The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1836-04-08
IN THE SENATE.
SPEECH OF Mr.. PORTER.
loF LoUIsIssA.l
n ruE ExPrxsIsG kEsOLUTIoN,


:, Addressing the Senate on this question
The honorable Senator from Missouri
has. With his usual industry. pronounced
an elaborate argument 10 support &c the
,a.olu,ion he has offered n the Senate.
suppose % 10 he the result ~ long medi-
,a,inn and much preparation. Neither
,be lime allo,led me since the discussion
rommenced. nor the state Of my heallh.
IA. Enabled mr. IN give 10 the question
,he attention Il merits: indeed. such il nv
,nd,snos,Iion. that were 10 not Tor the
nl,dRr lin some SORT contracted Yesterday
ruh the Senate. 1 should decline address
inc il today. But unless | have Lost all
perception Of truth. and am utterly mis-
iakrn a. 10 it, effect when presented 10
,he mud of Others. cannot be deceived
in bellsvIng that no want 81 strength "n
ms parl can prevent me from exposing
The uuer ieebleness Of the position which
The senator has assumed.
n is not surprising. Mr. President.
that great pains should be taken where
heavy responsible, is incurred. lsay.
SIR. heavy responsibility The attempt
is to deiaee and destroy The public records
Of the country; 10 alter and render OBJ.
senre the journals Of a former COngress
which are now the public properly, and
with which We have no constitutional
concern. except A. keepers and pres@rsers.
ll,s more than lhIs--il - an sllemp. 10
oblmerale the lralh. Yes. slr. 20 Obliie.
rate Il For whether the vote Of the
Senate was or Vas not correct IN the
OCCASION tn which Ihr Senator desires 10
apply his expunglng procsss--wheiher
il ass the solemn expression nl wise
opinion. exlorled from Senators under the
h! N aai,gaHuns ol du.y-or. n he will
have il. me eGIuslon Of heated and blind
par,, .punt. sull the lssf'is uiiOubtsd
ina, such yoIs was gwen. and the object
OF the Senator Is 10 have the record nf
,ha, so1e desirnyed--,hsl is, 10 erase The
truth from your record. Such proceed
inf. sr. IL veil calculated IN excite 30.
Tenn considerations. and calls for the ex
ercrse Of every hugh quality which pa,rI-
onsm can expecl Al our hands.
T. President. il dId strike me while
the honorable Senator was speaking. a.
most remarkable. that he should take
such vas, pans ~ shaw the vote Of the
Senate was erroneous and uncunsutution
al, m the instance which he has selected
for this nsw process Of his. A stranger,
sir. entering these halls a, the time he
vas INDUCING hls zeal. and practising
his epiihets on the condue. Of the Senate
which formed part Of the las, Congress.
would. | am certain. have imagined that
there was some provision in the Con-
sutuslon Of the country which required
record to be kept Of all the proceedings
oil this body which were constitutional.
and lorbsd any record beng kept OF
those which were in violation Of the
Constitution. But. sir, that instrument,
nav be searched IN vain. and no such
distinction can be found in IL The only
portion which relates 10 our record makes
none. open IL, sir, and what do ] see!
The imperative mandate that each
House shall keep a record Of It's pro-
seedlings" Well. sir, IL its votes and It's
resolutions are unconstitutional, are they
not sill its proceedings! and is The obllga'
ton less solemn and less binding on Us
70 preserve them! Before, therefore, 81
much time and SO much energy were
exhibited in q critical analysis Of the
nature Of these acts, it behooyed the Sena
tor to show some authority for expunglns
proceedings Of the character he suppose'
these To be. Until he did this, all ex,
animation into lheir consliluIionaliy va:
unnecessary and lru,less,
The Constitution, II is clear, cannot b
satisfied by the distinction the gentlemag
has made. Its language is directly, pal
pably opposed to ii; so also, sir, is IL
spirit. Il is giving the enlightened fra
mers Of that instrument credit indeed 81
little wisdom, to suppose that they con
,empIa,ed making any difference. Tlsl
objects sought tn be attained By tha
constitutional injunction we're many
They will readily suggest themselves i
Senators, and il il unnecessary 70. emu
mera,e them. Among the most iinpori
ant was the preservation Of the evidence
Of the great public concerns and yslusbl
private interests which depend On III
action of Congress. Ano,her srarrsl,
less imporIan, object was TO arrure L
the People record Of their servants
acts and votes, so that coueci judgmeu
might be formed of their conduci. an
Justice dealt to them when heir term d
service expired. The illusr,gus men b
whom the ineslimable ehsFaer Of gu
Union was formed, knew we that bic