Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

718 ABRIDGMENT OF THE SENATE.] Slavery in the District of Columbia. [JANUARY, 1836. desire at present to say one word; his wish it was received, if it was found to ask for an was that the great question as to the right of internieddling with the constitutional rights of the people of this Union to petition Congress any of the States, to stamp it with the disapmight come up unembarrassed by the objections probation it deserved. as to the language in which the petition was Anxious as he was that no excitement should drawn. It seemed that these objections did grow out of this matter, his design was to give not apply to the petition presented by the Sen- every individual his rights, he would vote for ator from Pennsylvania, (Mr. BUCHANAN,) and the reception of this petition. The magnanihe wished the question to be taken on that mous and patriotic stand taken by the gentlepetition. lIe concurred with the Senator from man from Pennsylvania, (Mr. BUCHANAN,) on South Carolina, (Mr. CALHOUN,) that there was this question, was worthy of himself and of the no difference in substance between the last- great State he represented, and was an earnest named petition and those he (Mr. M.) had pre- to him of the disposition of that and other sented; that those who voted against receiving Northern States to arrest the course of those the one ought to vote against receiving the deluded people in producing mischief here and other. His wish was to' disembarrass this elsewhere. After this petition was received. question of the right of petition of the difficul- he was prepared to take the most efficient and ties as to the language of the petitions, and he energetic action to put a stop to this fanaticism. would therefore ask leave of the Senate to with- Mr. CALHOUN had heard, with much regret, draw the one he had presented. the argument of his friend from Alabama, (Mr. Mr. MoRnIS then withdrew the petition. KING.) He understood the gentleman to put On motion of Mr BUCHANAN, the Senate took this question of receiving the petition on conup the petition presented by that gentleman stitutional grounds. He asked the Senator if from the Caln Quarterly Meeting of Friends, of he was aware of the extent to which this docLancaster county, Pennsylvania, praying Con- trine would carry him. Was he prepared to gress to abolish slavery within the' District of receive petitions to abolish slavery in the navy Columbia, together with the motion of Mr. B. yards and arsenals of the United States, in the that the petition be rejected. The question Southern section of the'Union? Was he prepending was the one raised by Mr. CALHOUN- pared to receive petitions couched in abusive'Shall the petition be received? and indecorous language? Mr. CALHOUN called for the reading of the [Here Mr. KING said, No!] petition. The Senator answered no. Then I ask him, On motion of Mr. MoRonIs, the yeas and nays said Mr. C., to show the distinction between were ordered. such petitions as he has described and the one Mr. CALHOUN said that the language even of before the Senate. If the right to have petithis petition was very strange. It held up the tions received was constitutional, then there buying and selling of slaves in the Southern could be no qualification of that right. The States to be as flagrant a wrong as the slave Senator from Alabama, by saying no, surrentrade itself on the coast of Africa; declaring dered the ground he had taken. Then, by " that it was as inconsistent in principle, as in- what possibility, he asked him, was he prehuman in practice, as the foreign slave trade." pared to receive petitions to abolish slavery in The foreign slave trade, Mr. C. said, consisted this District? If he was prepared to receive in seizing on the Africans by violence, and selling such petitions, what was to prevent him from them into slavery. Now, he was not willing to receiving petitions to abolish slavery in every admit the parallel between slavery in the South- arsenal and navy yard in every State in the ern States and this foreign slave trade. We our- Union. selves, said he, have denounced this African He confessed he was astonished at the genslave trade, and made it piracy; though he did tleman's arguments. The right of petition was not himself believe that the offence could be cautiously guarded in the constitution: "Conproperly designated as piracy, and ever should gress shall make no law prohibiting the right regret that this term had been applied to it in of the people peaceably to assemble and petition our laws. With regard to the petition, if he for a redress of grievances." By these plain had no other objection to it than that of its terms it was expressly limited; and yet, when using this language, he would not on that ac- gentlemen came to the petitions of these fanatcount receive it. ics, for abolishing slavery in this District, they Mr. KING, of Alabama, wished, as an individ- were disposed to enlarge the construction. ual, and as a representative, to give all the in- I know, said Mr. C., that the Senator from dividuals of the Union, of every class, a full en- Alabama represents constituents more deeply joyment of the rights secured to them by the interested in this question than mine. The constitution. If we, said Mr. K., from the South-western States were more deeply interestwhim or excitement of the moment, refuse ed than the South Atlantic States, as the former to receive these memorials, might they not had a growingslave population, continually augabridge the right of petitioning? When the menting by purchases from Maryland, Virginia, language was decent and respectful, it was the North and South Carolina, and Georgia; and he duty of every Senator to show it every mark was, therefore, the more astonished at his arguof respect due to its character. And then, when ment.

Pages

About this Item

Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 718
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

Technical Details

Collection: Making of America Books
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ahj4053.0012.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ahj4053.0012.001/720

Rights and Permissions

These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Please go to http://www.umdl.umich.edu/ for more information.

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/moa:ahj4053.0012.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856." In the digital collection Making of America Books. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ahj4053.0012.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 12, 2025.

Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item