Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-09-29

DINNER TO MR.. CALHOUN AND GEN.
TnOMPSON

'''ii'''hl was well attended, Previous TO the
arrival of Mr.. Calhoun, General Thompson adj
dressed h' constituents, ou, Of doors, for upwards
81 an hour ON many of the subjects which occu-
ped The attention Of Congress during tho last ses-
SION.
lie ravc (saes tho Mcsscnger) an eoquen, and
1arU'lle account ot the corruption and political
prof'ienrv Of the times, and, we have no doubt
awakened that attention Of some who had not been
before aroused, 10 the dangerous and rapid strides
of ahoiooiSm Al the North The passage of tho
bill distributing thu surplus, and thus taking away
/ lfom the Governmcn, the means of corruption, no
alluded 10 MS the only bright event of the session.
The address WIS listened to with great attention
and manifest APPRECIATION
number ol patriotic ioasts were given among
winch WAS III, following:
" Our distinguished senator in Congress. the
Hon John c. Galhoun.--lIis long political career
has been characterized by devotion To the best in
lercSts Of his country and he now stands pre-en-
'nent among the advocates of the rights of the
states and tho people, aud the opponents of irre,
ponSible power and misrur."
Alter the applause with Which this was rrceiv.
ed had subsidized, Mr. Calhoun made "A mos,
'of'lhle and eloquent speech, from which we take
the following striking passage.
" In responding to the general approval Of my
public conduct, contained in the sentiment inst Of
tered, II would har1lvbc expected that | should en-
ter into general reeapulation of nv political
course, beginning with tho second war of lnd,.-
pendenee, the first measure OF importance, in
which bore pIomncn, pnrl, after became
connected with the General tiovcrnmcnt and
ending with the D"posilc Bill, wnicl, has Just re.
eevcd Your warm appreciation. But | may sa, of
hose measures, tie FIRST and last IN which had an
elective ngrncv, that rs v,de apart ihcy stand
IN POM OF time, aud rs d>simllar MS ,hry mich,
seem 10 be. yet N one imporan, particular they
are identical. They had Il common object, the
preservation Of the constitution and liberty of the
country. endangered ~ the former period bv for
e,en foe, at the latter hv domestic. And let me
add, ms great rs the danger in 1872 il was mt
hall So formidable As at the present ime. II il
true, thai then our slips seized our sailor,
impressed, our commerce recolonzed: YES as
completely as 1t WIS before the declaration of
independence, and tins by the most powerful ma
ilon on earth, Tor such She proved be in after o.
vents To submit TO such ouirapcs. long contin-
h.d and daily increasing, without any prospcef OF
terminating, would have been followed by national
degradation, aad, by consequence, contempt
for our institutions, 10 the dchasiog effects of which
such co"ardlv submission would have been at,ri-
bnted. This was seen and fell at the time. n
such WIS the danger of longer submission, thai Of
resistance to such foe under the cir
cnmStabers IN winch the country was then
placed, seemed not much less formidable. was
II hi, moment, when allars stood between
these dangerous alternatives, took my for the
first time IN the councils o the mon. Tho war
session, as 1t * called, was my FIRST session.
then was a Young man, without experience, having
never served previously, ,xcepiing two short ses-
sonS 10 our own Legislature in any deIiLcrarivc
body. Circumstances placed me- at this critical
lnnc'ure, Young aud inespcreneeda as WAS, al The
head OF the Committee Foreirn Relations the
mo>t Important NJ the time OF all the Committees.
saw to the full extern the danger and ic tie
resi- on~bly but did MOI hesitate. Th, country
was unpreparcd; almost without ships, wiihout
notifications, without munitions without an ar,nv
and without revenue, wilh a party powerful Tor
ta"nts wealth and numbers opposed 10 resis-
innrc yet these difficulties did no, inlimldaie. II
TO resist full Of DANGER to submit was not less
so; whthis striking difference which wilhmewas
decisive, that il We failed in the former Ne would
fall like mru honorablf and noblv resisting wrong
and struggling 10 maintain our ndrpc ndence and
institutions, instead of ba>cly sinking like slaves in
humble submission, the scorn aud contempt Of thu
world. Fortunately for the country, manly coun-
>rls prevailed The danger was mel and sur
mounted, aud rich harvest Of rcnown and pros
per'v followed | ne peril OF tlc contest was n-
decd great, hut the danger was WITHOUT. The
eanntry WAS ir#e from corruption. l he people
were patriotic, and 'he public morals un,anted.
Howe yer violent party spl II may have been al the
time, no party, nor any public character of any
parry, was suspected oi corruption but now the
danger is WITHIN. Iiciuc is in the bosom of the
country, and in possession Of the Government A
powerful faction, (paHs it cannot be callcd,) held
together by the hopes Of public plumber, and
marching under banner whcrcon is written TO
the vctors belong the spoils," las made success
tnl war on institutions, and converted Ill the
power and influence of the Government into in
strumenls of Gain. Ampcr means for this purpos.
were scarcely ever placed in the hands of a DOM
inant faction. With available means, five times
greater than is required by the legitimate wants of
ne county with the administration of boundlrss
public domain with the unlimited control ill the
passage OF the dcpoSite BILL oyer the public funds
aud through them over the currency and hank
my institutions of the country: with l00, 900 de-
pendrntS on the bounty Of The Government and.
finally, with an organized, rigid and severe s.s-
TEN OF discipline, having its centre in asIingion
and extending in every direction over the wide. cir
Gle Of the country "a scene speculation and cor
rnption has been opened, reaching from the capt.
tai To the cXlremlties. embracing the high and TIN.
low, those in and those out of office, the Ike Of
which has scarcely ever existed under the most
dcspotic and PREDICATE Governments. II is this
powerful aud corrupt combination, in actual pos
session of the Government, against which the hon.
rSt AMI patriotic have now 10 wage war. Ii is
'anst them that the dcpose bill was levellcd
| shall not venture to say that the blow will be ef-
fcctuul. 1, may BE-, that corruption has struck
It's roots too widely and deeply to be eradcated:
4 4 al, II