S[r. EiNO  disclmmed  having  done  so.]
r. 0. said  that  he  certainly  understood  the
Senator  from  Geor^a  as  having  used  the  expres-
sion, but  was  gratified  that  he  had  disclaimed
it ;  but  he  oomd  not  be  mistaken  in  saying  that
the  Senator  had  represented  the  course  which
I,  and  other  Senators  who  think  with  me,  have
pursued  in  reference  to  this  subject,  as  aiding
and  playing  into  the  hands  of  A. Tappan  &  Co.,
and  calculated  to  produce  agitation. I  would
ask,  said  Mr. 0.,  upon  what  possible  authority
such  assertion  can  be  made  ?  What  has  been
my  course  ?  Has  it  not  been  purely  defensive  ?
I  am  averse  to  Oongress  touching  the  subject
of  abolition,  and  from  the  beffinning  of  the  ses-
sion have  prescribed  to  myself,  as  a  rule  not  to
be  departed  from,  a  resistance  of  all  attempts
to  bnng  the  subject  within  the  sphere  of  the
action  of  this  body. Acting  on  this  principle,
I  felt  myself  bound,  said  Mr. 0.,  to  demand  the
question  on  receiving  the  various  petitions
which  have  been  presented,  in  order  to  shut
the  doors  of  the  Senate  against  the  admission
of  the  wicked  and  fanatical  agitators. Had  I
not  a  right,  said  Mr. C,  secured  by  the  parlia-
mentary rules  of  this  body,  to  demand  this
question,  and  was  I  not  bound  to  exercise  it
on  this  occasion  ?  When  the  incendiaries  pre-
sent themselves  here,  in  violation  of  the  consti-
tution, with  petitions  in  the  highest  d
oalnnmious  of  the  people  of  the  SouUi,  hoi
them  up  as  despots,  dealers  in  human  flesh,
pirates,  was  it  for  me,  representing  one  of  the
Southern  States,  to  be  silent  on  such  an  occa-
sion, and  to  indorse  such  slanders  on  my  con-
stituents, by  receivinff  them?  I  certainly  do
not  so  estimate  my  duty. I  consider  it  the
proper  occasion  to  exercise  the  right,  which
belongs  to  me  as  a  Senator,  to  demand  the
question  on  the  reception;  for  doing  this  I
have  been  accused  as  an  agitator. This  is  the
utmost  extent  of  my  offending. 