A Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Secret Sessions of the Conference Part 62

Messrs. DUNCAN and AMES dissented from the vote of Rhode Island.

Mr. GUTHRIE:--It will be necessary that this proposition be presented to Congress in an authentic form, and I suppose it will not be necessary for the Convention to continue its sessions until this presentation is made. I therefore offer the following preamble:

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

The Convention a.s.sembled upon the invitation of the State of Virginia to adjust the unhappy differences which now disturb the peace of the Union and threaten its continuance, make known to the Congress of the United States that their body convened in the city of Was.h.i.+ngton on the 4th instant, and continued in session until the 27th.

There were in the body, when action was taken upon that which is here submitted, one hundred and thirty-three commissioners, representing the following States: Maine, New Hamps.h.i.+re, Vermont, Ma.s.sachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas.

They have approved what is herewith submitted, and respectfully request that your honorable body will submit it to conventions in the States as an article of amendment to the Const.i.tution of the United States.

Mr. RANDOLPH:--I move the adoption of the preamble, and that the same, with the propositions already adopted, be authenticated by the present Secretary, and that all be presented by the President of this Convention to the Senate and House of Representatives, with a respectful request for their pa.s.sage.

This motion was agreed to.

Mr. BARRINGER:--As the labors of the Convention are now closed, I presume there is no occasion for continuing the injunction of secrecy.

As notes of the proceedings have been taken with a view, I presume, to publication, I now move that the injunction of secrecy against speaking of the action of the Convention, or the publication of its proceedings, be removed.

The motion of Mr. BARRINGER was agreed to by a _viva voce_ vote.

Mr. JOHNSON:--I desire here to have printed in the Journal the following resolution.

Leave was granted to Mr. JOHNSON as requested, and his resolution was as follows:

_Resolved_, That while the adoption, by the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, of ordinances declaring the dissolution of their relation with the Union, is an event deeply to be deplored; and while abstaining from any judgment on their conduct, we would express the earnest hope that they may soon see cause to resume their honored places in this Confederacy of States; yet to the end that such return may be facilitated, and from the conviction that the Union being formed by the a.s.sent of the people of the respective States, and being compatible only with freedom, and the republican inst.i.tutions guaranteed to each, cannot and ought not to be maintained by force, we deprecate any effort by the Federal Government to coerce in any form the said States to reunion or submission, as tending to irreparable breach, and leading to incalculable ills; and we earnestly invoke the abstinence from all counsels or measures of compulsion toward them.

Mr. POLLOCK:--The Committee on Finance have made an examination of the expenses which have been incurred for printing, stationery, &c., by the Conference. It has been, already stated that the expense of printing the Journal is met by the city of Was.h.i.+ngton. The additional expense incurred amounts to $735. If this is equally apportioned among the States represented it will amount to $35 each. It is for the Conference to decide in what manner the a.s.sessment shall be made.

Mr. BROWNE:--I offer the following resolution:

_Resolved_, That the report of the committee be received and accepted; that the committee be continued, and requested to make the necessary disburs.e.m.e.nts; and that the States now pay over the sum a.s.sessed to the chairman.

And the resolution was unanimously adopted.

Mr. LOOMIS:--I take great pleasure in presenting to the Conference the following letter, which has been addressed by the proprietors of the hall to the Secretary. I ask that the letter may be read, and I also offer the following resolution.

The letter was read, as follows:

CRAFTS J. WRIGHT, ESQ., _Secretary Conference Convention_:

SIR:--Please inform the Convention that we have tendered, free of charge, the use of our Hall and lights, which they have occupied. We hope the use may be sanctified by restoring peace to the Union.

We are, respectfully, &c.,

J.C. & H.A. WILLARD.

_February 23d, 1861._

And the resolution, which was unanimously adopted, was as follows:

_Resolved_, That the thanks of this Convention are justly due, and are hereby given, to the Messrs. Willard, for the liberal and generous tender, free of charge, of the use of the Hall and the lights, for the purposes expressed in their letter to the Secretary; and that the Secretary be requested to communicate to them a copy of this resolution.

Mr. DODGE offered the following resolution, and that, too, was unanimously agreed to:

_Resolved_, That the thanks of this Convention are justly due and hereby given to the Mayor and Council of the city of Was.h.i.+ngton, for their kindness and liberality to the members of this Convention, in defraying so large an amount of their expenses for printing and stationery, and also for the officers to protect this hall and the members from intrusion whilst in session, and that the Secretary be requested to communicate the same to said parties.

On motion of Mr. RANDOLPH, the thanks of the Conference were tendered to the clergymen of the city for their services during the Conference.

The thanks of the Conference were also presented to the Secretary and his a.s.sistants.

Mr. EWING:--I move the adoption of the following:

_Resolved_, That the thanks of this Convention be tendered to the President, for the dignified and impartial manner in which he has presided over the deliberations of this body.

The resolution being seconded by Mr. HACKLEMAN, it was unanimously adopted; whereupon President TYLER addressed the Conference as follows:

"GENTLEMEN OF THE CONFERENCE:

"The labors of this Convention are drawing to a close. Before we separate never in this world to meet again, I am much pleased that the resolution you have just adopted gives me an opportunity of uttering a few words of congratulation and farewell.

"We came together at a most important and critical time. One of the oldest members of the American Union, a commonwealth which had contributed its full share to the honor and glory of the nation--having as great interests at stake as any other member of the sisterhood of States--summoned you here to consider new additions to our Const.i.tution, which the experience of near three-quarters of a century had taught us were required. I expected from the first that you would approach the consideration of the new and important questions which must arise here, with that patriotism and intelligence which belongs to the descendants of the patriots of the Revolution and the statesmen of the Convention of 1787. I have not been disappointed.

In the whole course of a public life, much longer than usually falls to the lot of man, I have been a.s.sociated with many bodies of my fellow-citizens, convened for legislative or other purposes, but I here declare that it has never been my good fortune to meet with an a.s.sociation of more intelligent, thoughtful, or patriotic men, than that over which I have been here called to preside. I cannot but hope and believe that the blessing of G.o.d will follow and rest upon the result of your labors, and that such result will bring to our country that quiet and peace which every patriotic heart so earnestly desires.

I thank you most sincerely for that kindness and partiality on your part which induced you to call me to the honorable position of your presiding officer, and for the courtesy so uniformly extended in the discharge of the responsible duties of that position.

"Gentlemen, farewell! I go to finish the work you have a.s.signed me, of presenting your recommendations to the two Houses of Congress, and to ask those bodies to lay your proposals of amendment before the people of the American Union. Although these proposals are not in all respects what I could have desired--although I should have preferred the adoption of those recommended by the Legislature of Virginia, because I know they would have been acceptable to my own const.i.tuents, still it is my duty to give them my official approval and support. It is not to be expected that entire unanimity of opinion should exist among the representatives of so large a population, and so many diversified interests, as now comprise the Republic of the United States. It is probable that the result to which you have arrived is the best that under all the circ.u.mstances could be expected. So far as in me lies, therefore, I shall recommend its adoption.

"May you have a happy and safe return to your const.i.tuents and your families! May you all inculcate among your people a spirit of mutual forbearance and concession; and may G.o.d protect our country and the Union of these States, which was committed to us as the blood-bought legacy of our heroic ancestors!"

Mr. WICKLIFFE:--I move that the Convention do now adjourn, its labors having come to an end; and I would suggest that the delegates meet informally and take leave of each other at three o'clock this afternoon.

Mr. BROWNE moved that the Conference adjourn without day, and his motion was adopted by the following vote:

AYES.--Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont--9.

NOES.--Connecticut, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania--5.

And the Conference adjourned without day.

APPENDIX.

No. I.

Before the final vote was taken upon the proposals of amendment to the Const.i.tution of the United States, reported by the General Committee of which Mr. GUTHRIE was Chairman, and the votes upon the various subst.i.tutes offered for such proposals, there were _twenty-one_ States represented in the Conference.

Maine and Iowa were represented by their respective Congressional delegations; Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ma.s.sachusetts, Rhode Island, and Missouri, by delegates appointed by their respective Legislatures, under joint resolutions which are here inserted; New Hamps.h.i.+re, Vermont, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Indiana, and Kansas, by delegates appointed by their respective Governors.