South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1836-01-02

both by the gentleman and the good o.
tho country. Has il come to this, that
political truth dare not be told lest the
President be denounced 7 Yes. sir,there
| is party which makes the President "a
scape goat" for it's sins, and which al
ways takes shelter under his great name
There are those who, if THEIR acts be
denounced, always raise the cry OF "de'
nunciation against the President VINO
has as much reason as any man know
of. to pray God to save him from some Of
his friends Why should l denounce
the President in the discussion OF THIS
question He does not, hope, call ior
this resolution. For the country's sake.
hope he does not desire this debaslng
obsequiousness from this House. N pat.
riot can ask that one department OF our
Government shall humble itself to anoth-
er. Sir, hope that the gentleman him
self, if he apprehended what do from
this resolution. would withdraw it and
spurn it. have that respect for him to
baieve-he knows that | am personally
his friend--that if he foresaw the effects
which think foresee from this, his
measure, so humiliating to this House,
he would abandon it at once. But, sir,
must say, not, however in allusion to
this instance, that there are too many
voluntary and gratuitous offerings Of
fealty ana hattery made to the President,
which must nauseate him who is attempt
ed to be ftattered by them, which gall
he spirits of freemen attached to him,
and which impair the spirit Of free insti-
tutions to which those freemen are still
more attached. Sir, the uNDERLINes
always transcend, infinitely transcend
the utmost ambition of Kings them
selves in doing honor and homage; and
too often are our Presidents compelled to
be answerable, and made to be odious,
for the officiousness of adulation and
praise !! never will halt, however,in the
path of my duty because the President or
his parasites stand in my way.
The gentleman has said that he did not
expect such debate as this to arise up
on such proposition. l should have
been surprised indeed, if no voice here
had been raised against such PROPOSE
ton. This is no small matter, either in
point of the money or of the principle
which is proposed to be squandered and
Frustrated and beg the gentleman to
reflect that the line of march towards the
concentration and consolidation of power
is always begun by short steps at ffsl,
which are gradually and impercepiibly
stretched into vast aud fast strides, has.
tening EDWARDS to the certain and fear
full end Of despotsm!
Mr.. JOHNSON, of Kentucky, then said,
that the gentleman had, no doubt spoken
what he believed to be true in which he
was perfectly justifiable. But what he
had stated was d matter of personal o.
plnlon, IN which he (Mr. J.) did not CO.
inclde. For his own part, though he
had been in this and the other House for
twenty-nlne successive years-.ever since
the first session after the attack on the
Chesapeake The could conscentiously
say, that he had never acted under any
| improper influence, and had never known
any other member SO to act. On the oc-
caslon alluded to by the gentleman from
Virginia, he had not the least doubt that
every member, on one side as we'll as Oh
| the other, voted conscientiously and free
| from Executive or other improper infla.
ence. Tnis was his opinion.