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About The Georgia Jeffersonian. (Griffin, Ga.) 18??-18?? | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1854)
VOL, XV. THE mm JMVKISONMN. IS F.YF.RV THBItSHAV MORNING BY WILLIAM CLINE, At Two Dollars ard Fifiy’Cents fee? aft num. or Two Dollars peidtin advance. A sre irirr''<! nt ONE DOT.T.AH norsdiinrr, (or Ihr first i tiar r: mtv, nnd FIFTY CEBITS per square, for encli insertion J hr rentier. A reaso'r .* rlefhicitoit will be made to those who adver jhvMteyea*. All not cvtbewise ordered, will he cor* .rd till I'.irliiH. Jr"? <A T.F.S OF LANDS hv Administrators, Kr*r dors or flnardi'.ins are required hv law to he tield mi the first Tu*diy ir. the month, between the hours o’ ten in the loreuonn and three in the sOernoon, at the Ourt-Unue, in the eounty in wlii.'h the land is situated. Notice of these sale, luost he eiren in a nnhlic sazetie FORTY DAY S Hr"tnn ’•> (tie i-'av of sale. ‘HRS OF NEGROES must he mtn'e a* p. i r mtc'to'i on the first Tuesday *d the month, ’ vrer-o the .i*tt:il hours of sr.'e, a’ the jdnre ot put lie sales in the county where the lettirs Test: •wnt.v’v, of Administr ..tion of Gtiardtansl if rn hnvs heVw “ranted; first iftvinjr FORTY DA) notice tluneofin one ofllie, public gazelles ot t! Sat .ands! the court house whe e such s:ear‘t to h* held. *e'tjt : a:” for the sa'r of Personal Property nuts! e:.’,-n in like manner FORTY DAYS previous > iue daV l Mile. N it ice to Oidttors so-l Creditor* es an estate itnai he p't'dished FORTY />.9YS. Notice t'!?,t application wtil he made to the Court O r dtnarv fr !,f.*vr to rm, la.no must ho pith inked Co- TWO MONTHS, No'.re tor t.rxrr. m sei t. nf.okofs must he pn , Vvd TWO MONTH S before any order !>- 'n'e shall he nir. to thereon hv tlv’ Court, CITATIONS for Lett-rs of Ain initraion snst he pnh! shed thirty pay=; for Dismission Imin its?ration, montih.y sir months; lor Ots.,ii<j.~>n fro o GnaHiunship. ynr.TY dat\ Ru!e< far the hTwevlosurc of Mortgage must he miMis'ind month Y for foch months, estuh js!r:iw W paper• lor the full --pare of t-U’.f.k months; for enm.ieliin” titles irnni li-lecutor nts Atfm.•-**, w'lnr a DonH l. I>cai> i’ky^rt 1 * • WtviciM? the In*! 9 1 rv T\*\\rr ‘ U ’ K ’ IN SENATE Tve-pat, March 14, 1854. DEB A” E On the memorial presented by Mr. Ever ett, from sotne three thousand and fifty j ■ ere’ men, of all denominations and sects, j in the different States in New England, j remonstrating against the passage of : the Nebraska bill Toe memorial, on the motion of Mr. Everett, bavins; been laid upon the table. ] Vc. DOUGLAS subsequently rose and’ said: A memorial has been ordered to lie on the table, which was presented a few minutes ago by the honorable Senator from Massachusetts, [Mr. Everett.] I de-! sire to submit a word or two of comment -upon it, and therefore I wish to have it read. I think it is not respectful to the j Senate. 1 lie PRESIDENT. The Senator from! Illinois moves to take up the memorial i which was ordered to lie on the table ‘! he motion was agreed to. Mr. DOUGL AS J would now like to have the memorial read. It was read, as follows. To the Honorable the Senate anil Home o” Represent atives in Congress assembled: The tnUersigncd, clergymen ol different refi- : gioil denommatl.ins in New Cng and, hereby, in ! the ntne of Almighty G.id, and in l:L p tweiice,] Uo solemnly pro cat against tite passage ofwha! it : I; nmvn ns the Nt hr.iska hill, or any rcpphl or mod j tli-a'ion of the existing legal prohibitions of slavery i til tint pi rt of our national <lom>in which it is t>rc pof ‘t to organiz” into ths Territories of Nebraska | and Kansas. VVe protest against it as n great j moral wrong, a- a breach of In it It > loincntiv unjust ! to the moral principles of lilt: community, um] 1 subversive of all coiifi toner in na ion .l engage-j ments.as* measure full ol danger to the peace j and even the existence of our beloved Union, and . exposing it'to the righteous j idgincnls nt” the Al- j mighty; and your prott slant s, as in duty bound,’ vll ever pm v, C>-vos , Massachusetts, March 1, 1804. Mr. DOUGLAS. My only object is] to call the attention of the Senate to the memorial. It is presented, after the final vote of the Senate, as a protest against our action—against the action in which largely more than two thirds of this body concurred. It protests against our action as being a breach of faith, as involving a 1 moral wrong, as destructive of nil confi dence, and as subjecting us to the right eous judgment of the Almighty It is pre-, settled, too, by a denomination of men calling themselves preachers of the Gos-! pel Sir. it has bee t demonstrated in de i bate that there is not a particle of truth in the allegation of a breach of faith or a breach of confidence. It has been de monstrated so clearly, that there is no ex cuse for any man in the community for be lieving it any longer. Yet, here Ve find that a large b dy of preachers, perhaps time thousand, following the lead of a circular, which was issued by the Aboli tion confederates in this body, calculated to deceive aud mislead the publ c, have here come forward, with an atrocious false” food and an atrocious calumny against this Senate, desecrated the pulpit, and prostituted the sacred desk to the misera ble and corrupting influence of party poll lies. It matters not whether tite descrip tion is confined to narrow limits, or wheth er it extends to all the clergymen of New England. It matters not whether the misrepresentation has taken a broad scop*, or been confined to a few; I hold it as onr duty to expose tho conduct of men, who, under the cloak of religion, either from ignorance or wiilfnl misrepresentation, w.ll avail themselves of their sacred calling to arraign the conduct of -Senators here in the discharge of our duties. Sir, I hold tnal this Seua'c is as capable of judging whether our action involves moral turpi tude, whether it involves the subversion of morals, whether it subjects us to the judg ment of the Almighty, as are these politi cal preachers, whose protest proves them to bo without any reliable information up on this subject. It is evident, sir, that these men know not what they arc talking about. It is evident that they ought to be re puked, and required to eonfiue them fiCives to their vocation, instead of ueglect ing I heir (locks, and bringing our holy re ligion into disrepute by violating its sacred principles, and disregarding the obligations of truth aud honor, by presenting here a document which is bo offensive that no gentleman can endorse it without violating all the rules of courtesy, of propriety, anil of honor. Sir, there seems to be an attempt to pile upon our table offensive document af ter offensive document, slander after. slan der, libel after libel, in order that t-hev Abo- lition press may copy it as coming fro:p the records of the Senate, add go imek and give it credit in the country. They are smuggling in here, the offensive matter concealed from our knowledge until we happen to look into them and see what they are, and then these gentlemen expect to carry on a pcliticdl campaign by quo ting from our own records that we are traitors to God, aud traitors to humanity. I think it is time that this miserable sys tem of electioneering by violating the yules and courtesies of the Senate, to get an in-* dorsement of libels, which men ought to to be ashamed to adopt, should be expo sed and rebuked. lam not willing that they should be permitted to pile up slan der of that kind, insult of that kind, upon | our table, and let it then be used for such j a purpose. Y ou know, sir, that that me i morial is not intended to affect the action of the Senate. We have n.i such bill be fore us. Our action is passed. It is not for the purpose of influencing onr official conduct. Why is it brought here? There can be no other object in presenting it here now than simply to furnish capital for organizing a great sectional party, and trying to draw the whole religious commu nity into their schemas of political aggran dizement. I think that men ought to be able tc rely upon argument, and upon honesty, and upon truth, anil upon rea 1 son, instead of resorting to these things for the purpose of stimulating excitement for political ends. I bare no motion to submit, but I felt it to be mr duty to call the attention of the Senate to’the memo rial. Mr HOUSTON. I think that a peti tion of this kind ought to be received, and that it is not subject to tho charge brought against it by the Senator from IHinoiv. It does not arraign our action by being drawn up a r ter that action was had. The Ne braska bill passed this body on the night of the 3d, or rather on tire morning of tie 4th Instant. The memorial appears to be dated on the Ist of March. I cannot think that it meant any indignity to the Senate. There is nothing expressive ol any such feeling in it. It is a right that all indi viduals in the community have, if thsir terms are respectful, to memorialize the Senate of the United States upon any nub ject. Whether there is any ulterior object in this i know not; but from the date of the memorial, aud from the number of the signers, I am induced to believe that the memorialists thought there was something wrong in that bill; uni if they believed that its passage would be a breach of faith on the part of the Government, they had a right to say so. I taok the liberty of making the same charge here. There were more questions than that of nonin tervention involved in this bill. It invol ved an infraction of faith with the Indians, of pledges giran to them un ier all the solemn forms, yet mockery, of treaties That was one point involved; and I char ged that the passage of the bill would be a violation of plighted faith in that partic ular. Was it a violation of faith to dis regard the Missouri compromise, which was of so much antiquity and utility to the country? That is a matter of discus sion. I have not arraigned the action of pny gentlemen since the passage of the bill, but anterior to it I gav# my opinions in relation to its character, as a disregard of treaties, and as a flagrant violation of the plighted faith of the nation towards the Indians. With respect to the Mis souri compromise I believe its repeal to be as flagrant a breach of faith as the viola tion of treaties made with th Indians. I have not charged Senators with cor rupt motives, nor have I charged them with any thing selfish; but l certainly can see no more improp iety in ministers of the Gospel, in their vocation, memorializing Congress, than politicians, or other indi viduals. Ido not beliere that these min isters hare sent this memorial here to I manufacture political capital, to have it I entered on the record* of the Senate, so that it might be taken back, and dissemi-j nated through the]coantry. Sir, it comes ! from the country. I told you that there i wou and be agitation; but it was denied up on this floor. Is not this agitation? Three thousand ministers of the living God upon eart.h—his vicegerents—send a memorial here upon this subject; and yet, you tell me, that there is no excitement in the coun try! Sir, yon realize what I anticipated. The country has to bear the infliction. Sir, the coup d'tlal was not successful. 1 he bill did not pass before the communi ty was awakened to it, not alone in New England, for I have seen letters from the South aud W est stating that it was there regarded as a breach of faith; and I can see no wrong in ministers expressing their opinion in regard to it. This protest does not attack the reputation of Senators. It does not displace them from their positions here. It docs not impair their capabilities tor the discharge of th high functions which the Constitution has devolved upon them. I see nothing wrong in all this.— ! Ministers have a right to remonstrate.— j l hey *tie like other men. Because they j are ministers of the Gospel they are not ] disfranchised of political rights and privi leges; and if their language is respectful to ] t,lc Senate, in anticipation of the passage of a bill which was obnoxious to them, j tney have a right to spread their opinions on the records of the nation. The great national heart throbs under this measure; its pulse beats high; and is it surprising we should observe the effects of it? I trust, sir, that the nation may yet again see the blessed tranquility that prevailed over the whole country when this ‘ heal ing measure” was introduced into the Sen ate. The nation’s position was enviable It was unagitated ‘I here was not, in my recollection, a time so tranquil, and a com munity more happy. A nation more pros perous existed not upon the earth. Sir, I trust that there will be no continuance of agitation; but the way to end it is not to make war upon memorialists. Let them memorialize if they think it necessary. If they state what is incorrect, let the sub ject be referred to committees, and let the committees give an exposition of the truth, and lay it, in reports, before the public, and the intelligence of the nation will de termine as to what is right, and what con sideration qught to be given to it. I would not take away the liberty to indulge in the freest expression of opinion, or the exercise of the rights and privileges which THE GEORGIA JEFFERSONIAN. GRIFFIN, (GA.) THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 30, 1854 belong to any portion of this country; yet ] I would discourage agitation'. I may hold ; the contents of this protest, to some ex- I tent, heretical; yet they are not expressed j in such offensive language as would justify j a denial of their right to niemorialize. If it had been intended to impugn our mo tives or our actions, either as corrupt or immorai, we conld bear it. The people sure ly have a right to think and speak upon our action. We are not placed in a posi tion so high that we are elevated above the questioning power of the people. They have the right to look into our action, and investigate onr conduct; and, if they do not approve of it. to express their opinions in relation to it I shall never make war upon them oil that account'; yet, I trust, that, whatever disposition may be made of the bill which we hav* passed, the agitation has already reached its acme; and that, from this point it may decline, until the country is again restored to peace aud happiness. Mr. M\S IN. That it is the rijfht of the citizens of the United States to peti tion Congress, or either House of it, upon any subject that may be presented to them, is never denied, never should be denied; and such petition upou any subject of pub lic interest should be received and treated with the respect which is due to citizsns. I trust I shall never Bee the day when the Sanate of the United States will treat the authors of such petitions, upon any subject proper for legislation pending before the body, coming from the people of the Uni ted States, with naught but respect. But I understand this petition to come from a class who style themselves in the petitim i ministers of the Gospel, and not citizens j They come before us —I have not under stood the petition wrong, I believe—as ] ministers of the Gospel, not citizens, and j denounce prospectively the action of the Senate, in their language as a moral wrong; j and they have the temerity, in the presence of the citizens of the United States, to in voke the vengeance of the Almighty, whom they profess to serve, against us. Sir, min isters of the Gospel are unknown to this Government, and God forbid the day should ever come when they shall be known to it. ‘Fhe great effort of the American people has been, by every form of defen sive measures, to keep that class away from the Government; to deny to them any access to it as a class, or any inter ference in its proceedings. The best illus tration of the wisdom of that measure in onr Government is to be found in this,— Ministers of the Gospel, I repeat-, arc un known to the Government Tha mission upon earth is unknown to the Government. Os all others, they are the most encroach ing, and, as a body, arrogant class of men. What do these ministers say? Do they as citizens enter into a statement of the facts of which they complain? Do they recite what will be the political effects of the measure of which they complain? No; they inform us that they come here, thro’ their petition, in the presence of the Al mighty, and invoke Ilis vengeance upon , tho Senate o ! ’ the United States as about to commit, in their judgment, a great mo ral wronjri Now, sir, l am perfectly wll.iagto let any number of citizens protest against the measure which has recently passed the Sen ate They have a right to do so, in re spectful language, such as become gentle men in addressing each other. If thirty thousand, or three hundred thousand citi zens come from New England, let them ba heard. It is respect due to them; but when they come here, not as citizens, but daclaring that they come ns ministers of the Gospel, and, a* the honorable Senator from Texas declared them to be, vice gerents of the Almighty—*o I understood him to declare, possibly he meant vice-re nents to supervise and control the Legis lation of this country—l say, when they come here as a class unknown to the gov ernment, a class that the government .does not mean to know in any form or shape, not to recommend or to remonstrate, but to denounce our action as a great moral wrong, because they claim to be the “vice gerents” of the Almighty, we are bound not from disrespect to them as citizens, not from disrespect to the cloth which they do not grace, but from respect to the government, from respect to that sacred public trust which has been committed to us —to carry out the policy of the govern ment and refuse to recognize them. Sir, their object, as was well said by the Sen ator from Illinois, has been agitation- agi tation ; and I presume that their cloth and their ministry will euable them to agitate with some success. I say, then, Mr. Pres ident, in my judgement it is due to the government, to the public trust which we are here to administer, that we should carry out the policy of the government and refuse to recognize these ministers of the Gospel in coming here. 1 move, therefore, that the petition be not received, as the best evidence of the sense of the Senate of its character. Mr. BUTLER. It has been received, I believe, and all that is left is to protest against the protestants. 1 hav# great x*# speer,, Mr. President, for the pulpit. I have such a respect for it that I would almost submit to a rebukq from a minister of the Gospel, even in my official capacity; but they lose a portion of my respect when I see an organization, for, I believe, the first time in the history of this government, of clergymen within the limits of a local precinct, within the limits of New England, assuming to be, as the Senator from Tex as said, the vicegerents of Heaven, coming to the Senate of the United States, not as citizens, as my friend from Virginia has said, but as organs of GoJ—for they do not come hero petitioning or presenting their views under the sanction of the obli gations and responsibilities of citizen# un der the Constitution of tho United States, but they have dared to quit the pulpit, and step into the political arena, and speak as the organ of Almighty God.— &ir, they assume the foremen of the Jury which is to pronounce the verdict and judg ment of God upon the earth. They do not protest as ordinary citizens do; bat they mingle in their protest what they would have us believe is the judgment of the Almighty. When the elegy quit the province which is assigned them, in which they cau dispense the Gospel—that Gos pel which as the lamb, not as the tiger*or the lion—whetj they would convert the Urnll Into the Uon, going about, iri the form of agitators, seeking whom they may devour, instead of the meek and. lowly representatives of Christ, they direst themselves of all inspect wliMi I can give them. Sir, the ministers of tie- Gos pel are the representative# of the lowly and poor lamb—of < Frist; but when the men who have signed that paper—l do not know with what cidi; f do not sav a word against them as individuals, for I have no doubt they mod and respecta ble and many of them C .ristiai"i-assume to organize themselves as clergymen, to come before the Country and protest against the deliberations of the Senate of the United States, they deserve, at least, the grave’ censure of the body. Mr. ADAM'. During the discussion of the Nebraska bill before the Senate i •did not open my mouth; nor should I now i but for the remarks which have fallen i from the distinguished Senator front Tex- j as, my old and familiar friend. He says! there is agitation, and that the display j upon your table is evidence of it. Sup- i pose there is agitation; at whose ought the fault to lie, if there is fault?— | Wes the action of this body right or I wrong? If we did what was right and! proper, according to the republican instil tutions of this country, and agitation! arises out of it, the responsibility neither ; rcst3 upon the distinguished Senator who J introduced the bill nor those who voted j for it. What was that action? This j body, by its vote, removed a legislative I •ensure upon the institutions of ths South ; —a centure which has existed so? mors j than thirty years,, and under which we! had lived ribnrssively now for the sake of 1 peace. For tho first time hi thirty yean when that censure could be repealed, when the SoutheriFStates place themselves as the Constitution places them, upon tn equality with the northern States, we are committing a very great outrage when we simply say that the people of every portion of this country within the limits of our constitutionil authority shall be governed by their own laws in their owu war. This is the whole of it I concur with my friend from S mth Carolina in regtirO u' the petition which has been presented and ordered to iie on j ‘he talde. It t•’ aJnrcsst-'d to ove Seoa’e • and Houle of Bep:-;;st-■Dtati'vVs !.<y * body | of individuals as ministers of th* G iso- 1 ! I trust I hav.- * regard for hs , ! vocation as nv other Individual, and s-J much respect for the mioistevs <>f r%. f : and good will ot earn .as any other i.nit- j vnlual; hut when they de.nn root that; j high v.tcatio i, and c >me down to mtri;pt 1 in tha tumid pools of p >!i icq I s-ouhlj t.eat them just as I would all o .-c- oin \ zens, I would treat their memorials anil remonstrances.precisely a* I would those ■ of other citizens. It is so unlike the spos-! ties and the ministers ol Cnrist at an par ly day, that it loses tite potency which they suppose the styling themsj!ves min isters of the Gospel would give to their memorial. The early ministers of Christ attended to thalr mission, one which was given to them by their Master; and under all circumstances, even when the Saviour himself was upon the earth, and attempts were made to induce him to give opinions with reference to tlie municipal affairs of] the government, he refused. These men have descended from their high estate to! assail the action of this body. !he Sen-1 ator from Massachusetts, in presenting’ the petition, ha# done what he considered | to be hi# duty; but I would re n irk, how- j ever, that with all the respect which be long# to the high character of those indi ] viduals as minister# of the Gospel, their! petition #ho dd, under tho circumstance 7 ,! receive no more respect from us then if it came from any other private citizens. ! .Mr HOUSTON Mr. President, l| have the misfortune again to differ fro n j my friends in relation to this measure, but that difference is not sufficient to induce me to enter anew into the discussion of it. I will, however, discuss the propriety of this memorial The gentlemen misappre hend its character entirely I understood the honorable Senator from Virginia—but I may have been mistaken—to say that it invoked the vengeance of Almighty God upon the Senate. Mr. MASON. In substance it does, as I understand. Mr. HOUSTON. There is no invoca-1 tion contained in the memorial It is a respectful protest, stating their apprecia tion of the measure then pending before the Senate of the United States, and not one word is contained in it deroga tory to the Senate at the time it was; drawn, and there is no invocation of wrath or vengeance upon the members of this body. It is a respectful protest, in the name of Almighty’ God. By the expression which I used when I was up before, tlitot they were the vice gerents of the Almighty, I merely intend ed to say that they were harbingers of peace to their fellow men; and if it was a lapsu,i lingua, or improper expression, it does not change the intention th it I then entertained in my mind of express ing a belief, that it was nothing o so than an extraordinary emar -cncy that diverted men from their ordinary pursuits in the ministry of the Gospel to engage atal! in. or to step even to the verge of, the politi cal arena. We are told, Mr. President, that this was intended for the purpose of agitation. It is certainly a manifestation of agitation, I I but it could net have been intended to cre ate agitation, for the thing was done, and here is one of its devoiopoments and consequences. Yet, sir, I cum see nothing wrong in the memorial, so far as I am con cerned. If ministers of the Gospel are not recognized by the Constitution of the United States, they arc recognized by the moral and social constitution oi society.— They arc recognized in the constitution of Rian’s salvation. The great Uedeemer of the world enjoined duties upon mankind; and there is the moral constitution fro u which we have derived all the excellent principles upon which our government, morally, socially, and religiously, is found ed. Then, sir, I ilo not think that there is anything very derogatory to our institu tions in the ministers of the Gospel express ing their opiuions. They have a right to do it. No man can be a irrinister without first being- a man. tie tr.s pc’tiica! right.t,’ he has also t,he rirrht of a missionary of thi Sarionr, and he is not disfranchised bv hia vocation. Certain political restric tions may he laid on hi::!, he may be dis qualified from serving in the Legislatures of the State, but that does not. discharge j him from political and civil Obligations to i Ins country. Tie has a right to contribute, as fa ; he thinks nSce-sary, to the sus tcntatioii of its institutions Ho hag a F*ht to in ter nose his voice as one of it# citizens against the adoption of any mea sure which he believes will injure the nation. These individuals have done no more.— They have not denounced the Senate, but timy have protested, in the capacity of ministers, against what I and other Sena tor?; on this floor protested. They hare the right to do it, and Wc cannot take that right-from thorn. T hey will exercise j it. ihe peonle have the right to think, and they will excercise that right. They have .the right of memorializing, and they | w.ll exercise that right. They have the right- to express their opinion.!, and they will exercise that right. They will exer cise their rights ii reprobation or commen dation at the ballot box, too; and preach ers, i believe, vote. They have the right to do so. They are not very formidable numer cally, but they have the right to do this as ministers oMlio Gospel, as well as we Senators have the right to Tote for the adoption of a measure; and if it is not in accordance with their opinions they have a right to condemn it. They have the right to think it is morally wrong, politically wrong, civilly wrong, and soci ally wrong, if they do not interfere with t v *e vested rights of others in the entertain mint of those ?pinions, l understood my honorable frieud from Mississippi to say, that the South had been fora long time under this oppressive measure. The South, air, are a spirited people, and how they could h\ve submitted for more than a third of a century to this indignity, this wrong, this a'-t of agg r ession, which hasground h#nn and jwi in their prosperity and devel opment, an I never lnve said a wor 1 about il until this auspicious moment arrived, and that, too, when political subjects have been agitated at the North and South, that it should have been reserved f >r the action of the present Congress, af ter all others had glided by without com plain’, rebuke, remonstrance, orsugges h>n of appeal, is a m >st exlr.iordteary ‘hfo". Mv friend does not apprehend it; out there wa# rro evcitemen’ out of thi# Ca pit >), or out of the city of Washington It-orisinated tier*. This was the grand !••Pooitory of political action and political machinery. Toe object wa to mature h > measure here, ft id infl cl ip by a coup d'el'tl, upon the nation, and thru radiate j it to every point of the country. Tnepo ■on d'*e no* react pleasai'lv. There is a response, hut how do s it go down? Not wrlb Fhe physic, work*; it work* baUv; it works upward. lam ‘vi'F'.ig to receive anv memorials ths ari> pre'siehled f ’> this body which are respectable in terms, whether they come ‘ from preachers, po'i’.icMijs, civilians, or ■ from the beggars that congregate about ] your cities, and 1 will re it them with re- j spect and kindness. Vs long as they are j respectful in terms to this body, though j they ex pi ess their apprehension of a ca lamity about to fall o t tha country, it j brands no man; and if they denounce a ] measur.e in adv tnce. it if. what they have ■ a ri.;hl to uo. We hsve a more eligible! p. si'io itre to a.lvoca'e our opinions than itvlividoa's have in social life to maintain their p notions.- We have nil] the panoply of’ po ver nnd Stale Bove- I reign ty ih-o.vn around ihe members of this \ ho<Sy t< guard and shield then against i attacks;‘but tilv ire thro vn in the midst of the ro nmuoi.y without any shield, ex cept it is the slrai l of m traloy and pro priety of conduct w iieb gives protection to their pars.) >. While thev express themselves respectfully I shall.nerer treat ftniii disrespect pseachers or any other indivi luais who come before this ho ly to give as thvir up io >s upon political sub jec s. Mr. EVERE Fib Mr. P,evident, as this ir.esmo’ iai was presented by me, 1 ih'nk if m v duly t<> say a few words to , the Senate Ik way of explaining ray re lation to it. Just after the Senve cam to order tiiis morning, I was called from trtv sett to the floor of the Senate Clam ber, and there roqueste 1 to take charge of it, this memorial. iho gentleman it) whose hands it was, with whom I had not the pleasure of a previous pergonal acquaintance, was introduced to mo, as I h ive no doubt he is, as a most respecta ble me vber of the clerical profession; and I was requested by him to take charge of the memorial, and present it to the Senate Seeing that it was a very volu miuous document, an 1 one which l could not carr}* with me to my seat, and there hand it, in the usual manner, to the at tendants of the Senate, I directed one ot them near me at the door to take it im meliately to the table of the secretary, so that 1 have had ne opportunity what ever of inspecting i*. 1 presented it to die Senate hut a m >ment or two after it was placed in my charge, and, in point of fact, I had not ran 1 a word ofit before- 1 cast my eye over it and a f?W ol the signa tures at the head of it, in conjunction with the:-Senator from Illinois, the Chairmin of the Committee on the Territories, as we were standing together at the Secre tary’s table. I think it due to myself, as it matter of fact, that these circumstance# should he stated, because tho Sena tor from Illinois has objected to ths lan guage of the memorial, as disrespectful to tne Senate, and as personally offensive to him, in common with the other mem bers f the bo iy who supported the bill. 1 am aware of the reserve which is im posed by tbe rules of the Senate on the presentation of memorial#; aud I deem it, therefore, no more than justice to myself that the Senate should understand pre cisely the circumstances under which this memorial war offered by nve. I think, however, sir, that loughttO'go funher, au 1 ( - inasmuch as the time of its preien.la.ion is objected to, express, in justice to the m-emoTiaftsls,. the opinion that this memorial was signed by proba bly every individual whose name is sub • c.-rihed io it the fiaal action ol m# ; Senate on the Nebraska bill. Il is proba ble, in collecting together the separated papers which had b* en circulated for sig natures, and in preparing the memorial j to be transmitted, in the copy of the eap ; tion which was made for the purpose, i the date of the first of March was append ed to it, without considering that many of the memorialists, probably ail, must h* it signed it before that day It ought not, therefore, ro (> considered, as has been complained of, a< a protest directed agtins: a measure which so large a ma jority of the Senate had previously sanc tioned, hut as the expression of the opin ion entertained try those who signed it of a measure still pending before the Sen ate. j ido not undertake to vouch that this is j the i*rt| but I ptesume that Senators will j themselves, on reflection, consider tint it mii.o he so; and that the nvmurial must have been signed by a majority, if uot ty ( every individual whose name is there, wiule the meat-fire was in its progress, and not alter it had received the approbation of a great majority of this body. My own opinion in relation to pre-ent iog memorials t the Senate in reference to measures that have pissed from our control would tie. that :t is, generally speaking, not expedient. In a single in stance of a memori and against the N ebras k i (till, sent to tne sin e the n ensure lefi this body, I have, at the suggestion of the person who sent it, instead of present ing it here, put it into the hands of the member of the other llotse who repre sent. the district where the memorialists live. That was done at the request of the person who forwarded the memorial. Ob serving however, that other Senators around me, in many cases, did- present memorials which had reached them since the bill passed through the Senate, and contemplating the possibili'y that it might again come before us, after having undergone amendment in the other i Mouse, and that there was therefore stiii a propiiety in its being considered, to a qualified extent, in our possession, 1 have thought thfie was no irregularity in that point of view, in presenting any memo rial to which there was no objection on other grounds On this principle I have acted in reference to several memorials against the Nebraska trill which have been sent to me during the past week. In reference to the objections taken to the language of the memorial, and the con- . ccrted movement in which it has origina-’ ted, I must say to the Senator from Illi-! uois, that I do not believe there is any thing in it intended for political effect. I ! have no belief that these three thousand ! j clergymen from all parts of New England, !in preparing and signing this memorial, have intended, in the smallest degree, to step from their sacred profession into the arena of party polities. lam confident it would be found, if it were possible to make the inquiry, that the memorial is signed by, individuals ol'all political parties; that I those who differ on every political question, |in the common acceptation of the term, j Will be found to have united on this oeca sion; that this paper really expresses the sincere conviction of men who look at this subject strictly in a moral and religious aspect, and that, so far from designing to take any part in the agitations that trouble the land, they hare regarded the question solely in the - other point of view in which , it is natural it should present itself to their | minis. | Tiiis has from time immemorial, been i the custom of the members of that prefer ! iion, in that part of the country, although I not confined to it. They have been in the ! habit, in reference to the public questions j which have strongly appealed to the sen sibilities of the community,-and which they regarded as having momentous moral and religious bearings, of expressing their opin ions in this- way; and 1 ain quite sure, as I said before, that on this occasion, they have not intended to lay aside —they have not thought they were laying aside - their sacred character for the sake of joining in j political agitation, or affecting the result of any political controversy. And, sir, I , think, I need not say, that a body of over J three thousand cLrgyinen, comprehending j more than three fourths of the clerical pro fessron of New England, of all denomina tions, is a very respectable body; that it must faithfully represent the public opinion of a very large and most intelligent por tion of the community, and that it is enti tled to the ino3t respectful consideration on the part of this body. Ido not wish, as a citizen myself of that part of the U nioti, to say any thing that would be tlio’t extravagant, or dictated by local partiali ty on that point, but I must say that 1 do not think it would be possible to find any body of men of the same number ernbra cing a greater amount of personal or m >r al worth than these three thousand and fifty individuals. The greater portion of them are necessarily men of education They are persons whose lives are conse crated, with very little reward in what are called this world’s goods, to the highest objects to which the life and labors of a man can ba devoted. Os course, in such a large number of men, there may be in divicinal exceptions, but I do think that., in general, it may bo very fairly said they are as exemplary, as intelligent, aud as re spectable a body of men as any other in tiie country, not to say in the world; and I must repeat my conviction, that on this occasion they wore animated by no des ; re to embark in the strife and agitation of the world of politics; but that feeling they were performing a duty that devolved up on them, they have expressed their honest ami sincere conviction of the character of the measure in question, contemplated in a nnral and religious point of view. 1 regret that the presentation of this memorial, which, uuder the circumstauces, I could regard in no other light than as a duty to a large number of my own imme diate constituents, should have awakened any feeling on the part of any member of the Senate. It is but three or so rdayia i e my frieud from New York [\lr. Fish],. pre sented a similar memorial—! mean similar in its object, for 1 have had uo opportuni ty of comparing the terms iu wliiok it is couched—subscribed by almost every cler gyman in the city of New Tort. It was headed by the distinguished bishop of the ensbo” ’ tl:oc23f> o-?'that- State: and it was represented to be signed by a large tut | jority of the clergy of that city. No ex j ception was taken in tfie senate to that memorial; none to its terms; none to the I facts of the presentation. It was received | in the usual form, and ordered to lie'upon ! the talile in the usual manner That, if I recollect right, was since the passage of I the bill; and it took the course, which oth |er numerous memorials have taken which have also been presented since its passage. 1 think it would he wise aud expedient that this memorial also shotild beweceived aud disposed of iu the usual way. lam quite sure that it would be doing injustice to the, individuals who have signed it* ms ■ny of whom are personally known to me, as moil venerable for years, distinguished for learning, and of the utmost purity of life and character, to reject their memori al as having liesn prompted by any desire to kindle angry passions, or to engage iu ! political controversy; but that we ought j to give them the ere tit for having expfes*- jed honestly and sincerely the feelings which they entertained of this measure as j a n'lOfal and religious question. I do not know, sir, that I have any thing more to say on this subject. 1 felt that it iras due to the relation in which, without any previous intimation, I hare been placed to the memoridists that 1 ; should say this much. j Mr. PEiTlih Mr. President, lam i for the greatest liberty to the greatest ■ number, and i will not deny to any class jof uiv fellow-citizens, uuder whatever j name or denomination they may appear, j the right to petition; and under the geue i ral term “petition,” provided for in the S Constitution, I am willing to regard me j mortals and remonstrances, of whatever j name, kind, or description, provided they are always respectful to the Senate. lint they should be viewed in another light, ana that is as to the propriety of time.— Then the first objection which 1 make to this remonstrance is not to its term-, not to it of itself, but to the time of its pre sentation All inenorinlizing and all peti j tioning is upon the bans or hypothesis I that some good is to come oat of it; that ! there is something pending, or likely to be pending, to which it may refer. In that view, it is certainly too late nw to present this memorial, though, as for that, I care but little. The bill has passed from us, never to return to us, in all prob ability. YVc have done our deed, for good or for evil, for weal or for woe. We are to have, I suppose, the righteous judge ments of the country anil of the Almighty upon us for the doing of that deed. I presume this memorial intends to convey the i lea, although it does not say so dis tinctly, that we subject ourselves to the righ e msjudgme. fc >f tU \’mighty t judg ments which are terrible and fearful, judg ments of torment, of pain, and of misery. I will not, however, so construe it, for my own gratification at least. lam willing to say that the righteous judgments of the Almighty held in reserve for us are those of approval aud reward. I doubt uot that we shall receive, through the country, through our fellow citizens, that judgnieri t of reward and approval. The bill, how ever, to which this remonstrance relate*, Ins passed from us, not to return. It has gone entirely to the other house, and 1 can see no propriety in piling upon our table remonstrances against the passage of the measure which we lnve already passed. But, sir, the Senator from Mississippi [Mr. Ach|sw] says he liars great respect and great reverence for the clergy, for the ministers of the Gospel, as such, while they keep their robes pure and unspotted; but when they descend to the turbid pools of politics and bedabble their garments all over with the mad, and slime, and filth which lie would make you believe is to be found there, he loses all respect for them. So should I, if 1 coaid be led to believe that the waters of tho pool of poli ties wove any more turbid or filthy than the waters which flow through their con tradictory streams of theology. Ido not believe it, sir. I hold, on the contrary, that the waters of the pools of polities are infinitely more pellucid, and pure, and cheering, and refreshing, than the pool which surrounds their stagnant waters of theology no two of them agreeing on any proposition which can be presented l . I anr, however, totally incompetent to judge of this matter. These men, as has been well said by the Senator from Vir ginia, have not come to you as fellow citi zens. The Constitution has secured to the citizens of the United States the right at all times to petition, aud they shall nev er be denied that right by me, whether they choose to use the name of citizens or any other. But they have-not remonstra ted in their own name as citizens, nor in behalf of their fellow-citizens; bat they have come, as they tell you, as the em bassadors of a higher and omnipotent power They use the language, of an em bassador who says, “in the name of my Government I declare to you this, that or the other.” In the name of God, and in the name of his violated law, they declare this. They say that to them alone is giv en the power to divulge or to divine that law on earth. Sir, being totally incom petent, avowing here my total incapacity and ability to expound, divine, and illus trate that law,. I shall leave it to a differ ent forum and a different place. These memorialists do not tell us that the measure against which they protest will iujuro the country, or that it is a wrong to their fellow citizens; but that is a violation of the law of Him, their Mas ter, who, they claim has sent them. Tho propriety of such a remonstrance may wall be questioned; yet I will not undertake to question it. Sir, this then, is an ecclesiastical, not a political question, they have withdrawn ,-it from the political arena. They have said that they arc sent by the Divine Creator, the maker and enforcer of divine- law, commissioned to*put forth and to* thunder on our devoted heads, his anathemas and his judgements in advance. Asa secular body, we are entirely incompetent to jm'g * of what that law is, or whether wo have offended against, it or not. These men say they are commisiourd to expound it on oarth to un. We have, hoisgita*, provided ourselves for all these contingou .ce.v. When the people, in their politic j No* 13.
