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About The Georgia Jeffersonian. (Griffin, Ga.) 18??-18?? | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1854)
VOL. XV. ;g teRSM hKIIftSOME ls ron n?n n tmr tiiumhat mornikk BV'W 7I.TL.TA3V*- rj mu, At ■-r.er? • DeUaa* r&idSfr. acvarce. * VJ’S irr -nsrr’f H t O.Vfc nf .?!< - •• .lT.lflf hr {bin insertion, art! Kjf~T x ’ t'SA 'S net aqtiurr-, for eat-li iiwerlioo I w'tr. 4 • 4**Ki.cif**i will b mn.le ta those ■**.. |v t •:■* t;ie -a. \: - ... . 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TO L*yi* tll'.iaf lC pliV f( thm M S'.v v.* •*-*■ t.r.avt. to e.t. trr.r.ovs mnrt ru -5..- * •• ’ T-Vn ‘lC).\'T!!s ( any ordrr ab eft'n - ! >i Ih- ma-i • Tlierooa l<v On- ‘ ‘onrt. riTJtri-iVs f-.r !.(•;:•■(■ of A loiii;i>ir:ir.r -**. *.-. ! .: .. ••! tiisktt lor O'tsmi.ior ,t i .', • ■!■ n.iSTiii ? (ns month*; for J). n fra •* nunr'loioiiliin. romTT P.\T.'- :< i. ’*oror!o.orr *( Morisaffp n-.n**! *■ > •:!• <*!<•■! <4 3*rt! x ros rr.cn mokt!:.>:. esir.fi jiH ’t i.i.; ~-r 10. 100 I'l’t }>;■ r- ol Ttn.i t ir run * ’io<r it!-.-< idi i! Kxecutoror A-l-'-f-i*i ra- *-'•-< -In r. : < i* -i ii.- iW. ‘n4.-W i|.- r.iM a -aoo o’ -f fin ‘ ’ (* i r MS SENATE. TrE!>DAY ?M *1 ell; 14, 18)4. tee wmm BILL DEBATE CCvcLVDED Vt. PE TIT. Mr, this, t! en, 5k an ecrlenaßtiral, not po’it cal question.— They haYe w thdrawn it froru the political wren*. They hare said that they are sent Ity the Divine Creator, the Maker and en forcer of d'rinc law, commissioned to pot forth and thunder on onr devoted heads his anathemas and his judgments in ad vance Asa secular body, we are entire ly incompetent tojudjre what that law is, or whetlier we have offended against it or not These men say they arc commis --ior.cd to ijiound it on errth to us We have, however, provided ourselves for all these contingencies. When the people, in heir poht'c il capacity, send their petitions or memorials here, they kno*’ we are com iieteat to understand them, and to provide fo:~ their interests. But, sir, I suppose we hive taken a with a view of meeting the riris: tit co;.ditiou of affairs “ e have piovided o.rsel v *.-s with a law officer of this ‘dir an ej;jounder of the divine law; a “brother” o the same class with those wao now remonstrate} an officer of this l.odv t ho, from nis age, his high etanding, j tnd many endorseravnts here, must be sup posed to be as capable of expounding that law us any of t'.cse remonslrants 1 think the fact that he ha*’ been selected by a body of such in’ clitgence as the Senate, >hown that he ought to be superior to any **l them as an officer if that law which therte men oay we ‘uee violated and out raged i will iherefore suggest, at any rate, and I believe I shall propose, that inis remonstrance be itferivd to the Rev. i Henry tibcer, * hr;Main oi tliib Sfc.iate, for OjiaiiiiiuiTio:. and report. [Laughter.] Now, sm, 1 w ent ;o know whsihrr the nfccsi of tge senate wl.ou. we have elect <d and upr.-'-inlcd to eti pound ihe d-vii.e } nr and V c dirue w il to u-, will, mt up i. any oath of office, but upon ..is rcsjion ►ibllity us an i.uicei of this body, after Ciiimiy and dcl b- rately weighing our ac tionshtre with th'* w .ole tendency, bear ing, and spirit of tnc revealed will of • od, say to us that wc have s.i vudatt'd it If he w ill, i Uiiic'’c 1 shall be ready to re tract my vote on the bill, and agree to a d >pi hi-report, and go to mv col eagu. 8 iu the other House, and ask t.iem for Hod's sake* to send back the bill here, in or cr that we may retract our steps. this, I repeat, is an ecclesia lied q icn tion. VVe are threatens 1 wit th • uM>dh emas, tne tiiu .ders of the lmigiity sg liust os for viotaiiug los law. s a 6ec :lar body here, we are no judges oft u iaw; but we have provided ourselves With one j who is a judge of it; auu to him I think j th.s whole matter ought to be referred.— I think it will be no disrespect to the mem orialists or the petitioners ii we do so.— They claim that they are gentlemen of the cloth, pr .aeners ol the CLispel. Now, we have elected o.e a.id he is he;e, who is a gentleman ol the cloth, and a minister of the tios i el, of long experience; and I should be exee. d’.ugiy glad to have hit* official report on this question, as to wheth er wc are in Uuiiger, whetner we have in voked the just auu iigntcout j idgments of God upon us. Thereto e, sir, if it is iu order, I will move to refer the memorial to the Rev Henry Sheer, toe Chaplain of the ouuie. [t.aagluer.] Air JJOUIJL vS. o far as I am con cerned, 1 am w.ihug tkat the memorial shall be allowed to lie ‘upon tne table. The reason why i called attention to ii was tins: > have seen a deliberate attempt to organise tne clergy ol uiis country into"” a great political seei.oa.il party for aboli tion schemes. I hat project was dearly put forth in the aboht,on man festo which 1 tuu to expose in my opening speech on ike Nebraska bill. Taw is a response to that abo ilion manifesto, it is an attempt lo give in tne ad.iesiou of the religious societies of this country through the clergy to t.ie a. JO-.emu a.id ,oPtical schemes of t..at organization, if these preachers cbo e vo go iu to tmu political oigauiza tio.. it is not lor me to object, provided they (*o:iiiie tiieu* opeii.tio.iS to tuo coun try, and do not -end .Uei. ost|its here. i tuve no idea Uiaf th ; e men would ever have cirenuipt of on- guig forward such an object. /u:il (iooduieut a cu-.s, but iu re rpoiisy to u.nt cuh w nicii emunated from oenate R ‘.v-aa-by Senators in taeir oili eiai as Senators, and tho remon- g j iuLzamass-snu —.— strances have been sent back in response t© the call. N*w, sir, what is the remonstrance? These men do not protest as citizens.— They do not protest in the name either of themselves or of thair fellow citizens.— They do not even protest in their one names as clergymen against this act, but they say that “we protest in the name of Almighty God;’* and in order to make it more emphatic they claim to speak by authority iu their remonstrance, they tin derscore in broad black lines the words “in the name of Almighty God ” It ia true they describe themselves as mm isfers of the Gospel, bnt they claim to speak in the name of the Almighty upon a politi cal question now pending in the Congress of the United Ststes. It is an attempt to establish in the country the doctrine that a body of men organized and known among the people as clergymen have a pe culiar right to determine the will of God in relation to legislative action. It is an attempt to establish a theocracy to take cVarge of our politics and our legislation It is an attempt to make th legislative power of this country subordinate to the church It is not only to unite church and State, but it is to put the Stale in snbodiniftion to the dictates of the church. Sir, you cannot find in the most despotic countries, in the darkest ages, a bolder at tempt on the part of the ministers of the Gospel to usurp the power of‘’•overnment. and to *av to the people: ‘ you must not think for yourselves; you must not dare to act for yourselves; you must in all matters pertaining to the a flairs of this life, as well as the next, receive iust-ac tions from ns; and that, too iu the perfurm atK of \ onr civil and official, as well as your religious duties.” Sir, I called attention to this matter for ike purpose of showing that it involved a great principle subversive of our free in *titt!ons. If w recogie three thou sand elergemen as having a higher rigKt to interpret the will of God than we have, we destroy the right of self action, ot self government, of self thought, and wc are merely to refer each of our political ques tions to this body of clergymen to inquire of them whether it is in conformity with the law of God and the will of the Al mighty or not This document, I repeat, purports to sptuk iu the mine of Almigh ty God, and then enters a protest in that name. We are put under the ban, we are excommunicated, the gates of Heaven are closed unless we obey this behest and stop in our coarse and carry out these abolition views. The Senator from Texas says the peo ple have a right to petition. I do not question it Ido not wish to deprive minintera of the Gospel of that right. I do not acknowledge that there .s any member of this body who has a higher re apect and veneration either f>r a minister of the gospel or for his holy calling than I have; but my respect is for him in his calling. 1 will not controvert what the Senator from Massachusetts has said an to there being, perhaps, no body of men in this country, three thousand in nember, who combine more respectability than these clergymen. Probably they combine all the respectability which he claims for them; but I will add, that I doubt whether there is a body of meu in A meric i who combine so much profound ignorance on the question upon which they attempt to enlighten the senate as this same body of preachers, How many of them, do you suppose* sir, have ever taken up and read the act of 1820 to which I alluded? I)o you think there in one of them who has done so? How many of them ever read i this votes by which tha North repudiated that act of IH2-I? Do you think oue of them ever did? How many of them ever read the variaus votes which 1 quoted on that act atd the Arkansas act? Do you t .ink one of them knew anything about teem? How many of them have ever traced the course of the compromise mea sures of 1850 ou the record? Not one of t.iem. Yet they assume, in the name of the Almighty, to judge of facta, and laws, and votes, of which they know nothing, and w hich they have no time to under stand, if they perform their duties as elcr gyuieu to ;heir respective Hocks. I hey do not pretend to judge from the kuowledga of this world, from the record ers of the senate, or from the statute book, or from any of the sources of infor mation ou which Senators and citizens predicate their action; but by the wi 1 and the law of Gcd, in Ins uame, and in consequence oftbeir devino mission, they overrule a 1 these and preeribea new test, (and, in that name, they tell us that by the S passage of that bill which wc have passed, jwe have committed a moral wrong They toll uk that it is subversive of all confi dence in national engagements. Now, let me ask, are these men parti culariy tenacious of all natioual engage Aleuts? Did they iu their pulpits, iu 1850 and 151, tell tbeT followers that they were bound by their oath, and by their religious duty, to surrender fugitive slaves in obedience to the Constitution? Did they then tell their people that they must perform national engagements? Did the then tell their flocks that the Senate ivae right in carrying out the provisions o; the Constitution? Have they been particu larly in the habit of enjoining iu the pul pit and from the sacred desk, as a matter o: couscqueuce, that the people should perform the uutioual engagements con tained in the Constitution of wur country, and which we are all sworn to support? Sir, I do not remember that any oue of these three thousand preacher*, at the time when in Boston and ether points of this country there wore attempts to resist the fugitive slave law by force, came tor ward and said >t was a divine duty to perform national engagements. If they did, 1 have not seen tne evidence of it If they felt it was a matter of conscience and of duty on the part of the clergy to supervise the fulfilment of national engage ments, to preserve the public faith, and oUe public honor, where were they then, when your Constitution was trampled up ou, wiieu oaths of office could not bind men to perform their coustitutiou<d duty, when public honor was being outraged!— W here theu, were these three thousand clergymen? VVe did not hear from them ou that occasion* I here was a national engagement which no man can deny; yet THE GEORGIA lEFFERSONIAN. GRIFFIN, (GAL) THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL it 1854 they did not raise tlieir voice against its violation. But in this case, merely because some abolitionists from this body have said that an act of Hongrcss consti tuted a national engagement, although the statement is contradicted by the re cord, they come farward at the bidding of an abolition junta, to arrnign the Senate f the United States in the name of the Almighty. Sir, 1 deny their authority. I deny that they have any snch commission from the Almighty to decide this question. I deny that our constitution confers any such right upon them. I deny that the dhle confers any such right upon them They can perfor i tlieir duties within their sphere without my ccnßure or my inter ference, and they “arc respunsibile to tin* Almighty for thejnanner in which they perform tlio-c duties; and I must lie left to t.o perfor .i my duties within the sphcr.i of ■ny functions, with no other ‘ responsibly than to my constituent and to the Al mighty, without the interference of those men. 1 do not acknowledge them as an intermediate tribunal. I do not ac knowledge that they are, as the gentleman from Texas has called them, the viecg# rents of the Almighty, and that they are to perform the duty of overlooking our eon duct. I repudiate the whole doctrine as .it war with the pure princi les of chriati unity, at war with the spirit of our insti tutions, at war with our Constitution, at war with every principle upon which a free government can rest. hen, sir assuming this character, they come forward and tell us that the action of the Senate exposes us to the rig'n eons judgements of the Almighty. Their lead ers here try to avoid the force of the objec tion that this is offensive, npn tbc_g ound i that the Senate had not voted upon the question at the time when the memorial was signed. However the fact may be as iC- the signing of the protest, casuot be dcnied‘that they sent it here for pre sentation* by tlieir own agent more then one week after the vote of *thc Sen ate had been published to the world- - Tliis excuse does not avail them, nor ex culpate thair couduet. It only furnishss eridencc that their apologists here have become ashamed of their conduct. 1 wish it distinctly understood that I at tach no blame to the Senator from Mas sachusetts, [Mr. EVERETT’,] who pro sen ted this document, for his uniform con duct has proven him incapable of perform ing an improper act here knowingly.— His explanation has set him right lint the fact still reraaius that this offensive protes has been sent here and presented to the Senate as an impeachment of our conduct in passing a bill which received the sanc tion of this body by a vote of 37 yea:; to 14 nays. But, passing that by, if it is not offen sive to the Senate, because the senate had not voted on the bill at tho time, it vai offensive to the committee on Terri tories, \vl o had reported it, and it is as much a violation of the rules of tho Sen ate, of controversy, and of decency, to bring in a document'which is offensive to oue of your committee*, as to bring in one which is offensive to the body itaeT. — T hen that excuse will not avail Individually, I care nothing about this matter. To meet it is a very small affair, compared wit < the sort of treatment I am receiving every day. I 8 limit to it with great composure. I wait for the coming of the day when the people will under stand the real principles involved iu the Nebraska bill. Sir, 1 hope the day will ag rii sutely it will arrive—when you will not be able to find a man in the United States who will acknowledge that ha was •rer opposed to that great principle of self government, union you can pin him by the record, and then iie will hare some xcusc onjrome immaterial point. These confederates can have their triumph now, by heaving on oar heads insult and cal urn • ny, and by deceiving even ministers of the Gospel and members of churches into acts of excess which ara disgraceful o them, end of which they will be ashaintd when the question cooiee to be fairly uuder titood. Mr. IIOU 4 POM. Mr. President, as the honorable Soantor front lihiroi*, the chairman of tho c ommittee cm I orr'iKffieu, see ned in a most emphatic manner to and dress his remarks lo me, I think him fully entitled to the respect of my attention.— He has dwelt upon tbc abolition eharac ter of this document. So far as any such character may be embodied in it, I have nothing lo say Thore are various opin ions entertained here and elsewhere upon various subjects with which I have nothing to do, and with which I hare no affiliation; but with this subject, as it is presented to the Senate now, I have s ime connection ith the controversy which exists between the honorable chairman of the Committee on Tcrritorie* and the geatleman from 0 hio, [ >lr. t base,] and the gentleman from Massachusetts, (Mr. Sumner), I have no thing to do. I was not here when tho controversy originated, nor when it was first introduced into the Senate, i have not participated in it since; aud however unpleasant such altercations or controver sies may be, and however I may regard them as impeding the transaction of bad ness in this body, I have so borne either public or private expressions of opinion up m that mutter. Mr. DOUGLAS. Mr President, I will say to the -enator that tho only allusion which 1 had to him was the simple quota-; tion which I made from his remarks when he spoke of these ministers being the vice gerents of the Almighty. My other re marks were intended !or anot er quarter, so far as they bad an application any where. If lie is under the mlsappreheu sion of supposing that thef referred to him, I wish to correct him; that is all. I do not want to interrupt him. .Vlr. HOUSTON lam very glad to hear the disclaimer, for the gentlemen's re marks appeared lo be directed so unequiv ocally toward me, that I was led iuto the misapprebeusiou of supposing that they were intended perhaps to apply to me, iu a manner in which it was not the purpose of thegeutlemau to apply them. But, sir, L explained when 1 was up before the mis application of the term ‘vicegerent,’ and i expressed my opinion tol>e that the min*: wters of tfic Gospel were the heralde of the Almighty Gol, or his ininfstebs o ’ peace upon earth. I thought the gentle man would not have harped upon fiat ex presl*n, unless with reference to some particular influence widen my views might hare upon the auditory. It was a mere misapplication of a term, and Ibo explain ed it. But, Mr. President, I think th chjee of this memorial is misapprehended i find no fault with ijs introduction elth'-. before or after Rpc passage of t e bill to which it Venn's*, b pl may be re turned ip the -v ~‘. 4 yneud.uent-s Such occur. At all evcj Cosine has been pre pared with great ears, and ns the gent e men who have signed it have been anxious that their views should be laid before the -'enate of tne United -Mates, lest other measures embracing similar principles should be introduced, I can see nothing improper in allowing them to lay their views respectfully before the s cuate. I do not think there is any evidence that the gentlemen who have signed the memo rial have any disposition to establish the ocracy in our country, or that they'wish to take the Government into H eir own handK, and exercise a controlling influence over it VVe find that those wiio have signed this document are of different sects and of various denominations. I think there is no danger t at such an amalga mation of interests and opinions will take place as to embody a force sufficient to make any great impression on the insti tutions of this country, or to endanger our liberties. Mr. President, this memorial is regard ed as a substantive and independent mat ter, as intended to produce ag tarion, and to insult the Senate; but it is really the effect of a measure which ; predicted would have this influence upon the community.— The cau>e exists in the Senate. It exists tff the Xe braska bill T)ro[los!3®' > Ihe reyfl of the Missouri and tills is but re spousive to that. •he cause is not iu the clergymen who hare signed this memorial The memorial is the effect of a cause brot’ forward and presented in the Senate. The memorial impog'.s the action of no otic It is true the memorialists speak of the measure as immoral, surely that ought not to insult Senators. hey arc* not such paragons of.rnor.dity that they cun i not bear to have their moral character questione , if they should happen to do anything which would not be strictly mo ra!, according to some standards. but which I should not think to be very im moral. But is tlieir morality ( f such a del icate texture as to he affected by a memo rial coming from ‘The land of steady ha its?” “e ire told that there is a great prin ciple involved in the bill to which this me morial refers. ! his is a very formidable and very visible response to that rout principle which it Is said to have lain dor mant. Mr, I need not name the number of years that it has lain dormant No bright genids ever eiicited It; no briliinnt conception ever discovered it until this session had'►ew'rffo;- some time, when the great principle i\ non-intervention at j once sprang p to illumine the world, toj be regarded as one which, at some future j day, would be a universally recognized J principle. Sir, I recognize t.e principles j of self-government, but 1 doit in sovereign ty A people in tutelage cannot exercise sovereignty, but States can. A people who are iu a territorial existence, which is fitting them to become State*, exercise what miy be called a qv-asi Hovereignty. They are never really sovereign until tuey ■ are recognized by congress as such, .i.’dj are received into the Union as sovereign i States. Then is the time for the open*-! tion of selt-govern nent, but it grow* ot of Rovtreigiitv. Is it to lie in five squat ters? T hey may pass a law to-day aid nepeal it to-morrow and the next day they may paw another law, and so on uucees sively from day to day and from year to year they may pass arid repeal laws. he territories have no power to pass organic laws until the attributes ol sovereignly are about to attach, or have actually attach ed to them. That is what I call non-in tervention ; hat is what 1 call sovereign ty and self government. 1 his is - nr<pgt principle ..which it i said is involved in tiro bill which e imve passed; a f nd now are receiving the re sponse to it I hope we may never have aay more responses of this description. 1 pray Heaven that wc may never have another such protest in this body I pray tliat there may never exist aity necessity for it. But for the necessity or cause, which originated in this body, this memo rial would never have been laid upon your j table This is but tiie effect; tue cause J was anterior to it. If we wisu to avert | cal’.uu.tous effects, we s.iould proven* per uciods causes Mr Sri WARD. Mr. President, I do not iuteud to be drawn, by any remarks wnieh have been made, into a discussion of the question wmch wag so elaborately diacussed and finally disposed of, so far as tfiis House is concerned, the week before last; but I have a few words to say upon tiie mere incident the circumstance whicn, happening here this morning, is the sub ject of discussion. i understand that the honorable Sena tor from Virginia, (Mr Mason,,’ who mo ved that this petition Kfiould not be re ceived, submitted that motion after the petition in fact, had been received; and tnereforo I suppose that motion is not iu orde£ and be insisted upon, i do not understand the honorable Senator from Indiana, (Air Pettit) seriously to propose to refer to* the t liaplaiu of tiie Senate a paper ad iressed to tne “emue for its consideration. Mr. PET i IT. If our rules will allow it 1 snail insist on that reference. Mr SEWARD. 1 understand the hon orable Senator to assume that tne rules <to not allow it, and that it therefore cannot he done.- Hence I will address no re marks to the Senate on that point, i understand tho houorab e {senator fro m Illinois, ( vlr Douglas,) who objected to this memorial, to say that, after having delivered his sentiments ou the subject of the measure to which it relerred, lie, for oue, would consent that tue memorial snould lie on the taole. That is precisely what is desired by the petitioners them-; ‘•elves, dr tho?.* who represent them here o i t.-:s o; c:.sio i I understand, therefore, th-** *• er \* no legislative question before the Senate at nil In regard to this matter; Hilt that practically we are all asreed that this memor.al or petition, respectful or 1 o• h*rwi*.?, r.rhtor wro.ur, shall lie on the I t:.bl* Than * “idefstaiid the design of ! 'i-honor. -,! from Illinois, end of h’)3 who have addressed tiie Senate upon th's oceaslu i, has been to reply the rem -rk; /hi-h are contained in tlic tiioiuor at qi on tiie subject of the N :br,*rk.i fill. a.ii t : ; abrogation of ‘he Missouri oomprfKivse Though i do not ■‘ihik *usis a rmstouiTry--***. fight way to • fleet nemor.A.s or re uHiriru ‘■: fr a i.ic pjoTe, yet, inasmuch ns several cnators from d.ffere.it parts of the country have thought it proper to reply, by the expres -ion of their opinions and sentiments, upon the propriety of this memorial, aud the propriety of those who have sent it here, I hardy wish to state for myself what I think on tie subject. Now, Mr. P resident, I have tossy, in the first plnce, that, if the presentation of this memorial here is wrong at all, it is wrong either in regard o the time, or the place, or the circumstance, or the cliarac ter of the memori -lists or the argument which the memorial makes. Well, sir, 1 think those who will reflect on the subject will see that there is no censure justly to lie cast upon the memo rialists in regard to the lime It has been the habitual praeti c of the Senate to re ceive memorials aud petitions apon subjects which were not yet bes re the body fjr action, and might never be; as, for in stance, memorials uiion the subject of se enr ng the liberty of conscience to Ameri can citizens in foreign countries have been received without question, -o in regard to this matter. It is a subject which is one of legitimate consideration for the - en ate. Although the enate huva acted on it, their action is as yet inchoate; it is li able to be reviewed directly ho i th bill shall pais the other bo’ e, if ever, it muy and probably wib come bark to us with amend no.its. Eve if tin's w-re iot so. stiii toe Senate might bo convi iced by the arguments of the meui'>-i.dii,s o uth erwise, that, they had acted u wisely and injuriously to the country.- If so. it is not too late to resc : id our action vV 3 can take measures to repeal t'to act if it shall ever pass ? he. i, sir. in regard to the character of the persons who .ava presented this me nioriai, is there any tiling wrong in that? it is sai l ‘hey ar-j clergymen, >ll l they a.e nevertheless American citizens, and; the broader qualification for citizenship covers over the lesser and inferior eharac ter and desorlpti -n of clergymen. Every man who is * citizen of the United States, and, according to m> theory, every m m who, although lie viv not be citizen yet is a subject of tire Govurainmis. of tiie IT nited States, had a right lo petition the Congress of the United States upon any subject of national interest, Or which can b- legitimately the subject Os legislation. Then, is there i ri well-grounded objection to tin: fact that -they describe themselves as clergymen? Certainly not; because it is the right and tue privilege of a Citizen, if he can petition at all, to present iii.s pe lit.ou in his own .vav If he thinks there is anything in hi. character or position which entitles nis opinions to higher con sideration o which leads to the oehef that he understands the subject more thorough ly tiJiin o hers,- it is nis right to describe himself by ihd s.ppfcliaitio'n which desig nates hs’ proicsriOu. his character, or his ; office. It 8 only on this principle that the Legislature of tne Mutes make their voices know. l to Congress, i>y describing tnetu- Ise’ves the Legislatures of the States j After ail, they emne here with then* reso j luLions in the character of petitioners or reihonr.trrf.tfrf. under that provision of the! Const it (lit-. :i w. ieh guaranties the right of; petition, and upon no other ground of con stitutional right whatever. Is there, then any well grounded objec tion to the language or tone of this memo- 1 rial? 1 think nut While, on the other hand, it is such a memorial ns a secular pers ui like myself would not be apt to dictate or sign, because there is a solemni ty of tone, a seriousness, nd religious consideration which secular men do not in dulge or ?iff *et ; yet, on t other hand, it is proi'essioual, and natural on the part of the memorialists; it in the character of those who make it. It is said, indeed, that 1 they assume to speak the will, and judg ment, and pleasure of the Crcito-, and judge of men and nation 1. Ido not un derstand them as assuming to speak any such thing. I understand them as saving 1 j simply in substance, ‘We citizms of the | United States, subscribing ourselves as clergymen, in tne presence of Almighty God, and in His name, address the Oou igress o f the Unite $ tat. vs. ’ Sr, what is unusual or wrong in t is? You do not commence your proceeding here on any day of your whole session without acknowl edging and declaring that tue'y are begun in tne presence, and ‘ll the name, and with* uu invocation of the bless.iigs of Almighty G od. Mr. MA ON *vill the ‘enitor al low me to interrupt him for u niomcn ? Mr. .>E •AKO. v erta; ilr. Mr A ON If tue will look at the memorial, tie will fi.id that tue •Nail ers carefully exclude their character at> citizen* ‘ hey speak of them’s,lives as c.ergymen, of tue United States in the name of Almighty God, and in Iris.presence i:w kiugn.his protest before the Sedate. Mr. s I v * ART). 1 may a tree with the honorable Senator as to the fact that they do not statejtlioir citizenship, or their char acter as cit zeus; but I believe there is no dispute of the fact that tnty arc citizens of the United State s. vlr. haS >S Won consist. M. slin AKI). I mat i<* h<>. It is juridically kuo m to us th.it ih* cler gy ut tin* eouuirv are persons who are in • vested vt it to the righ-rs of eUt*mn*'. I have said, sir, tha; intj come h dvcluii.ig :iliat they romp in live presence of Al ’.ii. illt> God. 1. is lhal unrvefsui atfd . lernal jireseuce in which wc all are eve* y nay ami Ivoui oi our lives, ami frto •suioo we cau never for even a momem escape. Again, sir, it is object nd that they say Kiev addrr*s ms it) the name of Almighty iO'I VVtMi is that but a mode of arrest mg o. c lling attention to their 501 e...- p r averand earnest remonstrance/ Sr, while there are occasions on which we never forget- never suffer tfutselVf* t. forget that we are responsible to Ad.nights God, it is equally true that a!) our actio > ,s oroqght to he, in the name of the Su [ priorie Being. Sir, we mtiv put off, we may lav aside the thoughts of that awful twijjenre during our secu : r ifthois and during our Iff© of confusion and toil and tufjioi; and care; but when we cone to Cio;m <ur ryes rpoo this world, we cau n',i ‘diGt them without the r-flection that ** n y ft .here l n the eight nfii* Ju.lge 0,1 lM men. Every man of us, when h# cOinfts to write his opinion, or his wi l, or tiis instructions for those who are to come at er him, recites that t is don* it, the name of Go i. Sr, as I have said, I sn am not adopt this mode of addressing the Senate or Con ress. It is not my habit to do so; out I know ‘hat it is iu the habit, that it is in the character, in the way of ho-e who have signed this me (!.>( tdl. I sCenoglOUi dos ohjec’iou to ii Is it !.-r<*spec‘tui to tl'.e Senate of me Coi ed Matt*, or to Congress, that men stmuid say iluy speak to them m ■be name of God, aijd m hi-* presence? it it be #o, u mu*- he because we claim to tie h- te eie i.pl from the superintend-- i ‘ug government a. and providence of that lie. g, m wuora and by whom we lire .mu w..tk, ai.u ttirough whom we exist po . tut. eai th But, s r, it is said that at the close of mis ifciiioi.st'ance, tliere is another rv m .rk which is offensive, and that is, that die memorialists it.ilia tie measure gui-.si w hich lliey pi of .-st is immoral in u ” lo.iut'e, and Hut among its conseq ie .* ces it win ti'ftvv down upon us, not upon ibis Ciena;e, tiui upon itie nation, upon >tiis p.opie, me judgment of Alungiuy Goti. Sir, the question m the great • ea-uie proposer! is either uyoral or na* tttoial. I bere is no neutrality between numbly and nnmoiaiity. it way be that wcin ay conscientiously differ in ascer ill I, H wiiicti is me moral side, bui nev ertheless it is of one character of the o- Uie- . cuher moral or nnnioral. These poisons ten us tnink it is of one cua iuaf, Oiuei* think It is of another cha in cer. It is oui rigut to act. Let them tbmk what ,hey wid, it is their right to mil us Inal in their opinion, it is either one thing urine ohtr,just as they unucr *t* no and oeheve. i\en, again, it its said that the menio ta.is s allege tliat the act wiil draw alte it he judgments <4 Almigh y God. Sir, oy the judgments of Almighty GoJ, I un detstanu simply inis: that every human act ul any importance or magoilnic is couuei.ted witn preceding causes, and .i; .i suDseqje.it etiectff, that mere is con* yucied witu a rigni act the consequence oi usefulness, ot Ucnefrcencv, 0* *nU ail the blessings’ot a jus. Ruier; aid iiiai) on the other tuud, to those acls wnico, wnether we deem them moral or minima', whether intentionally wrong or not, are unwise, time are conn- cieu consequences of error, danoer, peril, un- wi etched ii ess, rum. This, in my ju.g.neiit, is all mat that expression means. Air. iiUTLER. I wish to bring one im.ig to tue view ot Uie honorable Se.i aloi.ii u will allow me. I wisa to asli whcinei a is his opinion, trom an inspec iiou 01 the paper, mat the clcgymeu wuo siguei it nau the memorial befoie vbeiu at uie time wneu mey signed it?—- K purpor.y to have been ngmd ou trie iiist ut Ma.cn, ami tile bill passed tue Sre.iate oil tue third ol March. Wiil lie ieii me whether may dm or did not sign men names Ohncily, without seeing the memorial? •'**• tsiaWAiiD. The honorable Sen ior w P.i excuse uie trom answering his quesiionj tor 1 haVe uol goue nearer to me to iiivili ai it lu'iiij 1 am now woeiri stand at my deck. Mi. iiU Lidrt. I venture to say tin.*}’ ne. saw me memunal. Tuey could uOt nave done it. oil. oE >V Aid). I was siufply saying rhal incse pc.SO.>, oe.ng clergymen, be ing dev.ueu iu me wOiaoip oi God ami too cure el S.iuia, nave a language t>f ineii own, auo mat in tins language mev nave eX rcssed ano e.noomeu tueir opinions O i “ a.Ciilar question, aud ifr.i In it there is mailing . u.cil, by Jus eOiisliuCtiOU, ought u g>ve udeiiSv. Aiu now sir, I com* to the close ot w.i• t i UaVe to say on tins whom matter, and uia. is, iua. I iegard tills its a ques tion oi uo idle importance. Ine rigo. wi pe.Hion i. a coiisiituiioiiai light, aim . useiul and luValuabl one, and 1 ah It ..eve. ue touno criticising me language di peliiinaers or remonstrants to seewiit - tiitr l c<>uuot lind c.ue lot card or lor • ejection. tile petitioners aud rcino ■- • wail s may say precisely wha. mey p.e-is •, HuO precisely Wont tuey think, in vtuaieVer tone or language mey luma .nopciv t’oey may use, toi me, any ep.- . .e. w tiicu tuey please. They may in voae o.i my head any judgment they ( >ic.se. Bml, sir, with a conscience j void ot oife .s-* against God and man, I can g > ou here peiform.kg dVy duties, le vnig them in me e.ijoymeul of their rights, t.ud lis.ouit.g to all that tuey say, precisely as if it nad been rendered in i. e language of courtesy, or compliment, or ot praise, w hich would he acceptable itt.der other ciicumsuuces. It is be cause I wish Inal mis right or pemiou m.y lake no ii.jury trom the debale oi n.s morning Inal i have risen to vindi cate me memorial, and to uo justice to nose bom whom it has come. Air BADGER. Mr. President, 1 think we :i.ve given rattier more impor tance to the memorial than its intrinsic mi-tua eolith* it to. I nave uo doubt at all that what i said by thy honorabl friend from Massachusetts [Mr. Eva uktt] is strictly true, that the gentlemen wb nave sigued this paper belong to a class of nighty respectable ano excellent men, I w o*id say,- probably, with re gard to each of them what Bir Waltei Scott, m one of ms novels, makes Ctom well sy iu regard to the Revet end Mi. Ollrnougn:’ “Lack-a-day, lack-a-day, a learned man, but intemperate; oTervea. hirth**ten fcicn bp. 0 Tiiese genii’ Mid i •!* uoi cu'ise h<- in the character ol petitioners T?iee <lo not Come here tri the ehsfacti of remonstrants. They do no 1 com# nee? in die characlerpif <netnoriti<iii; hut they come protestors, not in their owo m*,not wi h the mdi.id Jil weight and authority which might he attributed to ikeir protest On the ground of their own intelligence or worth, not merely with the .Weight! aid authority which might he Bup**rn<l<ie.l to this aud oth*r con-ideiaiion* from the fact of their be ing ministers of the Gospel. > It ie iiiipw* - * sihle to look at this ttaout that the honoralile Senator iron - Vew York has speeiilly pleaded up*n ihe suhjfe’f, and th.it the reverend g,e.iW rnen who signed it will not thank him for assigning them in this paper the low position in which he wishes to ti'sew i'iifiin. What is it? The mi Isrsuhcd < - !crgf tn<*i af difTjrt.ir i*i?. gion* Heno nin it on* K i! m l, h ir<* i, m the naiii!* of Viuiigtity tind, snlmaly pmtsat/ In their official characters as ministers of Almighty God, and in llis name, they protest against the passage of the Kebras - k t bill. Now, sir, these gentlemen. They are men of experience in their voca tion. I hey understand the true and sol emn import of the words here used; and t Have not the'shadow of a doubt*that they meant to enter a protest, as the language imports, as a protest, through them, of the Almighty God himself speaking to this Senate. It is not an expression prepara tory to a solemn act to be done by them; for all that is completed when they declare that they speak in the presence of God— that is to say. with a solemn recollectioa of His presence, realizing His superintend ence 6fef. what they afe doing. What then, do they mean, when they add t tbat they speak in Ilia name, unless it is that they speak by Hia authority? That c admit of no doubt Well, then, sir,’ the whole paper /\* ‘AI ceeds In the same name and by the rime authority; and among other things, they protest against the measure as a great moral wrong, a breach of faith eminently injur ous to the moral principles of the com munity, subversive cf al confidence in na tional engagements, and as exposing ue to flic judgments of the Almighty. All that is announced by these gentlemen, as ministers of God, affecting to speak In His rr&trre. The interpretation of the paper, sir, I think it is impossible to mistake; bat I have said that I think too much importance, decidedly too much importance, h3s been attached to it. Whether this is to be un de; stood as a derfitn'ciation of the judg ments of God. or ass prediction of His judgments, I deny the authority to de n&tfnce, and I deny the gift of prophecy, and, therefore, I think we need not hare troubled ourselves further on the subject. Each of these reverend gentlemen being hv the habit, in Ms vocation and in his par ticular dtepa ticciit, of ruling ft id govern ing his congregation, gets habitually, of course, the habit of speaking oa all occa sions with authority. I believe that they thought they h id authority for wh it they said, and that there was nothing iinpr psr in exten ing that authoritative stylo of speaking, in the name of the Master whoso ministers they are, to the Senato. as they life in the habit of doing in their ordinary ministrations to the congregations who acknowledge them as pastors. But why should that disturb us? Who cares for it? Does anv body believe they have power to hurl the thunderbolts oY heaven? Docs auy man believe they are gifted with the spirit of prophecy, and able to announce to us what, iu the future course of things, will come to pass? Not at all. I dare say they arc very good men, but, like the Reverend Mr Oldenough, over zealous; aiid there, for one, 1 am willing to leave the subject. I move, then, that the rai orial lie upon !ffe table The motion was agreed too. VVhss Grog uay bs taken Medici v a r„- LT. —( vs fO’an as the law for the prohibi tion of the sale of liquors comes into ope ration,) Grog may be taken medicinally: After goose, or duck, or pork, or Irish stew, on any delicacy of the season, into wn.ch onions may have seasonably enter ed. Invariably after salmon. When there is any washing to be dost* at homo. When the painters are in the house. When a person feels faint/ and does eh know what is the matter with him. When a person turns up after an ab sence of several years, or when you are parting with a friend whom you do not expect to see for several years. tVheu a person has the toothache. When a person has lost at cards, or wiicu person lias lost a large property. When a person has met with a great, misfortune, or made a tremendous bargain. When a person has quarrelled, and when a reconciliation has taken place. YV hen a p'ers if is riding outside on e stage coach, or is on a sea-voyage, or goes out between the acts of a five act trage dy, or before ascending in a balloon, or af ter coming off the jury of a Gorouer’s In quest. or when you are sitting up for your wife, or when a friend drops iu to 8 uoke a cigar; aud, in fact, upon all suitable oc casions of sadness or merriment, when a person feels rather low, or feels in high spirits. A Proper Distinction. —“ Are yon a Christian Indian?” said a person to nn adherent to Red Jacket, at the settlement near Cattaraugus. “No” said the sturdy savage, “I whisky Indian ” He coaid see that whisky drinking and Christianity had little in common and was honest enough’ to classify himself according to his habits. Not a few of >ur civilized “whisky In dians, ” lack” the honesty or discrimination of the savage. Saltpetre. The New York Pick sty3 that the increase of the prico of this sup porter of combustion is, of course, owing to the operations of that, incendiary who occupies the throne of Russia.” It is not unlikely that Nicholas will invest big cap ital iu saltpetre to such n extent, that j the name of his imperial city will be alter ltd to \o. 14.
