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VOL. XV.
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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.