The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-05-02
From the ". Y. Commercial .4dreriiser.
THE CASE OF HOUSTON.

The course which the trial is taking, is
looked upon with establishment by the
Intelligent and moral portion of the pub
lie. The offence, in all its atrocity, stands
confessed; and yet, instead of sending
the boasting vlolator of the law at once
to prison, the House of Representatives is
engaged day after day, in long discussions
and tedious examinations, to show what !?
Why, we can hardly tell. But it really ap-
pears to us, that they are trying the injured
party, as to his motives in speaking Of
Houston in connection with the fraud, which,
by the connivance of the President, he and
the late Secretary of War me,litated upon
the treasury, instead of the aggressor, who
in lieu OF being summarily and. severely
punished, as he deserved, Is to he glorifed
/ by being made a political martyr.
! Letters of the most painful character, as
to the conduct Of the President, in this
shameful affair, have been received from
Washington from the me st authentic sour
ces. An occasional correspondent inform
ed us, several days since, that the Presi-
dent not only fully justified the assault upon
Mr.. Stanberry, but actually gave Houston the
hickory weapon with which the cowardly
assault was committed. rhe stick was one
OF parcel which the Pre- dent has recently
received from the farm where he is said to
have been born, and which he is dstribut-
ing among his particular friends We sup
pressed the letter, bersuse, whatever may
he the unhappy character and temper of our
chief magistrates, we were ut least willing
to believe the story must have originated
IN error. But the proof has become so
strong as to lead to conviction. The Pres
ident does, daily and openly, justify the
brutal assault of a ruff an upon Il Repre-
sentative of the people; and this is not all.
Whenever any of his pa rticnlar friends are
arraIgned for official de linquency, the Pres
ldeDt pronounces the statements to be SLAM
ders, and he has openly declared, that there
should be hickory club placed over the
doors Of the Chambers, and every member
who thus " ISLANDERS" people on the floor.
should he thoroughly beaten. This state
ment is no idle report. 1t is trne and be-
ing true, the fact should be proclaimed to
the people. 1t is the constant habit of the
President TO abuse both T. [ouses of Congress-
IN the most offensive terms, to his visitors,
Oh every occasion when be thinks either
House has lesltated TO confirm his recon-
mendat!ons, or has done any thing that NAV
n
place on the 18th April ola description which
should induce every man in the U. States,
who has the soul OF man, to abandon him
at once and for ever. He was visited by
Clergyman, IN company with his father, a
surviving officer of The revt utionary army.
and member of Congress- The Presi-
dent was IN great wrath, and his visitors were
appalled, at the expression of his senti-
ments. According to the correspondent of
the Daily Advertiser she reprobated the
freedom of debate in the Ho use, complain
ell that Congress had done nothing hut
slander individuals, and thou ght the only
method to prevent the liberty taken. was TO
inlet personal chastlsement. He thought
when about half dozen members were suf-
ficiently drubbed, the practice would cease
OF slanderlng private characters. When
! he was admonlshed that such acts of VIC.
lence would lead to murders, the President
said he did not think they would taus ter
inmate. Other things were said, hut this
is substantially the conversation. lie SUD-
! poses, and so speaks of it, that nll that is
said against Major Eaton and Mrs. Eaton,
or against any of his friends and support
ers, Is SANDER, and he dcnounces it n such.
A young gentleman called on the Pres deDt a
few days since, and he soon vented h is spite
against the Senate and against the House.
He then repeated the declaration re ferred
to above, that there should be a good hicko-
~ club hung over the door TO the ent rance
of each house, Labelled" This is fer The
sianderer ; and that if a member of itber
body slandered an individual, he should I've
beaten with a club as he went out" Such.
/ fe,ll citt1 ,oth d.
ed States, chosen by the most free and en-.
lightened people on earth, as we choose to
call ourselves
And what is TO he the end of all this fuss e?
Will General Houston he acquitted? If so.
il must be in the face of his own acknowl-
edgment. VIII he he found guilty? And
If so, has the House the power to punish
him! And If IT have the power, will the pow
er he exercised? These two last injuries
will probably he the themes of several davis
discussion, before any decision can he OBJ
tanned, and they are the only inquiries, il
seems to US, which the House Of Represen-
tatives are interested to decide. How much
longer the farce will last, it is impossible to
guess but as to its final result, if we were
a friend of General Houston, we should feel
very little alarm for his fate. Whatever
his Judges may think of the affair, there il
not enough of them who dare oppose the
known wishes of the President, to give O
vote that would harm hair of his head.
Boston Courier.
Mr.. Van Buren,, in his letter to the New
York Committee, says" To have served I'M
der snch Chief 1President lacks nnl al such