Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1832-05-24
"The Reign of Terror!"

fS24. TIlcunas Hart Benton, a Senator in
Congress, (uow a good Jackson man, not a
neatral0 declared that il Gen. Jackson was
elected President of The u. States, members
al Congress ,souid he compelled to legishte
tcuh a brace Of pistols IL their beits' His pre-.
dlc,tons are about being verified. Ii is well
known that Gen. Jackson has 0ltcays had a
band Of trained DULLES about him-that be
delighted in lerocious acts, having frequent
ly participated In them hmselc AT present,
he has a merciless set about him, headed by
the black hearted Houston, Heard, &c. The
former attempted to assassinate Mr.. Stsss-
berry, a member Of congress from Ohio, and
nearly accomplished his purpose. Heard
made a bold attempt to assassinateM Nh. Arnold,
another member Of congress, and ia the af-
fray was near shooting Mr.. Iazeweil in the
head. rerull, one Of the baRd has made
Green. T.. S. Davis, has addressed a not
t. Mr.. Cooke, member OF congress from D.
bio, containing his threats-this letter MIR
C.. la,d before the House, not with a view Of
asking protection, bat to show the state of
affair existing, all u sohich has The sanction
and coaniUancc q .4nire,c jackson, President
Of the u. States. A motion was made to raise
a committee Of Investigation. This produc-
ed a sharp discussion. We give the follow
ing extract from the debate in the Ill OF r..
OF Monday Of last week, just before Heard
attempted to assassinate MIR Arnold:
Mr.. Arnold said, he should vote with his
colleague, (Mr. Pok,1 to postpone this mat
ter indefinitely lie should do il with pain
and reluctance, but he thought, under all the
circumstances, that was the best disposi
tion. which could be made OF IT. As he had
heretofore voted in favor of the owe of that
House 10 punish for breach Of its privileges.
and as bis present course might look like
abandoning his former opinion, he hoped
the House would permit him 10 state briefly,
the reasons by which he was governed in his
present determination In doing this il
would be necessary for him to review the
Facts of "A series OF recent transactions, of
which the one now before the House might
be considered the finale. In the frs; place,
he would say that his opinion as TO the
power OF the House in such cases was uD
changed. He had no doubt Of the power of
the House to punish in this case; nor had he
any doubt that the facts communicated to
the House by the honorable gentleman
from Ohio, (Mr. Cooke constituted a breach
ol.its privileges, that it was an attempt to
oserawe and intimidate the honorable mem.
Der, in the discharge of his duties there, he
1al .~t -, g IoaIt rt Ill
aenge, it was equivalent to one And when
was it receivedp On Saturday-vthe very
day after the yeas and nays were taken on
certain points in Houston's case. They had,
on that day, brought all this on themselves;
they had proclaimed aloud to the band of
ruifians congregated in this city, end Prov
ling about those walls, 10 come there and
inflict whatever punishment they might
think proper on any members who should
dare TO insult their characters, or wound
their feelings, even though justice might de
mand it Was il not doing this TO say to
them, you shall have free ingress and
egtess to this Hall; come armed; do as you
please; and the most we can, or will do, is
to bring you before the Speakers chair. as
though it was all mere school boys play,
and receive a little reprimand? Why, Sir,
(said Mr.. Arnold,) the very man who sent
this letter, would desire no higher honor
than that you shonid send your Sergeant at
Arms after him, that he. too, might be plac-
ed on the pinnacle Of Importance and glory
which the man whose friendship he boosted
has Just left; that he, teo, might pass through
the formaiity ola trial, and be acquitted for
such, in fact, be considered the decision in
Houston's case.
Ii the House had the power to punish, it
should have used il effectively. Surrounded,
as they were, by a band of ~ruffians, nothing
less than incarceration could protect the
members of that House from their assaults.
He knew TO what he was exposing himself,
even in utteriug these words, bnt sooner,
{sai1 Dir. A. than have my honest feelings
suppressed, | would lay bare my bosom 10
the poinard Of the assassin; | would rather
M hearts blood should be let forth by his
blade, to run in the gutter Of your streets,
and be tapped by dogs. These are times,
Mr.. Speaker, when every honest Representa-
tive OF the people is called on to speak and
act iearlessly, and I, for one, will do so,
though at the hazard Of my life. The mem
Der from Ohio had very properly brought
this matter before the House; but suppose.
lnstead Of doing SO. he had complied with
the design OF the man who sent that letter,
had gone forth to the field of mortal combat,
apd had been shot by his antagonist. Would
that have been as aggravated a case as the
one which had Just terminated, and in
which the highest punishment thought to be
deserved was a reprimand by the Speaker
oil that House, Suppose that bis adversary
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