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ASSEMBLING OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. 371
upon the body politic, and many remedies having failed, we must try amputation, to
bring it to a healthy state. We must have amendments to tho Constitution, and if we
can't get them, we must set up for ourselves."
On the 3d of December, while the excitement at the South was increasing,
the second session of the Thirty-Sixth Congres3 assembled at Washington,
.and never, probably, in the history of the country, had this body been looked
to with greater interest and anxiety.
To this session of Congress President Buchanan transmitted his last
annual message. The events occurring at the South demanded from him
especial attention, which he presented at great length. Soon after its reception, (December 8th,) Mr. Boteler, of Virginia, moved in the House, that so
much of that document as related " to the present perilous condition of the
country be referred to a special committee of one from each State, with leave
to report at any time," which was agreed to, yeas, 145 ; nays, 38. This committee was soon afterwards named, Henry Winter Davis being appointed on
the part of Maryland. On the 14th of January, 1861, Mr. Corwin, of Ohio,
the chairman of the committee, reported a series of propositions.
In the meantime, on the 13th of December, Mr. Powell, of Kentucky,
moved in the Senate that "so much of the President's message as relates to
the present agitated and distracted condition of the country, and the grievances between the slaveholding and the non-slaveholding States," be referred
to a special committee of thirteen members.
On the 18th of December, Mr. Wade, of Ohio, addressed the Senate upon
the state of the country, and in the course of his speech, remarked:
" 7" do not sy much blame the people of the South, because I think they have been led to
believe that we, to-day the dominant party, who are about to take the reins of government, are their mortal foes, and stand ready to trample their institutions under foot.
They have been told so by our enemies at the North, and they would not hear us at all."
On the 24th of the same month, Mr. Nicholson, Senator from Tennessee,
paid an. eloquent tribute to the fidelity of the democrats of the North. He
said, in the course of his able speech:
" The Senator from Ohio spoke the truth when he said that the South believed that
the North were their enemies. But he denied that this belief had been brought about by
any acts of the democrats of the North. The belief of the South came from the most
reliable sources—from the speeches and writings of the eminent men of the republican
party—in which remark he would especially include the Senator from Ohio."
This committee was composed of the most distinguished and influential
Senators, the true representatives of the parties to which they respectively
belonged. It consisted of five republicans: Messrs. Seward, Collamer, Wacle,
Doolittle and Grimes; five from slave States: Messrs. Powell, Hunter, Crittenden, Toombs and Davis; and three Northern democrats to act as mediators
between the extreme parties: Messrs. Douglas, Bigler and Bright.
The committee first met on the 21st of December, and preliminary to any
other proceeding, "resolved that no proposition shall be reported as adopted,
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000402 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | ASSEMBLING OF THE THIRTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. 371 upon the body politic, and many remedies having failed, we must try amputation, to bring it to a healthy state. We must have amendments to tho Constitution, and if we can't get them, we must set up for ourselves." On the 3d of December, while the excitement at the South was increasing, the second session of the Thirty-Sixth Congres3 assembled at Washington, .and never, probably, in the history of the country, had this body been looked to with greater interest and anxiety. To this session of Congress President Buchanan transmitted his last annual message. The events occurring at the South demanded from him especial attention, which he presented at great length. Soon after its reception, (December 8th,) Mr. Boteler, of Virginia, moved in the House, that so much of that document as related " to the present perilous condition of the country be referred to a special committee of one from each State, with leave to report at any time," which was agreed to, yeas, 145 ; nays, 38. This committee was soon afterwards named, Henry Winter Davis being appointed on the part of Maryland. On the 14th of January, 1861, Mr. Corwin, of Ohio, the chairman of the committee, reported a series of propositions. In the meantime, on the 13th of December, Mr. Powell, of Kentucky, moved in the Senate that "so much of the President's message as relates to the present agitated and distracted condition of the country, and the grievances between the slaveholding and the non-slaveholding States," be referred to a special committee of thirteen members. On the 18th of December, Mr. Wade, of Ohio, addressed the Senate upon the state of the country, and in the course of his speech, remarked: " 7" do not sy much blame the people of the South, because I think they have been led to believe that we, to-day the dominant party, who are about to take the reins of government, are their mortal foes, and stand ready to trample their institutions under foot. They have been told so by our enemies at the North, and they would not hear us at all." On the 24th of the same month, Mr. Nicholson, Senator from Tennessee, paid an. eloquent tribute to the fidelity of the democrats of the North. He said, in the course of his able speech: " The Senator from Ohio spoke the truth when he said that the South believed that the North were their enemies. But he denied that this belief had been brought about by any acts of the democrats of the North. The belief of the South came from the most reliable sources—from the speeches and writings of the eminent men of the republican party—in which remark he would especially include the Senator from Ohio." This committee was composed of the most distinguished and influential Senators, the true representatives of the parties to which they respectively belonged. It consisted of five republicans: Messrs. Seward, Collamer, Wacle, Doolittle and Grimes; five from slave States: Messrs. Powell, Hunter, Crittenden, Toombs and Davis; and three Northern democrats to act as mediators between the extreme parties: Messrs. Douglas, Bigler and Bright. The committee first met on the 21st of December, and preliminary to any other proceeding, "resolved that no proposition shall be reported as adopted, |
