IN SENATE.
THURSDAY, January 17, 1861.Mr. WILLIAMS. Inasmuch as we have no presiding officer for this House, I move that we proceed to elect one.
The motion was agreed to by consent.
The PRESIDENT pro tem. [Mr. Wagner in the Chair.] Nominations are now in order,
Mr. CONNER. I will put in nomination for that office the Hon. John R. Cravens, of Jefferson.
Mr. LINE. I present the name of the Hon. Wm. C. Tarkington.
The roll being called, 25 Senators voted for Mr. Cravens, and 18 for Mr. Tarkington.
The PRESIDENT pro tem declared Mr. Cravens to be elected President of the Senate.
On motion by Mr. MURRAY, a committee of two, which the President made to consist of Senators Murray and Tarkington, were appointed to conduct the President to the Chair.
The PRESIDENT said: Gentlemen of the Senate-I beg leave to assure you of my profound and heartfelt thanks for this renewed obligation which you have placed me under to you. And let me assure you of another thing, although this office is no sinecure, as you well know, I feel that during the time I have had the honor of presiding over your deliberations, I have been assured by the kind and courteous feeling that encourages me to enter upon the discharge of my duties with confidence of your aid and assistance, I shall, therefore, not detain you with any further remarks from the business of the Senate.
On motion of Mr. LINE, these remarks were ordered spread upon the Senate journal.
Mr. SHIELDS presented a petition from a portion of his constituents, praying that certain moneys belonging to the school fund which has been diverted from its proper course, may be restored at once; which was read and referred to the Judiciary Committee.
FEDERAL RELATIONS.
Mr. CRAVENS. As chairman of the Committee on Federal Relations, I will submit for the consideration of the Senate the following preamble and Resolutions. I will say that it was not the intention of the Committee on this occasion to present anything in the form or shape of a remedy for the present difficalties, but on the other hand simply to make some declaration to the Government, and to the people of the other States as to the position of Indiana in this crisis. It is thought advisable by a majority of the Committee to pursue this course in order that Indiana might be upon the record; and as a response to other States who have spoken upon this question. And I will take occasion to say, in behalf of some members of the Committee, that many of them objected to the resolutions, not to the manner, or spirit, or expression, but because they stopped short of the object which they thought ought to be obtained. With these remarks I will read the resolutions:
STATE OF INDIANA AS A MEMBER OF THE
FEDERAL UNION.
WHEREAS, The peace and harmony of the Republic is so disturbed as to excite in the minds of all patriots the most serious apprehensions of the public welfare; and
WHEREAS, It is the duty of all loyal citizens of our beloved country to exert themselves to the utmost to avert the dangers that threaten to overthrow the stability and permanence of our free institutions, and to remove the cause or causes, if any such exist, that have arrayed one portion of a once happy and united people against each other; and
WHEREAS, We duly appreciate the blessings of the Union under the operation and control of the Federal Constitution, as they were devised and intended by the founders of the Republic; and
WHEREAS, We regard the dissolution of the Union and the subversion of the Constitution as a calamity so terrible in its consequences that we can contemplate it only as a mighty evil, the extent of which we can estimate when we shall have become a broken, disjointed people, at war among ourselves, and a prey to our enemies; and
WHEREAS, In view of all these considerations we, as a part of the people of this Republic, inviolably attached to this Government, and rendering the most undivided allegiance to all its laws enacted by authority, and in compliance with the provisions of its Constitution, do hereby earnestly pledge ourselves, and
Resolved, by the Senate, (the House of Representatives concurring therein.) That as we have not, in the past, contributed in any degree to bring about that state of things which threatens to result in overwhelming calamity and unparalleled crime,we will not hereafter do any act or acts that will tend to weaken the bonds of this Union, violate the Constitution of the United States, or oppose or otherwise interfere with any of the laws passed under and by authority of the same.
page: 59[View Page 59]Resolved, That the maintenance of the rights of the states, and especially the right of each State to order and control its own domestic institutions, according to its own judgement exclusively, is essential to that balance of powers on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric depends, and that we, as a portion of the people,will abide by, maintain and uphold the same, both in theory and practice.
AND in view of the fact that several of the States in the Federal Union have placed themselves in an attitude of hostility towards the Government, in our opinion, without justifiable cause, therefore
Be it Resolved by the Senate, (the House of Representatives concurring therein,) That all firm, wise, dignified and patriotic measures, having for their object the preservation of the Union, and the maintenance of the National authority under the Constitution of the United States, whether adopted by the present or incoming Administration should be sustained with firmness and determination'; and, on behalf of the people of the State of Indiana,'we hereby pledge to the Federal Government whatever of power or purpose a loyal and patriotic State should contribute in the effort to preserve the only Government on earth wherein the rights of man constitute the foundation of its laws and the measure of its civil authority.
Resolved, That the citizens and Eepresentatives of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North, Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee, who have patriotically resisted the progress of secession, are entitled to the admiration and gratitude of all other Union-loving citizens.
Mr. MURRAY moved to concur in the report of the committee, with an amendment, adding a resolution requesting the Governor to transmit copies to each of our members of Congress and governors of the several States.
Mr. TARKINGTON. I offer the following amendment to the amendment:
[This amendment is identical with the preamble and resolutions offered by Senator Ray, and printed in Tuesday's proceedings.]
Mr. CONNER. I regret exceedingly, Mr. President, that the honorable Senator from Monroe, [Mr. Tarkington,] has felt it to be his duty to present at this time the amendment that has been read. In the first place it seems to me, under the rules which we have adopted, that it should go to the Committee on Federal Relations. It cannot be regarded in the relation of an amendment to the resolution reported by the committee, for it is a memorial addressed to Congress, and is therefore not germain to the resolutions on hand. But that is not what I desire to say to the Senate.
Although the Republican party has a majority in this Senate, and although it be true there is a majority of our political friends upon that committee, I am proud to know that the committee have upon this occasion rose above mere party considerations, and have labored to pen a preamble and resolutions in such terms as that it may not be regarded as offensive to any party in this land; and I had hoped that Senators on this floor would meet them with an accommodating spirit. I think it eminently proper that we as citizens should define our position in such terms as will cause no reflection upon either of the two great parties of this commonwealth. I have not nsen for the purpose of making a speech, for I seldom indulge in speech making; I only desire to remark, in conclusion, and to appeal to Senators to allow the resolutions reported this committee to pass without giving them any party character whatever, and without protracting discussion. The character of what is termed " the amendment," must necessarily provoke discussion, and no one will see that more clearly than the Senator from Monroe. At an early day questions will arise, looking to a remedy for our national difficulties, and then the Senator may have the glorious privilege of defining his position.
Mr. TARKINGTON. Upon the point of order I presume the gentleman must be mistaken. Last, night was the first meeting of the Committee on Federal Relations, and the discussions were all of the most pacific, quiet and conciliatory character. I announced in that Committee, notwithstanding I did not particularly object to the matter of the report submitted, that I objected to a report coining from the Committee on Federal Relations at this time, unless it embodied something like a compromise upon the question now agitating the country. I said I was not willing to vote for the resolutions isolated and alone, because they would go to the country as our ultimatum. I therefore object to the resolutions, because they do not contain a proposition for a compromise. They are simply a declaration, a Fourth of July speech, and nothing else. The amendment, which I had the honor to introduce, makes a proposition to the border States, who are waiting to see what we are going to do upon this subject, that they can rally around. But when we make the simple declaration that we will stand by the Union, and erect a flag on the dome of the Capitol, it simply amounts to nothing. Every school boy knows we are in favor of the Union now and forever. I have no sentiments in consonance with South Carolina or any other seceding State, neither do my views agree with the Crittenden amendment; and I disclaim the charge of the Senator from Wabash, [Mr. Conner] that this amendment is thrown in here for party purposes or for political speech-making. * * * * * There will be a party in the Union, I have no doubt, that will stand back until a compromise is proposed, and for that reason I am willing to make it at an early day.
Mr. RAY. In behalf of a minority of the Committee on Federal Relations, I present a minority report.
[Mr. Ray read the report, which recommended the adoption, by the Senate, of a preamble and series of resolutions, identical with those offered in the Senate by Mr. Ray, and in the House by Mr. Holcomb, on day before yesterday. They are printed in the Senate proceedings of that day.]
Mr. RAY. I believe it due from me, Mr. President, as one of the Committee on Federal Relations, to make some observations, sir, upon the pending question. I feel it due to myself to say, while I do not object to the tone and spirit of the majority report, yet I feel page: 60[View Page 60]that it falls so far short of the demands of the crisis, that this Senate, looking to the condition of public affairs, should adopt the amendment instead of the majority report. We are, sir, now in the throes of revolution, and I shall be the last man to introduce partisan discussions in this Hall further than is necessary, sir, to explain my own position and the position of the party to which I have the honor to belong. It does not become that conciliatory and amiable spirit which prevailed last evening in the Committee on Federal Relations to drag in party politics in this discussion ; but, sir, I do think that the portentous position of public affairs demand that the State of Indiana, through her representatives. should make a broad, tangible declaration of sentiments that will be received by our Southern States as the sentiments of a magnanimous and conservative people-a people who are opposed to the shedding of brothers' blood. I think, sir, at this time we ought to rise] above ail partizan feeling-the patriot alone ought to speak in a perilous crisis like this and whoever would bring about party discussion for the purpose of upholding his own; party or defaming the opposition ought not to be ranked as a patriot in times like this. Then, sir, what is the duty of Indiana? I hold that her duty rises higher than the raising of a flag from the dome of our State House, or the passage of empty and harmless resolutions of attachment to the Union. It is a cheap declaration of sentiment, that we are in favor of the perpetuation of the Union; this is but a regular Fourth of July declaration for the last seventy-five years. The times demand something more practical, something more tangible, something that the country can form around to save this tottering, trembling j Republic.[Mr. RAY continued nearly an hour and a half. His speech will be written out by the Reporter and printed hereafter.]
Mr. CRAVENS. [Mr. Wagner in the chair.] Mr. President: I regret that the word " party" has been mentioned in this connection. I submit to this Senate whether there was a single thing in the preamble and resolutions introduced by myself, as chairman of the Committee on Federal Relations, which would warrant a bitter partizan discussion and a review of the political parties of this country. Are they not conceived in a spirit of candor and compromise? Is there a single shadow of any political platform about them? Then, sir, I say I earnestly deplore the dragging in even the name of party in the consideration of questions of the magnitude that we are called to examine at this time. I trust some of us will be pardoned if. as humble citizens who have by accident or combination of circumstances obtained seats upon this floor, if we occupy a few moments in the expression of our sentiments in this matter.
As the gentleman [Mr. Ray] has well said,terrible clouds are overhanging this country which overwhelm the public mind, and render is almost powerless to seize upon anything which promises relief. Yet we are called upon by that Senator to take the matter into o hands and propose a remedy. Sir, we have high-minded Union-loving men at Washington who are to-day seeking a remedy; let us not take the van, but rather let us follow in their lead. Let us pledge the people of Indiana, who have faith in their devotion to the Union and the Constitution, to abide their decision. If they propose measures of peace let us follow in their lead; but if they propose war let the people of Indiana, without distinction of party buckle on their armor and fight for the maintenance of the Constitution and the Union. [Applause.]
[The remainder of Mr. Cravens's remarks will be written out by the Reporter and appear hereafter.]
Mr. STEELE obtained the floor-
And on his motion the Senate took a recess till 2 o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr. STEELE and Mr. MELLETT spoke in favor of the resolution, and Mr. WOLFE and Mr. SLACK against it, occupying the session till about 5 o'clock. Their speeches will be written out by the reporter and printed hereafter.
Mr. NEWCOMB obtained the floor-
And on his motion the Senate adjourned.
