21]

Meantime, among other propositions made in the Senate were two
introduced early in the session, which it may be proper specially to
mention. One of these was a resolution offered by Mr. Powell, of
Kentucky, which, after some modification by amendment, when finally
acted upon, had taken the following form:

"_Resolved_, 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-slave
holding States, be referred to a special committee of thirteen
members, and that said committee be instructed to inquire into
the present condition of the country, and report by bill or
otherwise."

The other was a resolution offered by Mr. Green, of Missouri, to the
following effect:

"_Resolved_, That the Committee on the Judiciary be instructed
to inquire into the propriety of providing by law for
establishing an armed police force at all necessary points along
the line separating the slaveholding States from the
non-slaveholding States, for the purpose of maintaining the
general peace between those States, of preventing the invasion
of one State by citizens of another, and also for the efficient
execution of the fugitive-slave laws."

In the discussion of these two resolutions I find, in the proceedings of
the Senate on December 10th, as reported in the "Congressional Globe,"
some remarks of my own, the reproduction of which will serve to exhibit
my position at that period--a position which has since been often
misrepresented:

"Mr. President, if the political firmament seemed to me dark
before, there has been little in the discussion this morning to
cheer or illumine it. When the proposition of the Senator from
Kentucky was presented--not very hopeful of a good result--I was
yet willing to wait and see what developments it might produce.
This morning, for the first time, it has been considered; and
what of encouragement have we received? One Senator proposes, as
a cure for the public evil impending over us, to invest the
Federal Government with such physical power as properly belongs
to monarchy alone; another announces that his constituents cling
to the Federal Government, if its legislative favors and its
Treasury secure the works of improvement and the facilities
which they desire; while another rise