Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-05-31

the merit Of i~ntrepidity, and if they succeed
IN their object, they will be crowned, IL is
said, with immortal honors. |, on the con
trary, and those who think with me, must
submit to the charge Of being too timid to
keep pace with "the spirit OF the age"
There is only one event that can rebound
to our credit-and I trust in Heaven that
may never happen If our warning voice be
disregarded. and the attempt be made and
TAIL admidst the execrations Of a ruined peo-
pie, then, indeed, we may prefer some claim
to prudence and d~iscernment. 1t may be
too. that ] have mistaken the wishes and in
terests of constituents. was elected before
this subject bad attracted attention. and they
have had no opportunity Of making their OPT
mons known to me. | have obeyed the hon.
est dictates Of my judgment, and acted in con-
formity to my own clear conviction of the
true interests of the people ! represent and
Of society generally. If the course ! have
taken involves any sacrifice of a personal ma
ture, | make it freely ON the altar Of my
country.
The following is the very secsre reprimand
Of MIR. Speaker Stevenson to Samuel Hous.
ton, for his brutal and outrageous attack up
on Mr.. Stansbery of the III. of Representa-
lives, with intent TO kill:
Samuel Houston:
You have been charged with a violation of
the rights and privileges of the House OF
Representatives, in having Offered personal
violence to one Of its members for words
spoken in debate. Ia exercising the higl,
and delicate power of ascertaining and vindi
eating their W privileges, the House have
proceeded throughout this investigation. and
IN relation to your individual rights, with all
that deliberation and caution which ought
to characterize the dignified and moral jus
tce of such an assembly.
You have been heard in person in your
deience-you have been ably and eloquently
defended by eminent counsel, and every IA
cihty afforded you to place your cause fully
and fairly before the House, and to urge up
on its consideration matters of principle as
well as offact, in explanation aud j~ustitica-
ton of your conduct.
Whatever the motives or causes may have
been, which led TO the act of violence COM
United by you, your conduct has been pro-
nounced. by the solemn Judgment of the
House, to be a high breach of their rights
and privileges, and 10 demand their marked
d~lsapprobation and censure.
II, in fulfilling the order Of the House, |
were called upon, as its presiding officer, TO
reprimand an individual uneducated and I'M
informed, it might be expected hat | should
endeavour, as far as ] was able, to impress
upon him the Importance and propriety OF
sedu!ously guarding from violation the rights
and privileges secured 10 the members OF
this House by our invaluable Constitution.
But when addressing a citizen Of your cha
racter and intelligence, and one who has
himself been honored by the People ,ri,h a
seat in this House, it cannot be necessary
that | should add to the duty enjoined upon
me, BY dwelling upon the character or conse-
quences of the offence with which you have
been charged and found guilty Whatever
has a tendency to impair the freedom Of de-
bate in this House-a freedoms no less ga
cred than the authority Of the Constitution IL
self --or to detract from the independence of
the Representatives Of the People, IN the
rightful discharge of their high functions. you
are no doubt sensible, must, in the same
proportion, weaken and degrade not only
the Legislature of the nation itself, but our
the character of our free institutions
Your own mind Will suggest to you, no
doubt, more suitable reflections than any
thing which | can say could convey. To
those reflections | am prepared to trust; not
doubling that, had you at the same time
considered the act of violence which YOU
have committed, in the light in which it has
been regarded by the House, you would
have been spared its disapprobation and
censure, and | the duty Of declaring to you
the result Of it.
1 forbear to say more than TO pronounce
the Judgment Of the House. which is, that
YOU have been guilty of a high breach of its
privileges, and that you be reprimanded
therefor, at its Bar by the Speaker, and in
obedience to the order of the House | do re-
primand you accordingly.
You will now be conducted from the Bar
of the House. and discharged from the Gus
tody OF the Sergeant at Arms.
In the Portsmouth Herald we noticed an
extract from a lecture delivered before the
Mechanic Association of that town, by Mr..