And If This House Is To Be

Entertaining These Opinions Of The Course To Be Pursued, I Beg Of Gentlemen To Look At The Question, As I Have Done, In A Calm Review Of Facts And Of Principles.

The Right Of Petition, I Have Said, Was Not Conferred On The People By The Constitution, But Was A Pre-existing Right, Reserved By The People Out Of The Grants Of Power Made To Congress.

Sir, I Am A Republican; And I Desire To See This House Observe The Principles Of That Democracy Which Is Ever On The Lips Of Its Members, And Which, I Hope, Is In Their Hearts, As I Know And Feel It Is In Mine, And Mean It Shall Be In My Conduct.

I Declare And Protest In Advance, That I Do Not Intend, At This Time At Least; To Be Drawn Or Driven Into The Question Of Slavery, In Either Of Its Subdivisions Or Forms.

The Proceedings Of This House In 1790, In Reference To Petitions On The Matter Of The Slave Trade, And Of Slavery In The States, Have Been Cited. It Has Been Said That Those Petitions Were Not Received.