Caleb Cushing

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. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#calm #course #done #entertaining #facts

And if this House is to be scared, by whatever influences, from its duty, to receive and hear the petitions of the People, then I shall send my voice beyond the walls of this Capitol for redress. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#capitol #duty #hear #house #i

Here, again, as I conceive, gentlemen forget that this government is a republican one, resting exclusively in the intelligence and virtue of the People. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#conceive #exclusively #forget #gentlemen #government

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. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#declare #drawn #driven #either #forms

I maintain that the House is bound by the Constitution to receive the petitions; after which, it will take such method of deciding upon them as reason and principle shall dictate. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#bound #constitution #deciding #dictate #house

It is impossible, in my mind, to distinguish between the refusal to receive a petition, or its summary rejection by some general order, and the denial of the right of petition. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#denial #distinguish #general #impossible #mind

Men of New England, I hold you to the doctrines of liberty which ye inherit from your Puritan forefathers. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#england #forefathers #hold #i #inherit

Men of Virginia, countrymen of Washington, of Patrick Henry, of Jefferson, and of Madison, will ye be true to your constitutional faith? ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#constitutional #countrymen #faith #henry #jefferson

The right of petition is an old undoubted household right of the blood of England, which runs in our veins. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#england #household #old #our #petition

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. ↗

— Caleb Cushing

#conferred #congress #constitution #grants #i