Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-03-31

nightly foe this occasion. He came to
Congress this session dressed something
like decency, and discarded that broad
brimmcd old hat, aud rusty cloak which
disigured so much personal graceiulaess,
and dignity during the last winter He
evidently felt as il a grea, weight OF re.
sponsibility was attached TO him as the
champion OF "The Expunge. and his
look. his gesture. his nod, bis gait, his
voice. his smile, and his mode OF twirlinE
| his eve glass, all betoken that he felt as IL
the nations weight was upon him. He
looked Atlantean. One felt a something.
on observing his approach, his accost, his
| address. which, IL not veneraiion, was
something great deal more natural aud
much more strong
A few days ago be introduced his pro-
position TO expunge from the Journal OF
the Senate, a resolution adopted two years
ago by that body, on motion OF Mir. CLAY,
reprobatory Of a certain unauthorized act
| of President JACKSON. II laid on the TIA
BILE its due time, and was to day called up,
by the mover. for consideration.
Mr. BENTON began by making some re.
| ply to the argument that has been used
against his doctrine Of expnrgaiion upon
the constitutional ground that the Senate
must " keep a Journal" He said be would
not propose TO do aught which could at
all compromise the constitutional duty oil
the Senate. Accordingly he commenced
dialogue with the Clerk at the Secreta-
RVS table.
b. :" MIR. Clerk, please TO tell me how
many journals are kept by the Secretary
Of the Senate
c. Zone manuscript, and two printed
copiesn
b. livery well; and how many are dis
| tributed, and TO whom ?"
G.. "One thousand and ten copies..-hy
order Of the Senate. and by law" Here
he read the persons to whom they were
| distributed.
| b. " Wen, Mr.. President. in law these
printed copies are the same as the original.
The printed ones are the only copies used
by members Of the Senate Every Sena.
tor therefore keeps tho Journal as it was
| originally" Was not this pregnantly H.
lustrated?
The mex, matter was TO show the APP
propriateness OF the word expunge" TO
the case in hand b. remarked with a
great deal Of pomposity -" Sir, we rererse
decision, annul judgment, repeal law.
rescissd an order, and ExPUEGE resolu-
ton. The remedy is 10 be suited, SIR. TO
the evil. sir,--yes sir, 10 the evil. sir -
Here we have no Judgment 10 aan'd 1.-The
Senate has not issued its judgment no
order 10 rescind - for here bias been no al
tainder against the blood, no capias against
the person. no execution against the pro
perty Of the President, sir the Senate
wished TO cast stigma, TO imprint a brand
sir, upon the President and il is not !oi
the arresfation Of anything now gong on
but for the eriirpolion Of something alrea-
DIV done, that this resolution is introduced
w ould have the Secretary oil the senate
sir, bring in the manuscript journal Of thu
body, and. sir, in the presence Of the as
sembIed Senate. and in the presence O
the surrounding multitude, sir. ] would
have him draw round that resolution lines
as black as its own lniqniiy, and write up
on ts face the WORKS which the justice oil
the country, and the voice Of the people
demand, words which VIII remove the
stigma and the brand from the name OF a
man who has done more, civil and militia
| nv, for his country. than all The politicians
,cl.o ercr lired IN Il from its (Oundalion!!P
That was something of a bnrst.--was I
not? How the President must have dis
appointed tho notable predictions Of ths
orator, as TO the danger Of such "bloody
monsters" ruling this country! But item
pora n,utantcr" sc.
| Mr.. BENTON then expressed the hop,
that no appeals would be made. by gen
,lemen opposed 10 the resolution, to tht
comfy or dignity Of the Senate, agains
expungng the journal. He said be shonl'
indulge 10 no rhetorical or declsmatory
flights but should appeal to the justice
and understanding Of the Senate. lie de
preca.ed those "posthomous appeals" te
:. the comfy and dignity" Of the Senate
and asked in towering voice " where wat
comfy, and where was dignity. when those
galleries were daily filled with the hirel,ngs
OF the Bank. employed TO hiss or applaud
what took place on that floor during the
discussion Of that resolution, now sought
TO be expnnged from the journal ?"-and
much more 10 the same effect. What a
Munchapsen!
"Yes, sir" resumed he, e,expunge IS the
word | would have it banded down from
one generation to another. The babe
should suck il in from its mothers bosom
And she should hand it down 10 her pos
terity," sc. No flights Of rhetoric, hey ?
About this time Mr.. b looking quite
god like and omDipotent, exclaimed to hii
lieges in waiting, -" Give me the Manu-
script journal Of 1861"
Swift as an arrow, il was brought TO his
desk by vanderpoel OF Kinderhook
MIR. Benton opened it. aud disclosed
the fact that several leaves had been cut
from it, Turning once, be read the record
of a vote Of the Senate, ordering this to
be done. in so many words.
b. THAT'S all, MIR, President. that