The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-03-03
Mn. wEBsTER,s SECOND SPEECH,
IN MR.. FoOT's RESOLUTION.
In Senats-Jan. Q6. 1880.


Mr. President: When the mariner has been (
tossed, for many days, in thick weather, and on
unknown sea, he naturally avails himself of
the first pause in the storm, the earliest glance
of the sun, to take his latitude, and ascertain |
how far the elements have driven him from his
true course Let US initiate this prudence, and, !
before we float farther, refer to the point from
which we departed, that we may at least be able
TO conjecture where we now are. ask for the
reading of the resolution.
[The Secretary read the resolution as fol- |
lows:
Resolced, That the Committee on Public
Lands be instructed to inquire and report the
quantity of the public lands remaining unsold
within each State and Territory, and whether
it be expedent to limit, for a certain period,
the sales of the public lands to such lands only
as have heretofore been offered for sale, and are
now subject to entry at the minimum price.
And, also, whether the office of Surveyor Gen
eral, and some of the Land Offices, may not be
abolished without detriment to the public in
terest; or whether it be expedient TO adopt
measures to hasten the sales, and extend more
rapidly the surveys, of the public lands.'1
We have thus heard, sir, what the resolution
is, which is actually before US for consideration;
and it will readily occur TO every one that it is
almost the only subject about which something
has not been said in the speech, running through
two days, by which the Senate has been now
entertained by the gentleman from South Car
PdB3o ahany; A1r6nIGr t|sL -Uid 1raJesEe- of ,epF
thing, general or local. whether belonging to
national politics or party politics. seems to have
attracted more or less of the honorable men,
ber's attention, save only the resolution before
u.s. lie has spoken of every thing but the pub
lie lands. They have escaped his notice To
that subject, in all his excursions he has not
paid even the cold respect of passing glance
When this debate, sir, was to be resumed on
'hNt SIDx "a IL
nave been convenient for me to be elsewhere.
The honorable member, however, did not in
cline to put off the discussion to another day
lie had shot, he said, to return, and he wish
ed to discharge it. That shot, sir, which il was
kind thus to inform US was coming, that we
might stand out of the way, or prepare ourselves
to fall before it, and die with decency, has now
been received Under all advantages, and with
expectation awakened by the tone which pre-.
ceded it, 1t has been discharged, and has spent
It's force 1t may become me to say no more of
ITS effect, than that if nobody is found, after all
either killed or wounded by IT, it is notthe first
time in the history of human affairs. that the
vigor and success of the war have not quite
come up to the lofty and sounding phrase of
the manifesto.
The gentleman, sir, in declining to postpone
the debate, told the Senate, with the emphasis
OF ms hand upon his heart, that there was some
tning ranking here, which he wished to relieve
Mr.. HAYNE rose, and disclaimed ever using
the word raRkttng] 1t would not, MIR. Presi-
dent, be safe to appeal to those around him, up
on the question, whether he did, in fact, make
use of that word. But he may have been I'M
conscious of it. At any rate, il is enouuh that
he disclaims it. But still, with or without the
use OF that particular word, he had yet some
thing here, he said, of which he wished to rid
himself by an Immediate reply In this respect.
sir, nave great advantage over the honora-
BILE gentleman. There is nothing here. sir. |
which gives me the slightest uneasiness Meth |
er fear, nor anger, nor that, which is sometimes I
more troublesome than either-the conscious (
ness OF having been in the wrong There is |
nothing, either originating here, or now receiy |
ed here, by the gentlaman's shot Nnthinn |
original, for | had not the slightest feeling Of
disrespect or unkindness towards the honorable |
member. Some passages, it is true, had occur !
red since our acquaintance in this body which !
] could have wished might have been other /
wise but had used philosophy and had for /
gotten them. When the honorable member !
rose, in his first speech, paid him the respect !
OF attentive listening; and when he sat down. |
though surprised, and must say even aston |
ished, at some of his opinions, nothing was far
Their from my intention than to commence any |
personal warfare and through the whole of
the few remarks | made in answer, avoided. !
stndiously and carefully, every thing which / |
thought possible to be construed into disrespect.
And, sir, while there is thus nothing eriginat |
ing here, which l wished, at any time, or now |
wish to discharge, | must repeat also, that !
nothing has been received here which rarkLes. |
or In any way gives me annoyance will not
accuse the honorable member Of violating the |
rules of civilized war; will not say that he
has poisoned his arrows But whether his shafts /
were, or were not dipped in that which would 1
have caused ranking if they had reached, there |
was not, as it happened, quite strength enough !
In the bow to bring them to their mark If he !
wishes now to find those shafts he must look
for them elsewhere they will not be found fix !
ed and quivering in the object at which they
were aimed.
The honorable member complained that Il had
slept on his speech. | must have slept on it,
or not slept at all The moment the honorable
member sat down, his friend from Missouri rose
and with much honeyed commentator of the
speech, suggested that the impressions which
II had produced were too charming and delight- |
Jul to be disturbed by other sentiments or other
sounds, and proposed that the Senate should t
adjourn. Would it have been quite amiable. in /
me, sir, to interrupt this excellent good feeling, I
Must not have been absolutely malicious If | |
could have thrust myself forward, to destroy
sensations thus pleasing? Was it not much /
better and kinder, both to sleep upon them N.Y. /
sell, and to allow others, ALSO the pleasure of !
sleeping upon them But if it be meant. nv |
sleeping upon This 0Poeoh, that took time to !
prepare reply to it, it is quite mistake ow.
ing to other engagements, | could not employ
even the interval, between the adjournment Of
the Senate, and its meeting the next morning |
in attention to the subject Of this debate New. J
ertheless, sir, the mere matter of fact is un |
doubtedly true-I did sleep on the gentleman's |
speech and slept soundly. And | slept equal |
ly well on his speech of yesterday, to which | |
am now replying. 1t is quite possible that, in |
this respect, also, possess some advantage
over the honorable member, attributable, doubt |
less, to cooler temperament on my part for,
in truth, slept upon his speeches remarkably
well. But the gentleman inquiries, why he was
made the object of such a reply, Why was he |
SINGLED out If an attack had been nade on