Litchfield enquirer., 1830-03-04

', "S"'i"' |" oe oIStufDcd Dy other sentiments
 or other sounds, and proposed that the Senate should adjourn. Would it have
 been quite amiable, in mo, sir, to interrnr. this excellentgood feeling Must I not have been absolutely malicious, if l had thrust myself forward, to destroy sensations thus pleasing? Was it not much better aDd kinder, both to sleep upon them myself. aud to allow others, also, the pleasure of sleeping upon them? But if it be meant. ny sleeping upon his speech, that took tune to prepare reply to it, it is quite a mstake; owing to other engagements, I could not employ even the interval, be- tween the adjournment of the Senate. and
 us meeting the next morning, in attention to the subject of this debate. Neverthe- less.slr, the mere matter offaet is undoubt- edIy true-l did sleep on the gentleman's speech; and slept soundly. And I slept equally well on his speech of yesterday, to which am now replying. 1t is quite DOS. slbie that, in this respect, also, possess some advantage over the honorable mem- Der, attributable, doubtless, to cooler temperament on my part for, in truth, slept upon his speeches remarkably we'll But the gentleman inquiries, why he was made the object of snch reply? Why was he singled out? If an attack had been made upon the East, he, he assures us, did not begin it-it was the gentleman from Missouri. Sir, I answered the gen,leman's speech, because happened to hear il :; and because, also, chose to give an an- swer to that speech, which, Unanswered. thought most likely to produce inuri- ous impressions. I did not stop to inquire who was the original drawer of the bill.- found responsible endorser before me, and 1t was my purpose to hold him liable, and to bring him to his just responsibility, without delay. But, sir, this interrogato-- ry Of the honorable member was only in- | troductory to another. He proceeded to ask me, whether had turned upon him, in this debate. from the consciousness that ! should find an cvcr-match, if ventured on a contest with his friend fron Missouri. If. sir. the honorable member, er gr0t;a mo. deste, had chosen thus to defer to his friend, and to pay him compliment, with: out intentional disparagement to others. it would have been quite according to the friendly courtesies of debate, ,and not at all ungrate!ul to my own feelings. am not one of those, sir, wLo esteem any tribute of regard, whether light and occasional, or more serious and deliberate, which may be bestowed on others, as so much un- justly withholden from themselves. But the tone and manner of the gentleman's 1 question, forbid me that I thus interpret it. I am not at liberty to consider it as nothing more than civility to his friend. It had an air of taunt and disparagement. little ofthe lofiinsss of asserted superior ity, which does not allow me to pass it O. yer without hotice It was put as a ques- ton for me to answer, and so put, as fit were difficult for me to answer, whether deemed the member from Missouri an o. ver-match for myself, in debate here. It seems, to me, sir, that this is extraordinary language, and an extraordinary tone, for the discussions of this body.
 Matches and over matches Those terms are more applicable elsewhere than here, and filter for other assemblies than this. Sir, tho gentleman seems to forget where and what we are. This is Senate: Senate of equals of men of individual honor and personal character, and of abso- lute independence. We know no masters {: we acknowledge no dictators. This is a Hall for mutual consultation and discussion; not an arena for the exhibition of champ ions. l offer myself, sir, as match for 10 man; I throw the challenge of debate at no mans feet. But, then, sir, since the hon. orabe member has put'the question in a manner that calls for an answer,T will givc him an answer; and tell him, that, hold ing myseIfto be the humbest of the mem- bers here, yet know nothing in the arm of his friend from Missouri, either alone, or when aided by the arm of Ais friend from South Carolina, that need deter, even mo, from cspousing whatever opinions I may choose to espouse, from debating whenever I may choose to debate, or from speaking whatever may see fit to say, on the floor of the Senate. Sir, when utter ed as matter of commendation or com plimcnt, should dissent from nothing which the honorable member might say of his friend. Still less do put forth any pretcnsions of my own. But, when put to mo as matter of taunt, throw it back,and say to the gentleman that he could possibly say nothing less likely than such compar- ison, to wound my pride of personal char acter. The anger of its tone rescued the remark from intentional irony, which, otherwise, probably, would have boen it's general acccptation. But, sir, if it be im-