.CONGRESS, U. 8. 



The question was taken, and it was decided 

 in the affirmative. Yeas, 116 ; nays, 44. 



Immediately after these proceedings, Mr. 

 Crawford, of Georgia, offered the following 

 resolution : 



Resolved, That the Constitution of the United States 

 recognizes property in slaves ; that Congress has 

 passed laws to aid slaveholders in recapturing their 

 slaves whenever they escape and make their way into 

 the free States ; that the Supreme Court of the United 

 States have decided that negroes were not included, 

 either in the Declaration of Independence or in the 

 Constitution of the United States, except as slaves, 

 and that they cannot become citizens ; and we, the 

 members of this House, hereby sustain and will sup- 

 port this construction of the Constitution, these laws, 

 and said decision of the Supreme Court. 



This is a brief expression of the views gen- 

 erally of the Southern members. It was pushed 

 aside for the day, and on the next day various 

 shifts were resorted to for evading the vote, 

 until it was finally laid on the table. Ayes, 88 ; 

 noes, 81. 



While these scenes were passing in the House, 

 a portion of the people were looking with great 

 anxiety to its action, flattering themselves that 

 some measures might be proposed which would 

 be acceptable to all sections, and restore the 

 country to its previous peaceful and prosperous 

 state. Their hopes were vain, and not even 

 their gloomiest visions presented the dread re- 

 alities which the impenetrable curtain of the 

 future hid from their sight. 



At this time the Representatives from the 

 State of South Carolina withdrew. Their rea- 

 sons are thus very summarily stated : 



WASHINGTON, December 21, 1860. 

 SIE : We avail ourseves of the earliest opportunity, 

 since the official communication of the intelligence, of 

 making known to your honorable body that the peo- 

 ple of the State of South Carolina, in their sovereign 

 capacity, have resumed the powers heretofore dele- 

 gated by them to the Federal Government of the 

 United States, and have thereby dissolved our connec- 

 tion with the House of Representatives. 



lu taking leave of those with whom we have been 

 associated in a common agency, we, as well as the 

 people of our Commonwealth, desire to do so with 

 feelings of mutual regard and respect for the rights 

 of each other, cherishing the hope that, in our future 

 relations, we may better enjoy that peace and harmony 

 essential to the happiness of a free and enlightened 

 people. JOHN McQUEEN, 



M. L. BONHAM, 

 W. W. BOYCE, 

 J. D. ASHMORE. 

 Hon. WILLIAM PENNINGTON, 



Speaker of the House of Representatives. 



Mr. Oobb, of Alabama, subsequently rising for 

 a personal explanation, thus alluded to the po- 

 sition which the Republican party had now as- 

 sumed on the state of affairs : 



" But gentlemen say they cannot do any 

 thing. They say that the edict went forth on 

 the sixth day of November last ; that the peo- 

 ple decided such and such questions involving 

 certain principles in reference to the slavery 

 question. I deny that the jury impanelled at 

 that time gave any such verdict. There were 



other questions in issue which entered into that 

 canvass-. I tell you what I believe is the truth, 

 and I tell the country what I believe is right ; 

 and I say I do not believe the question of sla- 

 very was the only question that was submitted 

 to the people, but that other questions entered 

 into that contest which went far to influence 

 the result. Is that so ? Have you, Republicans, 

 got a majority of the people of this vast coun- 

 try to indorse your principles ? 



" I say that the tariff question entered into 

 the controversy at the last election ; I say that' 

 the internal improvement question entered into 

 that controversy ; I say the homestead question 

 entered into that contest; I say the Pacific 

 Railroad question entered into that contest; 

 and I am ashamed to acknowledge that a ques- 

 tion entered into that contest in relation to the 

 corruptions of the Administration." 



On the great point maintained by the South- 

 ern States, that slaves are regarded as property 

 under the Constitution, he laid before the House 

 the following extract from treaties made by the 

 Government in which they are called prop'erty, 

 to wit : 



"Provisional Articles between the United States of 



America and Ms Britannic Majesty. 

 "Agreed upon by and between Richard Oswald, 

 Esquire, the commissioner of his Britannic Majesty, 

 for treating of peace with the commissioners of the 

 United States of America, in behalf of his said Majesty, 

 on one part, and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, 

 John Jay, and Henry Laurens, four of the commission- 

 ers of the said States, &c. 



"ART. VII. * * * * AH p r i son ers on both 

 sides shall be set at liberty, and his Britannic Majesty, 

 with all convenient speed, and without causing any 

 destruction, or carrying away any negroes or other 

 property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all 

 nis armies, garrisons, and fleets from the said United 

 States, and from every fort, place, and harbor within 

 the same." ******* 

 " Done at Paris, November 30, 1782. 



" RICHARD OSWALD, [L. s. 



" JOHN ADAMS, L. s. 



" B. FRANKLIN, L. s. 



"JOHN JAY, L. s. 



" HENRY LAURENS. [L. s. 



" Definitive Treaty of Peace between the United States 



of America and his Britannic Majesty. 

 "ART. VII. * * * * And his Britannic Majesty 

 shall, with all convenient speed, and without causing 

 any destruction, or carrying any negroes or other 

 property of the Amertean inhabitants, withdraw all 

 nis armies, &c. 

 Done at Paris, September 3, 1783. 



" D. HARTLEY, [L. s.l 

 " JOHN ADAMS, L. s.l 

 " B. FRANKLIN, L. s.l 

 "JOHN JAY. [L. s.]" 



" Treaty of Peace and Amity between Ms Britannic 

 Majesty and the United States of America. 



" (Ratified and confirmed by and with the advice 

 and consent of the Senate, February 11, 1815.) 



" ART. I." * * * shall be restored without 

 delay, and without causing any destruction, and with- 

 out carrying away any of the artillery or other public 

 property originally captured in the said forts or places, 

 and which shall remain therein upon the exchange of 



