The Arkansas advocate., 1832-05-23

regret the attempt so universally made 10 give party aspect to this affair. and. with all due defeTence. we thjnl tllc House of Representatives has al. lowed the question to take an imprope, turn. We think the investigation, dp. ring the trial of Gen. Houston, shood have been confined 10 the fact whethes he made an attaek upon member of Congress. Oil saefeant of words sE,33zen Fin debate. When Mr. Stanberry i, Iaeeused before tliat bod55, We should suppose it would be soon enough 10 con. Hmchce his trial.
 The New York, American of .April Efo. in relation 10 the attack of Gen. Houston upon Mr. Stanberry, says:-
 It's effect, if napunished, must te to but an end to all freedom of debate. and 10 determine public questions, moi by reason and and the laws, but by wa. ger of battle. Nc care mol who is IIc offender, TOT whetier friend or opro. nent, Trojan or Tyrian, when NC say 1 That it is the interest and duty of cycrx iparts, 10 set himself against such m. ipcals 10 brute foree-in this case SO rat Iticularly un6ustifiable; for the language used by Mir. stallborfy, which gaYeae. easion for the attack Oh him, imputel not 10 Mr. Houston, but 10 Mir. Eaton as Secretary of War, disrcputable cor: duct. The expressions were.
 .NFas the late Secretary of Waru. moved in consequence of his attempt, franduiently. to give 10 Goy. Houston the contract for Indian ratioirs? de. rive my Knowledge of this transaction not from the columns of the Telegraph, The whole affair vas known 10 me al the time 1t took place. Tie editor of the Telegraph gives himself tco much credit for defeating thisattompted fraud. l understood that fl was in eonsequehee Iof the -rcmonstranoes Of the Delegate from Arkansas, that flie contract uas noscompleted. Thercissouc i;:,.., f-;.t lll5 ll5ss, ever, for which ] m indebted 10 iln Telegraph; and that k, that the Presi dent had full knowledge of tic business, and that 1t did rot meet with his dis Eapprobation.
 Here tic charge. it will be seen, <
 wholly against Air. E. and not agaiast l Mir. H., who might, without aHy derO-
 gation of character, have received
 luefativeeontract, ,tlohgb given through ash
 partiality 10 him. Ii is the plllllie eff. .feer who is charged with negligence CT l corruption; not the fassss who was 10 l receive the contract, over whom the go.
 ycrnment had 20 control, andswho stood
 in no relation of trust or cohfideneeto
 it. Even, therefore. if 1t were ofef.
 wise admissible, that the People'sf-
 prescntatiyes were, for fhe honest and
 frank expression of tleir oplnions Oh
 public men and measures, liable tobe
 called 10 account elsewhere, tlcm
 would be 10 just ground on this ocfa
 sion for Mir. liouston's arraigning M 1s. But the notion of suel, liiitbiiiiittjgsiFs lliiitbiiiiittjgs
 expressly excluded by tIe constitution
 and it is striking a blow at ihe iade- tpendence of the Grand Inquest of ihe
 nation; it is disarming the sentinels an
 the ramparts; 1t is silencine those HhN
 lirst duty 10 the people is ssto cry aloud
 and spare not" whenever they per
 ceive, or have reason 10 suspect, cor
 rnption in public affairs: 1t is, in shofi
 treason to lire cause of the people them selves 10 maintain, that any circumsiar-. ecs can justify such conduct as that oF 1 Mr. Houston. Mir. Stanbcrry, belicy ling what he said, had d right, nay, vas in duty bound, 10 express that belief: and if ever the time shall arrive. Whcl
 from the fear of consequences out oi doors, the representatives Of the pee pie shall hesitate in freely cxpresslng Their opinions on the floor of the House. the doors of that House cannot be foo soon closed:-lor despotism, under the forms of freedom, would be the most intolerable, as it would undoubtedly be the most intolerant, of all expressions. Posfagc. At Mobile, lately. an ae4 ton was brought before one of the coun' ty Justices by the Postmaster, against thecaptain ofthc steamboat Star, tIa' ding between Tuscaloosa and Mobile, for the recovery of the penalty prescri' bedhy the 9th section of the post-ofilce law for carrying and delivering letters without handing them over 10 the post office 10 be charged .with postage. lhe Justice declared that part of the act ul constitutional, undecided that the pc