The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1836-04-08


aries; il is perfectly comPrehended by
every one. and supposes that which 10
done, or necessary 70 be done. in keep
ing a door. keeping house. or keeping
siOre.-it would be waste Of time for
me 10 explain them: they explain them.
selves more IOreibly than | could by
any other words. Verbs and sdjectives
in all languages, vary in their meaning
by the objects tn which they are applied.
the latter sometimes by their position in
relation 10 the noun. For example. the
appella;ion envoy extraordinary has
clear and specific Specification; IransPose
the words. however, and say, an er-
trGordinGry envoy. and they Presen,
quite another idea. Well. sir, what !
would you say To any one who would
rise, here or elsewhere. and contend that.
as the dictionaries Ofour language declar.
ed that the adjective extraordinary signi.
fed remarkable. cOndsJui. the express
sion envoy extraordinary conveyed The
idea that a TOnderfm envoy had been
sent 10 our country! Not less extrava
CANT. contend. sir. is ii 10 depart from
The common sense meaning which Is
given To the verb keep in all the varie-
ties IN which il is used.
MANY. sir. (said Mr.. p as are the
uses which are made Of il. ! am not
aware that u has Two meanings in It's ap-
plication to any one object. The thing
To which il is applied controls and fixes
its sense. as in the terms keep a promise.
keep a journal, keep horse. ALI these
have popular aud known specifications.
from which you cannot depart without
falling inlo conclusions absurd and I'M
true. Let US take by way Of illustration
the expression keep q horse. We will
suppose the Senator to have delivered his
TO livery stable 10 be kept. He calls
for him some time after. and the owner
Of the stable tells him that the animal has
persisted for rant Of food. Reproach in.
stantly follows this breach Of engagement,
and II would moi be- spPeased. hszard
nothing in saving. BY the keeper show
ing the honorable gentleman that, &C
cording tn Nrbsler's or any other die
,ionsry. the verb keep has a variety Of
senses. and that one Of them perfectly
justified him ~ his notion that he was
not Obliged To give the horse fond. Sir,
will venture To- affirm the Senator would
consider this perfect special pleading.
So. sir. if he gave friend bundle Of
papers to keep, aud, when he called for
the deposIte. should be told that. accord
ing tn the best phIlologis,s. keep. among
it, thirty SIX signihcstions. meant 10 sup
ply the necessaries Of life. and, finding
the book refuse all sustensnce. he had
thrown il away as utterly incorrigible,
would. not the honorable Senator consi-
der the excuse for non delivery a great
refinement? So, too, sir, if some thirty
years since. when the Senator from Mis-
souri, and myself first became acquainted
on the banks Of the Shdicnee Whose
beautiful Indian appellalion is lost in the
prosaic one of Cumteriand,) lock Of
hair had been bestowed on him by his la
dy's love, to be kept until they again met,
and on her calling for the dear pledge he
had informed her that his promise to
keep did not bind him to preserve, be-
cause one Of the meanings of the word
was to pasture. would she not, sir. have
considered the gentleman more learned
than true-a gay deceiyer-snd a great
hair. splitter? And so, sir, when the Se-
nator contends that the constitutional in
junction to keep a journal means that
you may destroy part Of 1t, l say to
him that he can only reach such con-
clusiOn by special pleading. by refining,
by hair-spilitting, or by abandoning COM
mon sense. and uampling the Cons.itu'
ton under foot.
No human ingenuity, sir, can sustain
the proposition the Senator advances. l
know there is scarcely any thing in fa-
yor of which something plausible may
not be advanced. and the gentleman, |
admit. has made the most of his case.
But no covering he may throw over the
Constitution can hide the wound he in
tlicIs on it. The honorable Senator, IN
der his heated feelings. may consider his
case as made out; do not say he does
not SO consider it. But those who look
calmly at the thing will see nothing but
excuses where he finds reasons. They
who are anxious for the violation do
no, say there are any such in this body
may be glad to have these excuses fur.
nished to them. But time, and the silent
monitor pithin, will do their work, and
they will live to see the day when the
shout Of party triumph will bring no joy;
when they will be compelled to look for
consolation in the repentance which ever
follows the conviction Of wrong commit
ted. hope they will have that conso
la,ion. sir; God forbid they should not.
But the honorable Senator has one rea.
DIV for them now. He says, IL under
stand his argument correctly land if did
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