Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-05-14
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THE DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
FEBRUARY 20. 1880.
SPEECH OF MR.. LIVINGSTON.
CONTINUED. J

l have given you, sir, SO much Of the history an,
state OF parties as was necessary for the under -,sndin,
OF the relutation 1 must make Of a charge brought a
gainst me, and those with whom il was my Happiness
to associate, and will always be my pride to have actet
u those times. l repeat the charge, verbatim, fros,
The printed speech Of the Senator from Massachustet q.
iMr. Webster) Speaking OF the merits OF New.Enr.
iand' which J, at least, never attempted to I lessen, he
says, he twill not rake into III. rubbish of by.pone time
to b'et the e'cutcheon of any State, any party, or any
part OF me country. yet, sir, in the same page. he en-
deavors to hx a blot OF The blacklist ineratitude on a
party, on men Il DO not speak, sir, ofmyself) who have
rendered most important sci vices to the country, 10 one
Of whom II has given the highest mark Of il, confidence
and esteem, and all whom were, in the transaction al.
luded to, much more sinned against than SHINING. The
honorable gentleman goes on TO say: General Wash
'ng'on.s administration was steadily and zealou.iy
maintained, as we all know, by New. England. Ii was
violently opposed elsewhere. We know in what
quarter he had most earnest, constant, and per.evering
support In all his great and leading measures. We know
where his private and personal character was held i'm
the highest degree Of attachment and generation; and
we know too where his measures were opposed, hi.
services sighted, and his character vilifed. We knew,
or we might KNOW ii we turn to the journals, who
expressed respect, gratitude. and regret, when he re-
tired from the Chief Magistracy; aud who refused to
express respect; gratitude, or regret-I shall not open
these journals"
Sir, the honorable gentleman would have done well
to open the journals, or not to have referred to them.
II he had opened them, he would have found the name
OF the individual who addresses you arrayed with those
OF men more worthy OF note. in the vote to which he
alludes. IL he had opened the debates which led to
that vote, as l think he ought TO have done. he would
have seen how utterly void of foundation ia The cbary.
he has brought. Edo not think the gentleman intend.
ed any personal allusion to me; the terms of civility ON
which we are, forbid 1.-THE consciousness of having
said nothing to provoke the attack forbiis IL; but, sir,
the individual who cannot arrogate to himself sufficient
Importance to justify the suppo,tion that he wa, the
object intended, was, at that time, the representative,
the sole representative, OF the FIRST commercial city in
The Union. That individual is now one Of the mem.
bers OF this body, representing a sovereign State. He
owes IT, therefore,, to those who have offered him these
marks OF their confidence, to shcw that they were not
the reflection which the allegation casts on his cbarac-
ter. Suffer me-, also, Mr.. President, to remark. that
this very charge wa, used during the late election. and
mat the refutstion | am about to give was 30 widely
diffused that it is some wha, singular it should never
have come to the Senator's knowledge, or that he should
have forgotten 1t II II had. Yet one or the other must
have been the case, or he would not now have repeat.
ed the tale, nor, by Incorporating it in his eloquent ha-
rangae, have given new currency TO a refuted caiumny
which had long before been nailed TO the counter.
Since the honorable gentleman believes the story to be
true. and surely he would not otherwise repeat it,
hundreds of others must give it the like credit; and it
increases the obligation l am under 10 explain all the
circumstances attending il.
L have shown, sir, what were the doctrines and Rea-
sures OF the federal party at that time; during the
whole oil the Presidency of Washington they were
predominant in both Houses; and as Washington was
the head OF the Government. one of their greatest OBJ
iects was. to cover all their proceedings with the popu-
iarity OF his name; to represent all opposition to the r
measures, as personal hostility to him: and TO force the
republican party either to approve all their measures,
or, by opposing them, incur the odium of being un
friendly to the Father of his country. In this they
were for the most part defeated. The universal conf
dence reposed in the high character Of Washington,
the gratitude felt for his rervices, the generation for his
name, had practically produced the effect, in our Gov
eminent, which a constitutional maxim has in that Of
England. tie could net, il was believed, do wrong
most certainly he never meant wrong-nostc certainly
his ardent wishes were for the happiness Of the coun-
try he had conducted through so many pcriIs, and the
preservation Of that form of Government which had
been adopted under his auspices. Yet measures were
adopted. during his Presidency, which a very large
proportion OF the country thought injurious to their in
resentatives deemed them to be an Infringement on
their privileges. None OF these were ascribed to the
PRESIDENT; a practice which he introduced, enabled us
to ascribe to his administration TO which in truth they
belonged) all the measures of which we disnpproved.
The practice alluded TO, was that Of assembling the
Heads OF Department in a Cabinet Council, aud being
guided, as was generally understood. by the opinion OF
a majority in all important concerns. Hence the off
cIsl acts OF the President came 10 be considered as those
OF his Cabinet, and were, in common parlance, called
the acts of the administration, and they were opposed,
when II was deemed necessary, and canvassed, and
freely spoken OF in debate, without any hos ility being
felt, or supposed 10 be felt, towards the President. In
deed, several OF those more prominent in opposi-
lion to acts Of the administration, were men for whom
Warrington had the highest esteem, and who were a.
mong those who most admired and revered him.
Of the acts to which the republican party were OPP
posed, 1t may he necessary to specify some, in order 10
show that the opposition was not a frivolous or a per-
sonaI one.
The Chief Justice Of the United States was sent as a
Minister Plenipo'entiary to England, while he held his
Judicial office, which he retained until after his return,
Thus, in our opinion, blending the Executive and Judi
cisi departments, directed by the Constitution to be
separated, and setting an example which might ere.
a'e an undue influence on the bench, in favor Of the
Executive.
This minister negotiated a treaty which contained
slipuations requiring the agency Of the House Of Rep
resentatives, in the exercise Of their constitutional pow
ers over the subject OF them, 10 carry into effect. To
enable them discreetly to exercise these powers, the
House respectfully requested the communication OF
such papers, in relation TO the treaty, as could, with
out injury TO our foreign relations, be made public
This request, the President was advised TO refuse; and
the refusal was grounded on a deniai Of the constitu
tioDsi right OF the House 10 exercise any discretion in
carrying The treaty into effect. On this refusal, the
House Of Representatives passed a resolution declara-
tory Of the right which the President had denied. I
will not trouble the Senate with adveriDg 10 any oher
measures which I, and those who acted with me, OPP
posed. We opposed them, Sir, without, in any instance,
forgetting the sentiments Of respect, gratitude, and
high admiration, which were due to the name and char
acter Of Washington. We believed that IL would have
been a dereliction Of duty to give up the independent
expression Of that opinion, because IL was contrary to
measures falsely ascribed to a name they revered; and
conscious Of the weight Of that name, may, without
vanity, say, there was some degree OF merit in stem
ming the tide Of popularity that was attached to IL.
The mission OF Mr.. Jay took place after the second
the treaty, in the fret session OF the fourth Congress,
the seventh year Of his Presidency. In his speech on
the opening Of The second session OF the same Congress,
n repeat, cir, what | formerly wrote on this Occssion)
he alluded 10 affecting terms to his approaching re.
tiremeDt from office. 1 can oiemnly say, for myself,
that, on this occasion, so far from any i'll feeling towards
The President, none among those who ~arrogsted TO
themselves the title Of his exclusive friends, could feel
more sincerely, or were more disposed TO express eve
ry eminent Of gratitude Tor his services, admiration