Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-06-20
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HOUSE OF REpREsENrATyyEs :
Proposition 10 amend The Constitution


iac'' that INTENDED TO give nv views ON ,he ro-
p ne'y OF altering or amending the Constitution.
Ih's' SIR believe, was exrected ty those whom
!epfeseht' as well as those with whom act. and
VIZ, "hom IL Is my pride 10 act, on this aoor In
was considered necessary that some voice
"0'" DC heaFd from Ohio; that State through the
medium oil her Legislature had rejected the ,rsnnss
resolutions, Which embraced the distric, system
- e' iiouSe Oh Representatives unanimously and
:" ne' senate by large majority. But sir, after
having heard tie able Arguments of the gentlemen
"a ',e preceded me, am Tree to confess that
| s''uhK rom the task, and was willing to rsl the
H''s,on OF the question on those Arguments
mHich ihen thought, and still think unansverabie
ou'' aoie as those arguments have been and in
competent as have felt, and stall feel mvsei- n
enter the hed OF debate with those tina, have ZONE
oe'oie' YET duty calls upon me 10 say something in
"u,c|'ioh OF myself aud friends; who have been
"ssaieu Win an unspsring hand by some of those
" ho nave entered into ths discussion Their mn
yves are BEST known to themselves and ,,ns, he
Juueeu pJ an impartial Public with ,,b ou I am
perfectly willing to leave the decision after H.,
s'aii nave heard both sides of tie question. We.
- was unable 10 lisp one syllable in favor OF the
constitution OF my country, self-respect would
coinpei Inc TO make the remarks that / intend 70
submit 10 this House. and this nation rsI,,ia -,
'n's NATTER but before proceed TO the yindica
'o"' permit me 10 say, that II there is one man on
''' Ao0t VINO should be more jealous than another
"a making inroads on this Constitution il is the
.u''Oie i'uifiuual that now addI esses YOU Sir
,o' NE 10 look back and see where was and what
| was at eighteen years of age on The VERGE of
| c~Lization, and scarcely able to connect the lei,
tets OF The alpbabet-and then view myself s,aaJ
ing where now do, amidst the Representatives of
one VI 'he hfst deIiberatIve bodies In the world:
nave Sood reason to be proud of the Constitution
anu HoV erhnleht under which live. But on this
part o! The subject, will speak more fully toyv.,d
nd
10 notice the violent attack of the gentleman from
south SaIclIna, on the purify of The motives of
.ii LAY and the Western members whose duty
ieu' .heni 10 so with MIN in the late Pres.deaiisl
election. LA
Sir, know and feel my situation. unaccus,or,-
ea ana undlscipiined in public debate with feelings
nightly eXcted--feelinas thai no man on ell no
less lie should have been charged with like Of
iehce' can appreciate for 4 moment If under sprh
charges, was incapable o! those feelings and coulJ
coidiy SIT here and hear the denunciations that have
D.e. iuiieu oy that gentleman against a certain
" me representatives. of this county, for
u'ihs an act in which Ohio was not the Ieas, nj
, the parties concerned and did mol indonop,lv r-o,
the assault, should be unworthy to be called her
son. -: 1'
The gentleman from South Carolina stated tina,
ne would tell the truth and shame the Devil
ashamed or not i
And what are those truths that The gentleman
mas so boldly, and in such delicate iauq,i,pe nro-
Claimed TO The nation that he was about 10 tel;
W n.y. s'r, nc has said, II round terms that tbe
secretary OF state, 10 satisfy his inordnate ambl
'on' 'ae an uaioly ana corsvpi bargain ~ ilh Mr.
-au'inS' 10 eieVac him TO The Presidential Chair:
"Hu ma We his friends, wee by him unkaowingy
'o'o ZOE the purpose OF eEec;ing that object Ave
sT, and alter he has in this manner s;abh,d M :,
'he Aear' and held up the dagger reeking with our
poliucal blood, not onl 10 the gaze OF this lorSe
Du' 10 Tue gaze OF this nation, he has kindly said
tnal amer his own personal friends, among when
suppose he includes The gentleman from Penn
| syl'ania, now in my eye, MI Kremer) he vvorlJ
take us to his bosom Let me say TO thai a,,ler
that we coyet not bis embrace
! me gentleman from South Carolina and myself
entered th!s House on The same day. and ain tree
70 declare, that during my time of service. have
seen no man on this floor that could for one mo
Teh. OeIeVe either corrupt or corrup,iLle; but this
I'm, VIM say ina'' were compelled to poll this
House, nay, this nation, for man that could be e
ineF bought or sold, would select that verv.,uan
who was continually in The habit of irumnei,ino
lor'h 10 The world MS own immaculate purify, and
The corruption of others. There is no princple of
our nature, nor trait IN the human Character thai
Is more clearly defined or better understood than
the one before alluded to; it extends not ooi,, -
the civilized world, but IT embraces the ,e,i.s, 90
wage that roains tie yviids OF tie upper Aisssi;.
and II was thrown INTO that region and rop,,,ail-
ca to ehcsmp between two lodges Of those Peo,Ie
tie SIotX on the one side, and the Vinpei,.r..-
on the other, and the Winuebagocs were to .rore
10 NE ana say, pointing to The other: =. Those
are bad men; they viii zeal your horses thee ,,il
rlunder your camp, they will kill your ,ne1 :. !,
would be from the quarter that ali hose prole. ions
Of Kindness came that would think i incu, bs,,
on me TO double the guards.
I MI Chairman Permit me, for one moment. 70
call the attention Of the Committee 70 our fr,o .i,,
! aIon In tbs election, for which we have been de-
nounced by certain individuals. We alone wore
zoe party that unsIackled and afost in Tim.
mallei; the candidates ofihe other were before t
House. and their friends had bul one course ,o nm
sue; to us it belonged to decide the matter between
The three cOntendng parties. We knew and ,,e CI,
our situation; we had TO view the whole ground.
we had 10 take General Jackson and Mr.. Ahms
as fhey toeTe, not as Her OWght 10 be. Mr..
| Crawford as he tDGs, nut as he hat becn A. Il,
respects the last named Individual, it is needles.
Tor me to express my feelings: he knows tb.,, ~, .
/ constituents know them, this House kuo,,,s ,l,.,,,
hey have never been disguised, nor will thew e,'
be for have always believed HIM fo be o,o -,
the purest patriots of the present aye. B,r. 81,
after we had viewed tllis contest under The cir.,.
Stances that those individuals were placed in rels
/ ton to II; we did believe that il was Ci,l, t .
tween Gen. Jackson and MIR. Adams and ,ve ,,c
eided accordingly not under tie influence of The
! Secretary OF Siae-nO, sir, we decided for ,,,,
selves; neither Ohio, nor the West, wa. eyer
! chained TO the car OF any man or set Of men we
nave our friends, and we love them, tut du,, is
! with us, paramount 10 friendship And. LEI tine
charge come rom what quarter il may, that we
nave been Sold 10 satisfy the ambition oil any man
j, Tor one, In the face Of the world proclaim