reflection that there is not a
personal liberty bill in all the States of the
North this day so minute in its details as that
of the State of Virginia, the very State for •
which he pleads. And if I were to offer that
statute of Virginia as an amendment to the
resolutions, the Senator would hurl the cry a
treason at me. Even Vermont and Wisconsi e ,
charged as the most ultra on this question; have
no personal liberty bills surpassing in' stringen
cy that of Virginia. I protest against this ha
bitiial misrepresentation of Pennsylvania,' and
Wheri. the Senator from York insists ii.eon the
repeal; of certain sections of the penal code,'
Virginia herself rises up and shows to the world
that he is seeking -to do in a free State, what
Virginia will not even respect. I charge that
this maneuver is for that it is
tildtlionestly and fairly meeting the grave prop.
Tosition before this Senate ; beeause we have
libored in vain-to=day to hold these gentlemen
of the:Democratic party to the propositions be
leierne While , they, hive gone off in the most
extravagant and:eloquent'terms on the subject
of the necessity for preserving this `Union,
when their attention has,heen called' o distinct
questions , before , the Senate; they have reeled.,
and staggered under it, and their eloquence has
been slieneed: „ This is not'tlie - place to fight tiny'
political battles. They.haie be& fought dating
; csmraign, as the Senator from
"Mirk and myself ' well know, and , certain' princi-%
plea.have triumphed:WM& nq man labored
more thai did, tliat:SeriatOr to, place, clearly be=
fere thii People of.,Pennsylvania.. Therwerec,
that the election , Of *tr.- Liman to the Watt' ,
Ant l iAAld establish the rule4hiterrito
,ricashouldittimmr4o4o4443pro'-'
; •
311- - •
a EElailv Zelegraph,
MEE
made them,lfiale.. i Hiirnade up' the record and
the people responded. The Senator from Berks
(Mr. CLYMER) did not appeal to the people to es
tablish slavery. If a man had gone to old Dem
ocratic Perks and said to that Senator, Sir, you
owe it to the Union of these States that you
shall' advocate the doctrine:of the establishment
of slavery in Pennsylvania, he wouldha.ve turned
from that man as insane. Nor did the Senator
from York dare to make such a. proposition.
' Yet, to-day, when the contest is over and the
Democratic party has certainly nothing, to lose,
and we find them grasping at every possible
position, in order to takeadvantage of the diifi
cultiesnowexistingbetween the North and South,
and which I charge upon the party as the result
of their humiliation and shame—they ask Penn
sylvania today, in the face of its verdict, given.
after a contest conducted without excitement,
when men thought and read—they ask us to
say, in the face of the judgment of, the people
of Pennsylvania, that her people were mad and
knew not what they did.. I would call the at
tention of that Senator to the factthat these are
new propositions that were not introduced into
that contest, and the gentleman himself, in
conducting the campaign, never dared to avow
the doctrines and Views he has put forth to-day.
Bad as were his chantes he would only have re
garded such an avowal as piling disaster upon
disaster: I assert that . the issues . in the late
vanvassowere as distinctly marked as the sun at
;upon-day.-"l It matters not. that .the minority.
lrave .elebted a representative man ; such has
teen the•eustom and no one colnplained before;
and I now appeal to the Senator from York. to
answer me this question; what - have the „ma-. jority declared for, who are opposed to Mr. Lin-,
coin, and the principles laid downinthe Chicago
platform.?
Mr. WEDSH. I will answer the gentleman
when. be:finishes his-remarks.
Mry IVOLURE. I will put any two Demo-
Uratic Senators on this,floor into a room by
themselves, and give them to next Monday
night a week to decide,i,what principle the ma
jority,acting against Mr: Lincoln, were in favor.
of, and they will not by that time have agreed.
They can agree that they desired-to thwart the
will of the people; for that they most earnestly
labored to accomplish; but when -it comes to the
question of principle, there is- no agreement
between them. We, are now defied by revolu-,
tionists,, yet men here talk about debasing
themselvesi by admitting we have,done a great
wrong, when they cannot show us any wrong
whatever. i The gentleman froth . York during
the late canvass habitually taught the South
that there was something wrong; he could
not tell them wherein that wrong consisted,
but'meielj% gave utterance to a foolish as
sertion, and the Smith .has unfortunately
believed him. We might have a,parallel case.
here. If the gentleman believesrthe South has
the right to complainiAijr :hati he less valor
than his southern brethren?: and, why is he, as
the natural commander- of the , Democratic,
forces, , not here proclaiming the'. right of re-. I
volution?' it must be confessed 4 that his party
has been :badly beated, , ,that 1868 we com
mencedaarning them out of the high places of
government, and that-in- 1869, and 1860 we
made one clean sweep of himself, and his patty
friends, and that they-have now na high places
of power ih this Government, either State or
IWhy not say_ tliat hkparty friends.
have teen made powerless in the government,
.and. are new denied all participation in official
favors.? - Why not marshal 'his forces in rebel-•
lions array; draw his sword uponins., and swear
by all that; is gory that Mi. Curtin cannot be;
inaugurated except upon ham/Haling terms with
the minority ?
That'is the piractical flag under which the,'
South desires him to sail. .If he says that the.
South is right in its wesent position, why is he
not at the head of a revolution in the North?,
I shall vote against the resOlutions'of the Sena
tor from York because, they- are thoroughly.
partisan, Misrepresinting the sensaof Penney],
'vans. Ishall never cast a vote to re-establish
filavery in Pennsylvania, nor to strike down the ,
sacred writ' of right, as long as reason maintain&
er_awagL, _ilia. wceoutiorr - crf - Llie - Yugi n •
slave law, no discrimination is made as to who
is a citizen' or who is not ; but the Senator says.
that it matters not who he, is, of whatever blood
or color, that when a man is demanded by
mother as his slave, the party demanding shall
earr3. him off merely because of such a demand.
Mr. WELSH. I would ask the Senator from
Franklin whether the fugitive slave law allows
`the writ of. habeas corpus to the fugitive slave?
Mr. McCLITRE. I think it does not. ..
Mr. WELSH. Then, is the senator in favor
of the fugitive slave law; or opposed to it
111 Er: MCCLURE. lam not in favor of such a.
law,as the present fugitive Slave law. I hope
the Senator will understand that.
Mr. WRLSH
Mr. McCLURE., I am not in favor of such a
law as the gentleman names. ' I bow to it, yea,
more, yield a cordial deference to it; but when
called upon to express my approbation of the
provisions of any law which strike at my mo
ral convictions, and that of 'other men, and de
mand that I shall be false to - everylenso of jus
tice, I unqualifiedly express my disapproval
thereof. The sooner the South understands this
matter, the better will it be for the nation. If
the Senators from Yorkand'Berks had truly and
fairly . represented Pennsylvania to the South,
we would to-day have less difficulty:' If
those Senators would say ....that .thisliwzrited;
harshly upon their ears—and. the Senator
from Berks -should say. 80, because it is the truth
of the matter, I would then feel no hesitation
in believing that they understood why men
do not obey it in the spirit in which we say they .
shall. But they are habitually proclaiming to
the Smith that they alone, in the North, mean
to fulfil the laws, and to be truthful, to our.
Constitutional obligations,' and that' all wh'O
oppose them, in party views, mean to be',un- '
faithful to those laws. All who knOW thosa
.Senators, are aware that they are as slow to ful
fil the requirements of the Fugitive Slave Law
as the most violent anti-slavery man in Penn
sylvania. lam pained to assert, but lam con:x
i:idled to believe, that those gentlemen would
not act,. when the occasion required, in the
spirit which their speeches would lead us to ex
pect. lam sure that the Senator from York has
never caught a slave, and I doubt whether there
Is, in any of those towns of his county where
Union-saving
appears to, he preached regnlarly,
from day to day, so much as a Commissioner
,under the Fugitive Slave Law.
• Mr. WW•SH. There has been no cause for the'
appointment of such an officer,
.as no fugitive
slave has been arrested in thit locality since
the enactment of the Fugitive Rs" Law. If'
such a;thing shall happen., I believe there are
hundreds of the citizens of the county of York
Who would be willing to assist their southern
brethren in the strict
,enforcement otthe Jaw.
. - I .make no iretensioni
fulfilling the requirements of the law better
than any of my people ; butin my own town,
and in the town of. York, I venture the itisex
tion that there is no citizen whowill take offi
cial recognition of that. law. „ ,
Mr. NYFITAH. I repeat that I believe there
are hundreds in the county of York who would
take •such official-recognition, but no cause,bas
ever arisen under the , act of 1850, for •the ap
pointment of any Commissioners under the law
in question.
Mr. McCLURE. The Senator from York
very willingly live that those laws mast be
maintained,,,bufhe takes. v•exyzmalcare J 1 4 ,40
be preheat when.they are ezecate& Ia my own.
county, the law in question'cannot be 'executed
as it should be. I would not assert that you
can, find any man there who would be 'willing
t o nullify the lasi.; but shwas axe .piisiiin,g l
through that eouaty every few weeks, and, yet.
no man:raisea 'his - hand for their deterition;for
the retie cui thittpFide4 Ahe,Presg4t!l4w. for, the,
renditionof 'lagitlie slaves, every
„nista.
would g out that law muataahrolt
aPtlifen l alohseems to ': acotealtbdOPPriievi4
4 *4 •
al
Cerfainlj; iiir
f...z4v74:1
MS=
robap. afternoon, Januarp 15, 1811.
injustice. not tell - the truth rat once
and say that the law cannot be executed becanie
it is wrong. We hold no new
• Finciples taught
us by the statesmen of this country who met
the emergencies brought upon the country by
the recklessness of the Democratic party. The
principles they have advocated upon the stump
and through their party press, are living libels
upon Pennsylvania. The statutes proposed to
be repealed were passed last session, by the gen
tleman's own party • they were reported by
commissioners appointed by a Democratic Gov- i
ernor, and were voted for by the Senator from
York, and his party friends. They were right '
a year ago, but are wrong now. Why ? Because
he alleges that some new token of obedience
must b&given to the South--not any right con
esded, or wrong redressed, but some new act of
obedience to the South ; and the Senator from
York rises up in behalf of the South, and de
clares that in the name of the Union we will
do ..this. I have no fourth-of-July eneech to
make about these sections. I say that they
ought to be, and shall be, carefully considered;
and wherein they may be wrong, corrected. ,
Pennsylvania .has, the. moral and physical
power of all the cotton, States put, togethee,!
and she -,preserve. this. Union. ,If the
princiPles decided by the people in the late
contest cannot be operative to them under this
government with Out civilmar,.seceasion'and. ,
bellion, the government is a failure and is not
worth preserving. HI ins , :tollthat , I twist ,
stifle my convictions and "genre of: right - Ned tl - e4'.
ny every , princide Whial I hive Y4tectsfor,,ltatei'
which-the nation has.establisted by h greittlig
tional yeedict, thereby re-calling the ;govern- -
; inentto the administration_of, justice and hu-'
manity and to a fair understanding of the land
marks set upby our fathers„l reply that we are
without &government. It is a shamefor Penn-:
Sylvania to be'hesitating and quibbling on party
abstraetiOns andelogmas, when the truth is at,
our doori that rebellion' has not simply threat
ened us, but has.torn down our flag, and fired
broadsides upon our unoffending citizens.
We 'have bUt one course to, pursue, to de
clare the dignity, power and majesty of
Pennsylvania. There is no power in the South
which Pennsylvania will brook in violation of
'the laws. Those who have proposed here .to
repeal.certain laws, do not pretend .to aesert
that those laws are wrong or - unconstitutional,
but merely that we must meke them accepta
ble to certain. sections of the nation. .1 adhere
to the,assertion that the Tower of the Govern
mentis to be tested. =lf it is not equal to the
present emergency then it is not worth preseri- -
nag. We are only temporising with rebellion.
You may talk about Personal , Liberty Bills,
about the rights`of transit, etc., but men who,
have arms in theirlands care nothing for your
declinations,. They; strike at the great funda-
Mental principle that this Government must be
either free or slave..,;. That is not my doctrine,
but theirs. They emand the..aeiv9W
natiort.of slavery; that,that,inetittitionshall
.brought to our own door; "that' , chaird
shall clank within cuehearing ;flil they shall-
Wing it'into this State, where we hive taught
zour.children- that free labor is honorable and
ennobling. Senators on this floor deinand that
we shall Yield to.the wishes of citizens" of Nir- .
gwilad give them privileges here that we de
ny t0..01.1r, own neople ; that throughout the
fair; Territories ..of the west, Wheresoever a
rose blossoms, ,the forest is green, that,
there Slavery shall go with its withering
eternal desolation ; that Pennsylvania, with
her mighty intelligent people, schooled to,
lahot,"with her ..strong sinews reaching in
every shall be heremed in and stigma
,tieed as dishonorable dad 'enslaving. There
must be a c414.1 0 .0.4F.R9 11 the5a.ttv9.-.i4W- , ;:f"..,
the South dethands that the Slave shall - go
wherever the free man is tobe found; or where
the ,free Mum is located, the slave'shall not be
admitted. This.)s ,no new - doctrine. If, the
Senator freen..Xork heSte reach Rol utiofi
of the .present diffieulty,h& Must assert' thief Oa:
veyy shell be-Sectional and freedom urdiedial ; or ,
vies versa, that freedoin 'she-H&J sectional and ,
slavery universal, and that the startling. specter=
- Clestrawne"
ed Republic, with its starry flag of freedom,
blackenedin every acre'of its - fair ihhexitance.Q'
We may as well—and far better so—look it.
gravely in the _face.. I would. notdeceivethe.
SoUth, but rather have the people of that sec
believe tiot when - the quelOien , cornee be- ;
fore me -I am prepared to meet it. 'There
is no despotism' of the old world which
does ' not send 'to us a protest against
the idea which has been advanced by
'some five or six southern States, being conceded
that bondage and' bondage alone shall be the
basis upon, which this government is to be fix
ed. And unless we disregard our State rights,
and natural pasition of every Territory as,
stamped upon it by thellving God, we say that.
you shall not destroy and Scatter W. the windi
all the evidences.. of enlightened civilization
which follow free enterprise. Wherever go the
'darks of the bondmen there goes desolation.'
Are you prepared for it? I may be called ex
travagant, but no man can deliberately look at
the progreea of eyents4mrldeny.that this is - the
issue; and every man who thus looks cannot
fail' o say that the Senators from ',York and
Berks are trifling with the question.' They are
legislators, not mere orators; sworn men, sworn
- to meet every emergency which threatens the
State, and to sestain, by all.the moral and phy
sical" power they possess, this goyernment, in
order that it shall be indissoluble. I ask
am Trkcit right ? In conclusion, I would re
assert the fact that the very State in whcee be
half they labor to show that Pennsylvania has
done wrong, surpasses in her statateethe strin
gency of the Noithein States. That Stat&
allows the 'negrO higO into, Court and demand,
- when his personal liberty lainvoleed, that-he
shall be tried by a jury, of white men. But the
'Senator from York shirks the question and ku
initiates hiS State. He makes patriotic speech
es, but when gunpowder thunders about our
ears, lie should be engaged in a different- work.
I ask the Senate, are you prepared.to comply
with the demand that slavery shall be, univer
sal and that' its black flag shall go wherever
this nation extends? The doptrines of the Re
publican party do not infringe upon the rights
of the South, but- simply propose. to bring; the
Government baCk 'to that high and holy
mission, first destßed for it,.—to freedom,
Constitutionalconetitution liberty and State rights:—
The citizens of the North and the. South, of, .
every Clime ' shall'.-go-into Our- tertitexies^ and ,
cause them to bloom and blossom-as the rose,
, but cannot be devoted to slavery except by or
ganic law. When we come to look'at the proL
gress of this government and its destiny, we
mustaelmit that its principles look to the gradual
constitutionhl extermination of slavery, not by
violence, but by simply alloWing a great error
to work out its own cure by the destruction of
itself. If 'I were to-day what the world calls
an. abolitionist, I would hail the first broadelde
upon the ''.‘Star of the West" as the harbinger
of extermination. There no man so mad but
who can reason at, all, who will not point to
that as the very first 'step towards immediate,
universal, fearful emancipation... I want this
people, in' the language of Washington, Jeff
erson, and Madison, and of every man who
luta learned and , 'dated ,to be just to his
country, to • understand that before they
belie themselves, and pervert the. Constitution
Ot,,this country into an instrument of .despot
ism," it would be happy fpr this govern
inentispnd especially for its white Citizens, north
. .e x a aguth, when, by peaCefuland proper means,
it: will have no institution of shivery within its
borders. I would be honest hi taping that we
mean simply to protect the free labor of this
entry without infringing in any degree upon
tke rights of the South: So 'long as they nistip-.
4dn,thel "peculiar. institution, ' LAO &a' it
4 9 (*As a cankeriniewaaßas at - theis.AVL' l
ieAtanber when our sister Stakaif- 71 4110A1a
. V 0 441 c o ol, W h a m(4 7( 4 .7 ' ll l ittrA di "
'tpt!_Oa
. :
'. ," .
""ftlX4l..
404 MC." , tits, AS 444*
Side, w,ould.not have shouldered his gun and
marched to defend the firesides of his brethren.
And so would they act towards South Carolina
did servile insurrection rise up within her borders.
They would not hesitate to protect that people in
all possible ways, from the worst of all:revolutions,
servile insurrections. While we would thus
act., we mean to maintain, as truly as the nee
dle of the compass of the marioer points to the
pole, that freedom is the great principle of this
government; that the sacred purposeand mission
of this government, when it was founded, was
to assert the fact thaftfreedom is national. If
that institution has rights by law, which it
would impose on me, I will scarcely regard those
rights. It has practically asserted the startling
idea of universal slavery and the proposition to
strike down free labor, prostrating millions of
freemen and desolatirr , thousands of homes, by
saying that free labor ° sball not be protected in
competition with the menial labor of thusouth.
We have borneall thisVithout complaint, and
bowed submissively; but now when. the Gov
ermnent is about to. to _restored to its ancient
purity and purpose, I say that the will of the
people must be fulfilled. This is the
„highest
duty we can dischafge towards this,Coyemmenty
and. woe to Una man who fails to be Just - hi - these
principles and faithful to, the government. I
care, not how men may act for miserable` Bart'y -1
p7pbses, but I assert that:Ake Ida and:holy
mission of this confederacy ,shall
Air. WELSH lam very sorry that the style
of my axgument on this question does;not suit
the Sehatbr from Tranklim t did not expect
that it wonld, but I confm :that his style of ar
guing- the question has gratified me to some et.-
tent: That Senator, the political barangtie
that he hasjust delivered, for it einiiibtle called
pn argument upon. • ihe'liaestioni , before the;
Senate, has met but :0ne....0f those prominent
questions. Helms just,returned from.. a pilgrhu-..
age to 'Springfield, and I presume he speaks ex
cathedra, when upon the floor Of this Senate he
announces his hostility to the Fugitive Slave
law. I ask him w,hether, during the. late, am-
Vass, which he condacted with much ability,
he would haVe dared_to advocate the sen
timents he has expressed so freely to-4v ;
whether he would-have asserted that he was op
posed, and the Republican party was opposed,
to the Fugitive Slave law P '
Mr. IePOLIIRE.I speak for - .fah, one but
myself, ,I :asserted 'that I was opposed to the
,provisions of the present fugitive slave law. '
Mr. WELSH. lam perfectly satisfied that
the opinion thus expressed by him should go
before'the people of. Pennsylvania, and I want
his associates on this floor to acknowledge
whether those are or are not tlieif sentiments.
The Senator from Franklin- ha43'made adong
and. „evasive speech, in which he, spoke of cer
tain- misrepresentations made by, the Senator
from York and Berks. Sir, misrepresent no
Man nor party, but I assert' one matter from ,
the responsibility of which the. Senator from I
Franklin cannot shrink He has now either
misrepresented the position of his onparty, or
put himself upon the reesmr.fir.Wy.
tion to that clause &the' Coriatitution: relative
to the "rendition Of. fugitive slaves. •
Mr. McOLLTRE„-II said distinctly,that. I re
cognized sucks. provison int he : Oonstitution, to
its fullest extent, and that the SOO:l:have the .
right to'have that. provision.faltbfully:,carried
out. I yield. all obedience. to,itns.the,law. of
Mr, WELSH. , I will not ~ p ermit
,the, Senator
to shift his position. I ask him directly if •he
is in favorof. the, execution of .the present fu
gitive slave law
Mr. McCLURE. lam in favor of upholding
the provisions of that law now, and always was,
so long as it-is ~a law I spoke of- facts in my
pre - Arms remarks to show, that the , Senator
from York' would, not act, under ; it officially. I
spoke of the.layr a.fallure, as: wrong in its
details, because it wasneedlessly: repugnant. I
am in fay,or of such a law as every citizen may
faitlifullyand conscientiously; execute.
_ _
I ' Mr...wET,SII.. J. wish that the. Senator_ would
speak for himself, when referring to the Fugi
tive. Slalre kw. ~.11e,previonsly, asserted, that
~ -• ... .•.. • • pd lr the Senator from York,
would'hesitate to refuse to aecept.a.,eommission
under that law. I frankly, aver,
that if I was
commissionedto.execute any of , the provisions
of,, the , constitution of.. the United States, I
would Arshrink from - the performance of the
:duties. assigned me. It is utterly impossible to
argue with the Senator from. Franklin,, when he
distinctly asserts that he is opposed to the pro
viiiOns of the , present Fugitive Slave law, and:
then avows the contrary.. - • , -
Mr. M'CLURE. , I must insist that the gen
tleraan. misrepresents •my position. I , said no
thing of the kind. I said that the Fugitive
Slave law was so stringent in its 'provisions that
the moral feelings of the Northern:people turned
from it; theta-was in favor of the enactment
Of 'such a law as would fulfili faithfully and fra
ternally; the provisions of the Constitution in-
Mr. ;WELSH. If the Senator from Franklin
pleases,l would now have'llm repeat the ques=
tion he put tome.in the course of his remarks,
'andWlich I promised to answer. •
Mr. M'CLEFRE. The Senator-declared:that a
majplity of the people of this country had tle
termmed against the doctrine which I advocate
to-day. I ask- him - what principles that ma
jority ha,d:declared in.favor off
Mi. NV - FT-RH. At` the - time in - question, the
SenatoT from Franklin-was referririg
. directly to
the extensiori - of slavery in the Territories:
asserted that about 900,000—nearly a million—
of the freemen 'of this country, had decided
against the platform of principles, in reference
to the extension'of slavery in the Territories;
,promulgated' at lChicago, and that the three
candidates, Iheckiraidge, Bell and Everett; and
Douglas, clearly .laid down-the principle that,
under the Constitution of the United States;
the people:of all the States ha' eqila.l rights in
the - common territoiy ef.the-Union:
contend that that question was decided, by a
Majority of over
.900,000, Against the Chicago
platform.
Mr.,EINNEY. I sakthe Senator from York,
if in his opinion there, is anything .unc:sie• titu
tional in the relation which:the Constitution of
our own State bears to the Constitution of the
United States?_ , .
.„
Hr. WRTSEt. I takeit for grartWithat thpreis
notkiag.uneonstitutiortal.' therein:
Iiri r .FINNEY. Then. I desire to call the at
=tention of the Senator to thislittle item
'="That all prisoners shall be bailable by suf
ficient sureties unless for capital offences, when
the proof is evident, or presuraption great ; and"
thelniirilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall
not be suspended unless when, in cases of ro-..
bellion or invasion, the public safety may re
- .
quire it."
understand that the. fugitive slave law en
acts specific lines of duty. lam . sworn—the
Senator from York and myself being sworn on .
- the Same day, on two separate occasionsto
support the Constitution, which ConStitution
conflicts with the fugitive slave law, because it
swims to everydiuman-being-nnder, nuzrest-for.
any charge the right to the writ of habeas corpus,
except in cases of invasion or rebellion.
wELSEf. ,I. ask. Plat Senator whether
the - Act of ,Congress of 18.50 . contravenes the
Constitution• of the. State of Pennsylvania?
;Mr. FINNET.• That- is, the reason • why I
stated that`the Senator' and 'rapier - 1f were sworn
to support the,Constitution of the Sfate of Penn-
Mitania. [Laupter.]•• .
14 Mr. W.FI Then the Sensiceprefers us
teining the Stite "Constitution rather than the
enfOreement of the rUkitlie - 54,:inatr; enacted
in imordanee with the provision of' the cotisti-'
tution of the United States, *hi* we both
Mr. FINNEY. I prefer always'to sustain
that Pnirer which l am sworn to support. Our
to ConatitutiOn is in, ginetwdence•- witiothe
spirit and, rry . letter of the Constitution of the
I United Stnten,;*l3,Vold'figt tiinneiS Shur
cxolo . WAtoeoto4o.lPlexPxla a cal
kdi
4V,
=NI
zen, but by appealing to it. If a man arrests a
citizen in this State, as he would a horse, and
takes him out of the State; he is not amenable
to law; but if that citizen asserts, with his own
voice, that he has rights under the GonStitution
of the State of Pennsylvania, how: are we going
to act? lam bound by my oath toostia thq
Constitution of Pennsylvania, but I never swore.
to sustain the Fugitive Slave law.
Mr. SMITH. The Senator from York asked
the question of the Senator from Franklin
whether he was in favor of the present fugitive
slave law, and intimated that ho would lik6
know whether the Sentiment given by that
Senator in response, was that of his colleagues.
I cannot, myself, tell what are the sentiments
of any Senator on this floor in regard to that
law, except so far as he may have expressed
them. But if the Senator from York is of the
opinion that it will be of any , advantage to him
to know what are my opinions in relation to the
Fugitive Slave law, I will tell him' that I am
opposed to any law which will outrage linmani
ty and give a premium for perjury. But while
that law remains uponth - e 'statute lboOli," I hold
that it is my sworn duty to uphold. its execution:
Mr... M',CLITRE.. I would inquire • whether
that Serattleis not, in favor of - afaithfutexeclition
of the provisiorus of lhe.Constitution?
afr. SMITH. I certainly am in favor of their
faithful execution.' - The 'Senator from Y . 6114
the introduCtion of his resolutiors4.lass , given
so wide a range to the Ciicussion that'it has ta
ken in almost every subjict but - that Most callad
for.• But -T think that the' Senator from York
has - placed himself and friends, .by his speeches
and' resolutions ; ` in` Tattier it-tight - pla&jcifif
that gentleman has ,euressed.. his seritga• wits
that he does not believe there is anYthing wa l •
ociiiStitutional on our statute books, how is it,
that he sets forth in his resolutions a declara
tion that all laws of the kind allndedlohy hint
are miconstitntional Y•
Mr. "WELSH. rise to explain . I
. p . i tid I rag
willing to admit,foi the sake of arguinent,that
all, such laws lite unconstitutional.
SMITH.' The Senator distinctly stated
in answer to a question that he was not prepar
ed to say that there was anything .unconstito
tionsd in any of the laws upon our books.
Mr. WELSH. My argument was directed to
show the-inexpediency of them. , •
,his. SMITH. ,The Senator has; stated in hie
resolutions dd, "it is the right and duty of
every citizen 'and public officer of thitiCommon
wealth to aid and assist in the execution of the.
Constitution Of the United States, and the anti'
'of 'Congress passed to carry its provisions: into
effect; that any Act of assemblyoshich inter
rupts, impedes,, limits, embarraffies,, delays or
postpones the exercise 'of Welt' tight and duty,'
is a plain and direct violationof -said Constitu-,
tion, and that it is expedient to repeal the fifth
and seventh Sections of the 'Act entitled 'An Aet
to prevent kidnapping, preserve ,the
peace,' ete.' " This is no tim, for the discussion
of the Subject of anysuch repeal; We have . in
troduced resolutions here for the purpose of de-,
elating our devotion to the, Union and
the Constitution. We haVe VedlareAt that
we have a governmentin ciffitradistiractiori°
to the declaration made b the South
.ern..:States that we have none. And
whileidiscutsing these questions, the news' hoe
been flashed from one end of the, pountry.to the
other, that'the guns of traitors bgeh.
led against our national ships, while the Saw
tor from York introilmies a party Platidint
bearing on the subject before us Our 'own
Government has solerimly pledged that Penn
sylvanieis 'now, o:she has ever been,,prepaxeir
to lend all her Power' and - tild, in order toius
tain the 'National Government.; and now, in
order to, embarrats the operations of 'these restii •
lutions, the Senator' I haVe named has intro
duce.ii :psuty platform upon. which he acted
during the last cainPaie.:r ask 'the °_,SenStor''
in allfrankness , receive Vir his
proposition a single vOte . oierend aboVe thank:of'
fijs.pqrtyfriendte Can "
(Mr, Scnisnitc,) who is ., r° DefiteeratAut Who, ".
nevertheless, _repudiated. that platfenaa at ;pio,
last election, vote for the that
thing ilowl . My
friend frontr.Hunfingdon (Mr: WirAarroic) wilt
have to support, his pogho piatfonn, probably,
alone. We cotild• have` declared in' the
offeredlY . thYtiielf;WpriMenting the printiL=' ,
pies of, the party with which ,I act,. our ideas
with reference to the FiigitiVeßlave law; free
dom of speech and Of thought. But we refused -
to do that, and struck out everything calculated
to excite the - oppcisition. of our political oppo
nents ; but they refuse ;i6 meet - us intim •spirit •
we propose, and J:9ll.9chwp,, a firebrand- among
us. We ,advance the doctriD i e Mi440 1 1V(.1
General Jackson in his 'fardous,Proelaniation,
that the right of the doctrine of secnssioxre,aniiot
be acknowledged. We propose also to say
to the Statei differing with us in their
institutions that we will protect them in their '
rights—that they may past Whatever local lawi
:they choose, and we will give them that re
spect Which every goodnitizeu should give. We,
propose in another of
,the series of our, resolu
tions to lend 'the power Of our government
whenever milled upon, in assistino• b the govern
ment of the Hnited States. The Senator from
.
l3erks started out` in his speech with the asser
tion that :Pennsylvania was founded to deeds
of peace ; but are we so wedded by deeds of
peace that we will hesitate to use the strong
arm of the government in suppressingrebellion?
I -hate it-from various; sources--whether the
news is entitiedte credit or not, I, cannot say—
that the guns of - the' government of South
Cerolffia, as it now ,exists, have been pointed at,
and fired intrione of the government vessels
of our country. Should we hesitate in a state
of affairs like this ? We must vote directly
on the proposition before us, that it may go to
the country- 7 -that Permsylvania with all her
power and might will second the `government
in its efforts to maintain the Constitution and
the laws urumpaared.
_ _
Mr. WELSH i then , withdrewhis motion to in
definitely postpone the, subject before the Sen
ate.
The question before ,the -Senate being on the
amendment to ,the amendment, offered by Mr:
WF.T.,511; to insert the reselutions offered by
himself; • ; ,
The' yeas and nays were required by Mr. me
pLußs and Mr. WFJAH, and were. as-11°110414'
Ynis : —Messrs. Blood, aligner Orayffonl,l4qttr.
Schindel and. Welsh.-6..
Nevs--Meisrs:Benjo ,'Bourid, Finney, Fni
ler,.. Gregg, Hall, Hiestand,, Imbrie, lxish,Reteb.-
am, iAndon, M'Cipre, Meredith, ,Penney, Rob
inson, Serrell, Sinith; Thompson;' Wharton.
Yardley and Palmer,Speaker-26.
So the question was determined in the nebt
tive.
- - lir: WALRTON•roka to a personal explazia
tion as follows':-
A few nithnents ago I was informed that
actual hoetilities had been commenced upon our
National 'Geo/ern - merit by the so-called govern
meat. South" Carolina: With - that under
standing, I ask 'leave to withdraw my amend
ment, .
, HALL moved that leave•he'kranted the
Senator.
Agreed to. -
The, original resalutions offered by Mx. Siort;K ;
being before the -Senate; the first section was -
read 'by the,Clerk,. as follows :_
Resolved, bi the Senate and Souse of Rep
does of the Commintwerdth of 'Pennsylvania "iwGess-[[:2-
oral Assembly met, and ; it is, hereby . reselve4, ,Tha t t,„
the Constitution of the United States of Amerika,
Was ordained and established; as 'Set forth in•fits
preamble, by-the people of,the.p4tedmatm 44.,.
order to form a more fie.ifeCt
[ justice, insure domestic -ttadilnUlty,*cride fa
the common.defence, prokiote 'the genend vrek
fare, and secure the blessingiOf Malty to thinii;!'
selves and their postetity ; ant ibllte **plc
ad t d conevatow. 'that
; k State Union not in the .fillj it enkt . .,
went cif all the benefits intended 'f"'
v,tils, ow. L1,41c.!' ' •tr
si4s,
..;~ .
a
=