Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-03-02
REMARKS OF MIR. CALHOUN.
ON THE PASSAGE OF THE DILL TO LIMIT
THE SALES OF PUBLIC LANDS.
IN SENATE. Fen @

Mr.. CALHOUN sail: | have received.
whhin The last forty.eight hours, u com,nu-
nicaiior from the Chief Magistrate, connect
ed with the till now before the Senate. of
such nature that duty 10 myself as we'll as
I" this body, renders il necessary tba, !
should lay il before The Senate.
There MIR. C. sent TO the Secretary the
letter, which was read as iollows:l
w AsuINGToN, Feb. 7,h, 1887.
SiH: In the Globe q! the 9Th inst find
Inc report OF a speech made by YOU .,n the
am upon the land bill, which contains the
following passages, viz:
as II not notorious that the President
OF The United States himself hail been con.
nected with The purchase of the pubic Iao,.s,
es, the experiment" (Mr. Calhoun de-
lighted IN the word) was The cause OF spccu-
i"'ion In public lands, and if this bill should
mol De passed, sPeculaiions could moi 90 on
ana Inc price OF The public lands must con
sequenfiy be reduced. He contended thst
every man could not but see that it would he
utter ruin TO tbuse who ha.. borrowed moray
10 speculate in the public lands il the system
were not TO go on" In u former part OF
your speech, as reported, you say: "The
speculation which particular state Of things
nad gwen rise 10, had been produced by thnse
In power. They had proft,ed by tina, state
4" 'hings; and should this bill be passed. il
&c. &c.
Knowing The liabilities of reoorters n ar,
IN taking down aud writing out The sucechcs
OF members Of Congress, | have made en-.
curry IN relation 10 the accuracy Of This re :
port, and have been furnished with cerlifi.
cafes OF gentlemen who heard you alfirmipe
ihat IL IS substantially correct
o" cannot but he aware, sir, that the i'm.
Pu'a'ions which your language conveys are
calculated, II believed, 10 destroy nv char.
acter as man, and That the charge is one
which, II true, ought TO produce INV i'm
peachment and punishment as II public Off.
Ger. If caused the removal Of The ,lenns
'es iof The base purpose OF enrichng INV self
OF my friends i'y any Of The results viii !,
nish' grow out OF thnt measure there is r. o
term OF reproach which DO not deserve
anu no punishment known 10 the laws which
ouSh' moi 10 he inflicted upon me. On the
contrary, u The hole imputation, both as to
motive and TACT, he fabrication and a ia :
lumny, the punishment which belongs 10
me, u guilty, is too mild for him who wIli,,i
ly makes IT,
unaware, sir, ii The constitutional criv.
uege Under which this imlu,a,ion is cas-,
,nf'h, ana The immunity which il secures
hat PtiS'ieseH Is in no degree my ,urpose
70 'ioiale, however gross mud wicked ma
nave neen The abuse of IT, But | exercise
'hiy The common right Of every citizen.
when 'niofn' you, that The im,m,ations you
nave Cast upon me are false in every uariic.
"ldr, moi having for The last ten years rar-
chased any public land, or had any interest,"
IN such purchase. The whole CHARGE I'm.
less explained, must be considered The off.
spring Of mcrbid imagination or Of sleep
less malice.
ask you, sir, as an act due 10 ius!ice
Soo"' enn truth, 10 retract this charge on The
| moor OF the Senaic, in as public rnapncr az
!" oas heeD uttered--it being the most ap-
propr's'e mode by which you can repair The
''lrty which might otherwise flow from il.
| gu, IN The event that you fal 10 do sn.
then demand that YOU place your charge f,e.
lore The House OF Representatives., thai they
may institute the necessary proceeding 10
ascertain The truth or tslsebooi Of your inv