It was a strong and representative committee, chosen
from the four great political parties to the late
Presidential election, and embracing recognized leaders
in each, We shall see in a future chapter how this
eminent committee failed to report a compromise, which
was the object of its appointment. But compromise
was impossible, because the conspiracy had resolved
upon disunion, as already announced in the proclamation
of a Southern Confederacy, signed and published a week
before by Jefferson Davis and others.
THE HOUSE COMMITTEE OF THIRTY-THREE
[Sidenote] Compare Boteler’s statement
of origin of his resolution,
“Globe,” Jan. 10, 1861, p.
316.
[Sidenote] “Globe,” Dec. 4,
1860, p. 6.
While this discussion was going on in the Senate,
very similar proceedings were taking place in the
House of Representatives, except that declarations
of revolutionary purpose were generally of a more
practical and decisive character. The President’s
message had no sooner been received and read, and
the usual formal motion made to refer and print, than
the friends of compromise, representing here, as in
the Senate, the substantial sentiment of the border
slave-States, made a sincere effort to take control
and bring about the peaceable arrangement and adjustment
of what they assumed to be the extreme differences
between the South and the North. Mr. Boteler,
of Virginia, seizing the momentary leadership, moved
to amend by referring so much of the message “as
relates to the present perilous condition of the country”
to a special committee of one from each State.
The Union being at that time composed of thirty-three
States, this committee became known as the Committee
of Thirty-three. Several other amendments were
offered but objected to, and the previous question
having been ordered, the amendment was agreed to and
the committee raised by a vote of 145 yeas to 38 nays;
the negative vote coming, in the main, from the more
pronounced anti-slavery men.
[Sidenote] “Globe,” Dec. 4,
1860, p. 7.
[Sidenote] Ibid.
[Sidenote] Ibid.
[Sidenote] Ibid.
[Sidenote] Ibid.
[Sidenote] “Globe,” Dec. 4,
1860. p. 7.
[Illustration: JUSTIN S. MURPHY.]
Though this was the first roll-call of the session,
the disunion conspirators, one after another, made
haste to declare the treasonable attitude of their
States. Pending the vote, Mr. Singleton declined
recording his name for the reason that Mississippi
had called a convention to consider this subject.
He was not sent here for the purpose of making any
compromise or to patch up existing difficulties.
Mr. Jones, of Georgia, said he did not vote on this
question because his State, like Mississippi, had
called a convention to decide all these questions
of Federal relations. Mr. Hawkins, of Florida,
