Newspaper Page Text
grocs, om horseback, galloped up and alighted,
lied their boasts, and commenced, with horrid j
shouts mid yells, the butchery of the wounded,'
together with an indisciiininatc plunder, strip- J
CO>«RE^.
IN SENATE—April 8, 1330. J
Mr. Buggies said that beheld in hishandacopv J
■ . ,■ - , , - i of resolutions passed bv the legislature of .Maine, !
Jung the bodies of the dead ol earthing, watches , * - ■ ■ -
n the heads of all “ l . l ‘
tlio south. Me would now say that he bad
never heard either of the epithets just repeated,
used in any, even the most offensive of the peti
tions. Their language was bad enough, but
none of them had used the language which had
joined oi Itie ueau oi ctouimg, waicues . * - . ; ; •* —o- ,,, ; re
■‘v and s - »iittin ,T onen the heads of all ru hiiing to t.io sueject ot au.ueio i proceeding* j ^ecn repeated; il they had, he too would have ; cutting an
;od the least si-m of lifewiili tlieir ax- ! i: ‘ t!l ° “'^-^Evcholding Stales. They are re- j votct ] against their reception; on the ground i to the exc
lives and aceonmanving their bloody s P oa3,vc to resolutions transmitted to die execti- t ;, al dicy had violated outrageously that rule of were indc
i obscene and tauatiim derisions, an J tivc of Maine, from the States of North and j .j !CJ sc;la t 0 which required decorum to this body, i sent sessic
and money
who shmvc
cs and k:
work with
with frequent cries of “what ha
sell?”
Lieutenant B. hearing the negroes b
von gut to
South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, calling
poa tlio non-slaveholding States to suppress,
lomr
the wouti-Jo I, at length sprang up nun as.u:
to spare iiis life. They met him with
of their axes and their ii uid sh laughter,
ing b ‘on wounded in live ditlorenl n'nci
self, 1 was prcliy w
two scratches that
i them
blows
II iv.
s my-
1 covered with blood, and
h;i 1 received ie uiv head
. These resoiu-
ine assert, as the
by law, abolition publication
tions of the legislature of M
sense of the two houses, that the government of| , ; 0 j’
the United States is one of enumerated, limited,
and
i
gave to mu t!;e appearance el having !
through me brain, for the negroes, sdf
eh, threw me d »
dead enough!”
lollies, s iu..-s
auobvllio !
<< i
turn lie s
i in i of ill '
Oil shot
catc.i -
) s iy-
TiieV
id h.at,
ing “U—a
then strippr
an 1 left in >. After striping all the dea l in tins
nunnor, they tru idled off the cannon in the
direction the In bans had gone, and went away.
I si iv them flr.il shoot down the ox-m i i their
geer and burn the wagon. One of the oilier
sdJiors w in escape J says they throw the can
non into th : poo 1, and burnt its carriage also.—
Shortly afor the negroes went away one Wil
son, of Cap*. G.’s company, crept from uaJer
•sj*ue of the dead hi lies, and hardly seemed to
be hurt at nM. He asked on to go with him
back to the Fort, and 1 was going lo follow him
when, as he jumped over the breastwork, an
Indian sprang from behind a tree and shot him
down. 1 then lay q bet until 0 o’clock tii u night,
when Me Coney, the only living soul besides
myslf, and 1 started upon our journey. We knew
it was nearest to go to Fort King, bit we did
not know the way, and wo bad seen the enemies
retreat in that direction. As l cam? out 1 saw
Dr. <3. lying stripped amongst the dead. The
last I siw'of him whilst living was kneeling
bihi idth i breastwork with two double barrel
guns by him, an 1 lie said “well, 1 have g it four
b irrels for them!” C ml <1. after bring severely
slavery within the .Stales does not belong to
congress, not being one of the enumerated
powers; that the Slates, with certain defined ex
ceptions, are, with respect to each other, dis
tinct a id sovereign Stales, each having an inde
pendent government, whoso action is not to he
questioned by any power whatever, but by tin
people of such Sta'ce; and that any in
by a State, or by tlio citizens of a State, with
the domestic concerns of another State, lends ti
break up the compromises of, and to distil! It the
Union. The resolutions further declare it t;
lie inexpedient to legislate on the suhioct ofaho
gain distinction or elevation for the south; l.o
had, therefore, uniformly been in favor of that
silent and contemptuous course towards them,
by which they always had been consigned to a
neglect and insignificance, to them "the most
cutting and mortifying course of ail others; and
e exertions ol honorable gentlemen tbev
bied for that notoriety which the pre-
ui of congress had more than ever gi v-
cti them
i lie senator from South Carolina nearest to
to some of his
remarks, said that he would not tender his grati
tude to the legislature of Maine, because they
adopted these resolutions; that they were noth-
ing more than what the south was entitled to,
and what the south had a right to demand.—
Mo trusted that he, too, felt that manly inde
pendence becoming a southern representative;
more sensibly on this subject than himself; but ! he trusted that lie, too, would never ask more
it was the part of wisdom as wcil of generosity, j than the south was entitled to receive; but lie
for us to cultivate harmonious feelings with those also trusted that lie never should bo insensible
I applying precisely the same rule in regard to
i petitions on this subject, that he would to those
: on any oilier subject in regard to their reception him, (Mr. Preston.) in alluding
j —th-; constitutional principle in regard to the
petition being iiie same.
Mr. 13. again ask if it was prudent that such
fined powers; that the power of regulating j expressions should go forth from this Mall, when
so well caculatcd to inflame public feeling, mid
when they were not to be found in even the
worst of the petitions themselves. None felt
pressions in the petition to which lie had referred he.-n proved that a large number ( f •;
were as strong as the terms used by him. It i tinners were women and children ' '
seemed,, however, that the senator cared for , said Mr. Brown, my high minded i
nothing but the pitcise words. Mo had shown constituents offended at the ,
that these petitions likened his constituents to i ignorant and deluded minors r
pirates, and spoke of them as dealers in human said he. my constituent
flesh. This he thought was sufficiently strong;
to makegood iiis position.
Mr. Walker said that he did not rise to em
bark in an v discussion of the abolition question,
but to state seme facts to the senate. It had
been said bv the senator from South Carolina i
'ej
gree of intelligence,
ness, that would give
’»fiat, s -.
, n e!s i
pa Iemn!( S t s
• s a '<■ M’SSOSm d of V
iiilantry, and hi^l. m i' r ,; L
a dint
. Man
Jt woa! d be that o’
. rei ent answer to it
ignorant and misguided petitioners *
proposed by my colleague,
silent contempt.
( Without going any further on this na t •
(Mr. Preston\ that twenty-eight thousand me- j subject, he would express ' ■ r
morialists had subscribed these abolition peti- 1 '
tions. Mr. W. said, that feeling a deep interest
i r /-i • . , 11 as his so, ' l ‘mii bclir
licioic Ctou and the whole world, th*^
. ... - - | agitation and excitement on the subject of»!r
m tins question, he had looked at the names of j tion, had not been produced by the nr. ;"
the subscribers to these petitions, and found that j fanatics of whom so much had been saT'^
a majority, or nearly a majority of the wholej session; but it had resulted, in part, from*! ^
number appeared to be females. [ Here Mr. j signs of a more sagacious political partv ^
Pi-eatori said thirteen thousand were females.]—^|,e purpose of operating on the south at a ° !
Mr. W. remarked, that of the remainder it was ' * • —
perfectly obvious, on the slightest inspection,
portant crisis. The time at which
■ tn-i'.'.'o ! " :!r) ' VCIR acting in conce: t wi.ii us to tne noi th, j to tnosc sy mpathies which bound together the j that a vast number were children; many of the
| 1 1 f ,f) pot fbe ab'Jiitiontsis tbiwn; and he had bcaid ; difi<:i cut sections, ol this great republic, nor j names are made up of entire families, including
backward in expressing the pleasure with which ! all the children, male and female, and repeated-
he saw a kinured feeling cherished by bis ly all written by the same hand. Mr. W. even
believed that at least three-fourths of these pc-
| w;in regre
j from Main
ex press:o
, which lie
is m reply to the Senator
:e thonglit should liave been
tulalion than of a different
lition publications
paper printed wit
discussion o:i t!ic s
tiic decided expres
These resolutioi
his approbation oTthe
i j auoiitioa i
in the
is
State, and because ail
ibject lias been arrested by
io:i of public disapprobation,
s, said Mr. Buggies, wore
,i
rather tliose of
character.
Mr. Preston exp reuse
"csoiutinn. ’J lie poop
air, just, turd honorable grounds, which were
iictated by an honorable spirit of patriotism.—
of Maine bad taken
brethren of any portion of their common coun
try. This was the ground that he took, and
these were the feelings which called firth the
animadversions of the senator from South Caro
lina. He well knew the strength of the south,
and its capability to protect itself against all at-
, , .... 111,atJ com.
| mencod, 1 he manner in winch if had been car-
| ed on. the avidity with which it had been seizin
| upon and trumpeted forth bv the presses
| certain party at the south—all these had pi
j duced, in Iiis mind, a conviction that it q
r . . . I wquirc a world of proof to shake. The tin-
tit loners were children or females, but the, when these incendiary publications were fir
whole numb, r would constitute but a small por- j thrown abroad in such masses was when tl
non of a republic embracing now a population 1 elections in North Carolina’ Alahnm-. -
probably tiAnr*,, mtllmna IV F i* \V anirt Im r rV._ i . . - 1 L * .
rejurleu li<>ni a large and respectable commit
tee of both houses, and received the unamimou.s
assent of that committee. In the senate they
passed unanimously, and nearly so in the house
the
jcet,
:otiscqounces of the agitation of this sub-
thnt he so highly appreciated the senti
ments of the resolution. But, although it might
not be competent for an individual, or a single
! State to attempt to dissolve the Union. If
d representatives, a uody composed of upwards J Maine had taken a different stand, and this mat
ter had continued to grow and spread, it would
have involved the disunion of the government.
He luid, lie believed, heretofore said that the
ot oueiuniJred and eighty member.
There was one circumstance, said
gles, which he considered deserving .
ticuiar attention of certain honorable
Mr. Bug-
i tne pai-
sciiators.
woua ie 1 cried oaf, “1 c.i.i giv
orders my lads, d i your b:;s-!' ;
negro spurn his body, savin:
“that’s one of their officers!” (
in soldier s clothes.)
“My oimra le an l invself
ai no mno
last saw a
ith an oat'n,
was dressed
this K , 1,-
rials whio-b lia
presented here
well until the next day,when we rn.
iiorsebaok with a rifle coining up the roa
only chance was to separate,—ivj
along quite
an Indian on
i. Un
did so.
I took the right and lie tlio left of the road. Thu
Indian pursued him. Shortly afterwards l
heard a rifle shot, an 1 a little after .mother. 1
concealed myself amongst s urn scrub and Saw
I’ulmetto, and after awhile s nv the Indian pass
inking for me. Suddenly, however, he put
spurs to his horse and wont off at a gallop to
wards the road.
“I m ulo s om it'niug of a ci rcuit before I struck
the beaten track again. That niglit I was a
good deal annoyed by the wol ves who had scent
ed my blood, and came very close to meilhe next
day, tlio 30th, I reached the Fort.”
From the American Daily Advertiser.
Hero is a capital portrait from the Cincinna
ti Farmer of an idle, lazy, noisy, grog-shop
politician and office seeker,
high
drunkeir 1
lie could not refrain from recommending it, with
due deference, fo their serious consideration, as
furnishing an example worthy of imitation in
fis body in its action upon the abolition memo-
been, or should hereafter be
Tiie circumstance to which he
alluded, he said, was this: the resolutions were
; permitted to pass through both houses of the
legislature of Maine, without one word of agi-
j tating and exciting debate.
lie then moved that the resolutions be read,
f Mr. Calhoun expressed ids gratification at
i the tenor of the resolutions, which he said gave
; the correct view of the subject in discussion,
; going back to the good old republican princi-
, pies. 1 fe was also gratified to understand from
j her senator, that the reasons which induced
| Maine not to legislate on the subject, were, that
i no abolition papers were printed in that .State,
and no discussion of tlio kind was carried on
; there. He would now ask the senator whether
: there was not an abolition society in Maine, and
J whether it did not issue addresses that were ex
tensively circulated, i Ie put these questions bo-
1 cause he was anxious to give correct information
to the south on the subject.
Mr. Buggies replied to the inquiry of the
senator from South Carolina, (Mr. Calhoun.)
that there hud been in times past, as he had been
informed, a society in Maine, friendly to tiie
abolition of slavery. But whether that society
is in existence now, he was not able to say. lie
regarded the resolution just read to the senate,
-- Cb f a,c -‘ info the degiauanon ol a uj uimeir; ftS 3 Gr tjng that public discussions of the subject
vng.a mnd, bait conscious and halt penitent. had been arrested, as justifying the belief that
Hogui th cou.u ba.ciiy have pain aid tuc picture ^v lt , rc were now no proceedings relating to aboli-
better.
out
of
ter
stone, leaning his heaJ upon his hand, ids t
biw being placed upon a stepping stone. Mr.
Brush had for some rime been silent, absorbed
in deep thought, which be relieved at intervals
by spitting through his teeth forlornly into the
gutter. At length, heaving a deep sigh, lie
spoke. “They used to tell me—put not your
trust in princes—and 1 bav’nt. None of ’em
never wanted to borrow nothing of me. Princes!
pooh! Put not your trust in politicianers! them’s
my sentiments. There’s no two mediums a-
bout that. Hav’nt 1 been serving my country
these five years, like a patriot; going to meet,
ings and huzzaing my daylights out, ntid get
ting as blue ns blazes; hav’nt 1 blocked the
windows, got licked fifty times, carried I don’t
know how many black c*3’os and broken noses, j
for the good of the common wealth and the popu
larity of our illegal rights, and all fur what.'—
Why, for nix.
“If any good has conic out of it, the coun
try lias put the whole ol’ it in her pocket, and
swindled me out of my earnings. I can get no
office! Republics is ungrateful! I didn’t want
no reward for my services, 1 only wanted to he
took care of and have nothing to do; and IV
said to bn issued by rt society calling itself the
Maine Abolition Society, having numerous
! .signatures appended to it. Now, he held the
I existence ot such a society to bo as dangerous
! to the south as an abolition newspaper; and he
thought ii the .State could suppress the one, it
, could suppress th ? other, lie hoped that in
; time, public-sentiment would be such at the
north, as to put down all such societies; but lie
confessed ho was incredulous as to tiie result.—
j The senator from Maine went so far as to cite
the example of the legislature of Maine, as
worthy lo be followed by curtain senators on
that floor; meaning, ho supposed, himself for
'one. Ho thanked the senator lor his advice,
and was, perhaps, so weak minded as to require
it; but ho who o file red this advice ought to have
himself followed the example recommended by
him to others. Ho would toll the senator, that
| so long as his constituents sent here denuncia
tions against the people he represented, terming
them pirates, ni irderers, and villains, lie should
take the liberty to treat such denunciations with
! the scorn they deserved. He held it to be a
I solemn truth, that as lung as they were com
pelled to discuss the subject of abolition on peui
south could, if placed in a situation of self-
defence, protect itself. For his part, he did
not, us a southern gentleman, ask any favors,
or fear any result. He was glad, however, to
see the indication of a better state of feelings.
These resolutions expressed their disapproba
tion ot - any interference by one State in the do
mestic a flairs cf another State. Asthe gentle
man from Maine (Mr. Buggies) had given them
a lecture from this resolution, ho would not take
a similar course in regard to him. It was an
easy- mutter for gentlemen living at the extreme
north to read a lecture to those of the south.—
lie, however, preferred the resolution of the le
gislature of Maine to the lecture. If it was
wrong for those of the south to interfere with
the domestic concerns of tho north, it was as
wrong for them to interfere in theirs of the
j south. As to the agitation, they had had the
initiatory and the conclusion, lie spoke of
tlio number of petitions that had been sent here,
which in the aggregate, amounted to dS.OQO,
and adverted to the language of the petitions.
They had called the petitioners incendiaries and
fanatics, and the petitioners had called them inn
moral and irreligious. They could not take
away the offensive character of the petitions,
by wrapping them up in honeyed words; they
could not knit up or intertwist tho phraseology
as they pleased. It was not fair or decent in
regard to them, to say this or that institution in
the south is immoral. They were not called
onto plead to this matter. He rose merely to
express his approbation of these resolutions.—
If this matter was to be stopped, it was neces
sary that the moral, intellectual and legislative
power of the country should be interposed.—
lie entertained the hope that the tiling was not ;
so far gone as lo be remediless.
Mr. Morris, in justice to the senator from
North Carolina, (Mr. Brown) must say that his
impressions were that his statements in regard
to these petitions were correct, lie had sug
gested to the senator from South Carolina,
when he gave him these petitions, that he was
not to use them on the present occasion; and he
It was because ho felt great apprehension, as to ! tempts on its internal peace; on that, he felt tiie
most perfect reliance; but the resolutions just
read trom the State ol Maine, lie thought ought
to be hailed by every southern man as an ear
nest ol the indissoluble ties which bound the
north and south together, and of the strength
and durability of the Union.
Mr. Calhoun said, the senator from North
Carolina certainly did not hear his remarks.—
The senator from Ohio (Mr. Morris,) had put
the petitions in his hands, and suggested to him
not lo use them. He would now refer to some
ol the expressions found in one of these peti
tions; among them was the phrase, “traffic in
human flesh,” a phrase borrowed from the
shambles, from the butchers; holding up to all
the world, that the gentleman and his constitu-
■ cuts treated human beings as they treated
J beeves. That wasthe first. The petition went
i on to say, that (dealing in slaves,) “had been
solemnly declared piracy by the laws of our
! own, and all Christian nations; assimilating the
| acts of himself and those whom he represented,
j with the acts of those who seize Africans on the
coast of Alrica, and sell them forslavrs. If he
could lay his hands on the other petitions, he
could point out the epithets he had quoted; but
those he had given, were, tic thought, sufficient
ly' offensive to justify a southern representative
in voting to reject them. But he would read a
little further. “It (slavery) was sinful bycause
it violated the laws of God and man;” because
it (slavery) corrupted the public morals. This
was some of the language of the petitions which
had been withdrawn to make wav fin* the Qua
ker petitions which were first tried in order to
obtain the sanction of the southern representa
tives to that most dangerous of all principles,
that they were bound to receive petitions, no
matter in what language they were drawn.—
The senator from North Carolina bad mistaken
him in supposing he had found nothing in these
petitions that was as offensive as he had termed
them. The senator from Ohio, on putting
of fifteen millions. Mr. W. said he
won (1 make one further remark on this subject
he did it with regret; he had been pained to see
the names of so many American females to i piiDiications were precipitated upon the soufi
tlies petitions. It appeared to him exceeding- j and yet it had been said that these incenda
I v indelicate that sensitive females of shrinking
modesty
Tennessee, and shortly afterwards in Georgia
: were about to commence; it was on the eve t
- j T u - important elections in thoseStates, that they."
> publications were precipitated upon t!
•Iiould present their names here as pe
titioners. in relation to the domestic institutions
! of the south, or of this District. Surely they
would be much better employed in attending to
their domestic duties as mothers, sisters, wives,
and daughters, than in interfering with a matter,
in regard to which they were entirely ignorant.
Mr. W. said, he believed if the ladies and Sun
day school children would lot us alone, ihere
would be but few abolition petitions. At all
events, the ladies and children could only be a
subject of ridicule, and not of alarm, to the peo
ple of the south; more especially would the
south not be alarmed by a few women and chil
dren, when we have this day presented to us the
resolutions of the legislature of the Siate of
Maine, unanimously condemning abolitionism,
in a manner admitted to be satisfactory by the
senator from South Carolina (Mr. Preston) him
self
Mr. Brown observed that it was with vcr\
were the fiiends of the party now in power.—
What, sir! 'The friendsnfa certain political partv
to deluge the south with publications on a subj.-e
of such delicacy, and so well calculated to bi
ased by their opponents to their disadvantage'
Could anv thing be more absurd than such
supposition? Nosir; it uas another party, and
far more sagacious and calculating in their de-
sigr.sthan the deluded zealots who were used to
subserve their political purposes; and whatnus-
powerfully corroborated this opinion was the
fact that the presses of this party immediately
seized upon these incendiary publications s,
opportunely thrown out. and wielded them with
great force and ingenuity against their op.
ponents. He repeated that the whole was net
a fanatical movement, but that it bad a political
party in alliance with it, and shown so plainly
to be so bv subsequent events, as hardly to
need a confirmation. How then could he, as a
southern man, give his vote to deny the right of
petition, and sanction designs which, from tin
profound regret that be rose to detain the Senate beginning to the end, be utterly condemned?—
fora single moment. Nothing could have been
more unexpected to him when betook Iiis seat
this morning, than to be engaged in a discussion
ofthis nature: and he much regretted that he was
now compelb d, in self-defence, to continue that
discussion. The gentleman from South Carolina
(Mr. Calhoun) said he never voted to refer
petitions of this kind to the Committee on the
District ofColumbia, and that no such vote of his
was tobe found recorded on the journal. Mark
the words, Mr. President, “recorded on the
journal.” But there were numerous petitions
on this very subject, both at the last session and
the session before, that were unanimously
referred to the Committee on the District, with
out one word being heard from any quarter
in disapprobation. Now he would ask, was it
probable that the gentleman was absent on all
them in his hands, had requested him not to use j these different occasions? Would it bo pretend-
thern at that time.
Mr. Mangum would inquire of his colleague
whether he understood him correctly in saving
that ho would feel it his duty to reject petitions
only that were offensive to that body, or some
member of it?
Mr. Brown replied that lie would vote to re
ject petitions that violated the rules of the sen-
ed for a moment that when the qestion was
propounded, “shall these petitions la- referred
to tho Committee on the District of Columbia,”
and no member objecting—would it be pretended
for a moment, when such question was pro.
pounded,and the gentleman from South Carolina
sanctioned the reference bv his silence, that ho
did not vote for it as essentially as if his natm
ate, by the use of language indecorous towards j had been recorder! on the journal? Indeed, said
had also informed him that as soon as the pre- j had adopted.
individual members of the body or to the body
itself—rules which every parliamentary body
v-.iiv in iinu nuvu muiuii!' iu uu, aim i \ cj ,v / ai /w f * n ,,, _ i* i ^ „ •
, . , , . , . , . °r, - . pel leu to discuss the subnet ol abolition on peti-
™.ly got hall, nothing to d..< I nmg look care tbns rcccivcJ t! , t!l J a ho!iiio„i sls l„„l gained
Ot was tho mam lung. Republics « ungrate- thev wanted; and « long as they were per.
ml, I nt swaggered if they amt!’ ‘ Como with tw.
me,” said Charley, helping him along, “111 take
care of you. But what made you a politician-1
er; hav’nt you got a trade?” “Trade! yes; but
whnt’s a trade when a teller’s got a soul—a
whole soul? 'Trade! I loved my country, and I
wanted an office; I didn’t care what, if it was
fat and easy. I wanted to take care of my
country, and I wanted iny country lo take care
of me. I lead work is the trade I'm made for;
talking, that's my line. Talking in the oyster
cellars, in the liar-rooms, anywlmre. I can
talk all day, only stopping for meals and to wet
iny whistle. Bat parlies is all alike. I’ve
been all sides; tried ’em and I know; none of
’em gave me any thing, and I’ve a mind to
knock off and call it half a day.”
milted to come there he would take the liberty
lo speak of them in the terms they deserved.
Mr. Brown rose and said that he did not know
in what spirit the resolutions which had been
presented by the senator from Maine, passed
unanimously by both branches of the legisla
ture of that State, might be received by some
gentlemen; but in his capacity, as one of the
representatives from a southern State, lie bailed
them with feelings of gratification, and looked
on them as a most favorable omen, among
many others, ot that peace and good will among
our brethren of the north, so important lu the
continuance of the confederacy.
He did not know to what extent anti-slavery
societies existed among the people of Maine,
but when that party had been unable to return
a single member to the legislature of that State,
A Sister s Love.- Ihere is no purer feeling the resolutions having, as appeared on the face
kindled upon the altar of human affections, than
a sister’s pure unconiaminatcd love lor her
brother. It is unlike a!! other affections: so
disconnected with selfish sensuality; so feminine
in its development; so dignified, and yet withal
so fund, so devoted. Nothing can alter it,
nothing can suppress it. 'The world may re
volve, and its revolutions efibet changes in the
of them, been passed without a dissenting voice,
strongly condemnatory of tho course of the abo
litionists, he thought it. would require a high de
gree ot credulity lo believe that they possessed 1 ken of
sent debate was over, he would lay them before
the senate, when all could judge whether ibe
language was such as they deemed proper lo be
received, or otherwise.
Mr. Calhoun was very happy that the sena-
tor from North Carolina had at lust made up
his mind to reject petitions that were such as lie
would deem offensive in their language; and
he hoped that lie and all other southern senators
would in lime see the propriety of rejecting all
abolition petitions, r.o matter in what language
they were couched, for from the very nature of
the subject they treated, they must be offensive
to the south.
Mr. Brown felt himself bound to explain,
with a view to prevent any misapprehension on
this subject. lie did say, that the epithets,
which he had before repeated, were not, as had
been represented, in any ol’tiie petitions, which
he had examined or had heard read, offensive
as tlieir language was. The gentleman from
South Carolina has not been able, he presumed,
to find the alleged epithets in the petition
which ho had then before him, and lo which lie
had made reference, otherwise he supposed be
would have read them to the senate. He only
draws inferences from certain vague and gener-
ui expressions, having no immediate applica
tion to the people of tlio south. It was not that
on which he had made tiie issue, but it was up
on the existence of the fact, whether the epi
thets alleged to be used in tho petitions, were
to be found in any of them. Ho had not been
met on that issue, but by constructions and in
ferences put on vague and general expressions,
having no particular application, as to the peo
ple of the south.
JIo had made tins explanation, he would a-
gain repeat, in reference lo tho language of
tliose petitions, to prevent highly colored pic-
lures of their ollcnsivc language from going
abroad, to add to the excitement a! ready exist
ing on this subject, and to repel the inference
that he and his friends had voted to receive a
petition couched in terms such as had been spo-
Mr. Mangum said he had so understood iiis
colleague; but it was with undisguised astonish
ment that lie heard such doctrines pronounced
by those who set lip as tho exclusive renresenta
Mr. B., the denial ofthe Senator that any such
vote of his was recorded on tlio journal, was a
distinction without a difference.
IBs colleague (Mr. Mangum) had made some
remarks that lie (Mr. B.) thought,at any rate
were pointed with no little application to himself.
That gentlman, too, had discovered that it was
lives of the democracy of the south. Sir, said one ofthe unpardonable sins of a southern
lie, who gave us the right to exclude petitions representative against southern rights to vote
because offensive to ourselves, and not t<> ex- for the reception and reference of petitions on
elude them when they use offensive terms in re- the subject of abolition; votes, let it be remember
iercncc to our constituents? Who are we, said ed, that had been given from the earliest periods
he, that we are not to be touched but our feelings of our legislative history, bv as high-minded,
are outraged; and this great constitutional chivalrous and patriotic republicans ofthe south
right of petition, about which so much has been —democrats, if it suited the gentleman better—
either weight of character or strength ot’ num-!
hers. 'To expect a State to eradicate every
lolly or infatuation trom the minds of all its citi-
li is, sir, said Mr. B., a very groat sin, in the
estimation of some gentlemen, to vote to receive
these petitions; but they must recollect that
zons, ud->, and would be found, a very impraeti-1 they sot the example. Ho expressed the con-
iortuncs, ini the character and in tho disposition cable undertaking. Mr. Brown said, in this, I fident belief, that both of the gentlemen from
ol her biolhci; ii he Uiints^ wuo.se !i«uiJ will ; i\$ in nuiny others ol tho legislatin'
cs of the South Carolina voted, at the last session, to re-
so readily stretch out as that ofJiis sister; and if northern .States, the unanimity of sentiment on | ceivc petitions of a like character. He could
ins character is maligned, w.iose\u;ee u'i,I so this subject was almost unprecedented. In cite a dozen instances from tho journal of the
readily swell m bis advocacy. Next to a moth. - 1 - ~ ■* ’ ■ ■ • J
or’s unquenchable love, a sister's is pro-eminent.
It rests so exclusively <ni the tie ofeousunguini-
1y for its sustenance; it is so wbully divested
some, In: was confidently assured, there was not: last session where they' were received,ondilier-
au abolitionist; in none, could that party make j cut davs, bv the unanimous consent ot this bo.
i any exhibition of strength.
It had b -eii said bv gentlemen
y; and more than that, were unanimously re-
on several ! f’orred to the committee on the District of Co-
■ .. . . - ‘v pc‘'u-iiM.u uu sruuai leiiuuiu me coimmiiee on me uismci oi co
in the human i o<!r. n ° S a'* 0 ' f t - < j C ■' lect ' s ’ i occasions, that they could noi sit here patiently 1 lumbia; and certainly the gentlemen could not
in the human bosom, that when a sister once
fondly and deeply regards her brother, that af.
lection is blended with her existence,
lamp that uourishes it ex
existence.
have been absent upon every occasion, with
tlieir known attentive habits of business. To
and hear the people of the south branded as
“pirates, robbers, and murderers,” bv these .
f' 10 l. ,eli , lionRrs - ^ ^" s language bad repeatedly gone j enlist in a warfare with these petitioners on this
’ <II<3S ull, - v “lut ii lot tn, in speeches delivered here: the effect ol it 1 floor when their objects had found but few, if
to excite the feelings and sousib"
nv. auvocal
was but little calculated to
said, is to be violated if our honor is called in
question? He scouted such doctrine. If, said
lie, we have the right to reject petitions because
our persons are reflected on, are we to be silent
when eleven sovereign States are reflected on
in terms of the grossest abuse, and denounced
as dealers in human flesh, and likened to pirates?
Me should like to see bow those gentleman who
affected to be the exclusive representatives of
the democracy of the south, shielded themselves
from this dilemma. Was this a part of the de-
mociacy of the clay, and the doctrine of those
who par excellence termed themselves the
real democrats, abhorring every thing in the
shape of aristocracy?
He claimed for himself no exemption that he
did not chum for tliose he represented; and
when lie could not cause the rejection of peti
tions outraging their feelings, be would claim
no exemption for bis own. They bad been
told by Iiis colleague, that these petitions lvere
offensive enough. He should like to know from
him when they would be too much so They
had seen a wonderful facility in gentlemen en
deavoring to lessen the odium of these abolition
petitions. He bad seen it in their endeavoring
to prove that there was nothing to be appre
hended from all those abolition petitions; that
tho whole was confined to a miserable, con
temptible party; and yet the wings of every
wind from the north had blown upon these pe
titions and publications on the subject, without
number. Ho himself had no fears. The abo
litionists might go on subsidizing presses, and
inundating the country with their publications
and petitions. The south, if united, was able
to protect itself against the- whole non-slave-
holding world. The real danger consisted in
the south being divided; in their being put to
sleep by calling out, All’s well,” while the
storm was rushing over their heads.
Mr. Calhoun rose to say, the senator from
North Carolina (Mr. Brown) was utterly mis
taken, when be said that be (Mr. C.) voted to
receive a petition on this subject. No vote of
his would be found on the journal. He might
have suffered petitions to pass at former sessions,
when there was but a few of them presented.—
He confessed he had neglected this matter too
long. The gentleman from North Carolina,
(Mr. Brown,) said he (Mr. C.) had not made
as any who now claimed to be the exclusive
advocates of southern rights. He would ven
ture to assert that there was nosouthern represen
tative who *ook his seat previous to the present
session, but had given the same vote. Thev too
had committed this unpardonable sin; but the
hidden influences of this mysterious session of
!8.‘36 had suddenly dissolved the sleep in which
they wereenwraped;and they bad assuddenly dis
covered that it was an outrage on southern rights
and southern honor to receive petitions of the
same nature with those they had voted to receive
and refer again and again.
Mr. Mangum here interrupted Mr. Brown,
by saying that lie never gave such votes.
Mr. Brown continued. He would ask the
gentleman if he was no; present when abolition
peti;ions were received, and when the question
was propounded, “shall the petitions be referred
to the committee on the District of Columbia;
and whether he did not, by making no objection
to the reception and reference, give his unquali
fied acquiescence to both?
Mr. Mangum said that he did not know
whether he was nresent on such occasions.
Mr. Brown resumed. But there was one
petition that had been presented as late as the
commencement of the present session, when the
honorable gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
Grundy) moved to lay it on the table. He be
lieved that his colleague was in bis seat when
that motion was made, and lie did not remember
that lie made any objections to it. His colleague
had thought proper to indulge m some gratuitous
advice to him as to what ought to characterize
the conduct of a southern representative when
petitions reflecting on li s constituents were pre
sented. He was not in the habit of gratuitously
giving his advice to any one, much less to his
colleague; but if lie was, be might say to him
that be who was so ready to give gratuitous
lectures to others ought to learn first to obey
’-hem, and that very wholesome admonition had
been given him from a highly respected source,
which lie would do well maturely to consider.
It was said, both by the senator from South
Carolina and by his colleague, that he ought to
have resisted the reception of these petitions, be
cause they were offensive and indecorous in
their language to those whom he represented.—
What, sir, said Mr. Brown, petitions from wo-
good bis word. lie (Mr. CA thought the cx- men and a parcel cf little children!—for it had
How could he, ns a southern man, give his
vote to uphold a deep laid partv scheme, as he
believed, that had been floating for a time on the
tempestuous waves of political cxcitrineiiq
but that was destined inevitably to subside into
its original insignificance with the occasion
which produced if.
Sir, said Mr. Brown, the course I took was
dictated bv the hijrhest considerations of public
duty, and flow d from a jealous regard for the
rights mid honor of the south, as well as a sin-
rote and ardent attachment to the Union. It was
to aid in reprobating the attempts to desecrate
the social relations and domestic peace of the
south bv the introduction of this dangerous ques
tion into her politics, creating an unreasonable
and unfounded jealousy of our northern fellow-
citizens, and weakening the bonds of this Union,
to subserve the unholy designs of party—it was
for these reasons that he bad taken the stund
that he did. And gratified he was at the result;
for every tiling that had transpired on this tub-
ject since the commencement of the session had
on 1 v tended to show that the attachment of tho
people to the Union was not to be shaken and
thot »t re-ted on the most firm and abiding
foundations These were the reasons which
induced him to take the course he did. And was
he to be told that lie was recreant to the south,
because lie had done that which had been done
on repeated occasions bv those quite equal in
intelligence, patriotism, arid chivalrous southern
feelings to those who now claimed to be the
exclusive defenders of southern honor? Was
he to be accused of dereliction of duty to the
south for voiing to receive petitions on the subject
of abolition, bv those who were present on repeat
ed occasions. when such petitions were not only
unanimously received, but referred to one ofthe
standing committees of that body without raising
the slightest objection to the reference? Be
knew that the south had too much strength
within her own bosom to be unnecessarily
alarmed; and he knew that she had too much
intelligence to permit herself to be excited to
her own injury by the cry of wolf! wolf
when there was no danger.
He had conceived it to be Li* duty to make
these few remarks principally in seif-defence.
There, was nothing farther from his intention
when he took Iiis seat this morning, than to
engage in a discussion of this nature; for he had
hoped that this spirit of evil omen had received
its death blow, and that it would be no more
revived this session. He regretted that the
gentleman Irom South Carolina had thought
proper on an occasion like this, when the reso
lutions of Maine came bearing the olive branch,
to receive them, net in the spirit of peace, bet
in the spirit of discord.
Mr. Preston said, three years ago, when bo
took his seat in this body, a petition on this sub
ject was presented lie was unacquainted with
the practice of the senate, and looked round i.ira
to see if some one more experienced than han
sel f was not going to rise, and seeing none, ho
rose, and made the question of its reception.—
But the gentlemen from all parts ofthe senate
rose, and said it had been usual to give petitions
of that Kind a particular direction, whefe they
quietly remained, without being beard of more.
A senator from Maryland said that was the
lion’s den for these petitions. He was willing
they should be laid o.n the table, or dispatched
in any other way, and acquiesced. But did not
the gentleman from North Carolina, (Mr-
Brown.) see a different state of circumstances
now? 'The Quakers had said that they
pressed it year after year without interruption,
and there were more petitions presented tb» s
session, than had been since the commence
ment of this institution. If a mischievous boy
threw a cracker co the floor of the senate, and
the Sergeant-at-arms trampt it out, it was a
small matter. But when, if the building was
surrounded by incendiaries with torches in then -
hands, were they not to be roused Irom the 1 -
lethargy! He was not going to be impelled to
mix up this matter with politics, which separate
father from son, and party from country, ana
mingle them in its own vortex. While a P° r '
lion of them were alarmed, while they countf
by hundreds and by thousands, wiiat used to j-
units, philosophy taught them distrust on bo--
sides. While the gentleman from North (-*•' •
. 1*
