Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-04-14

- Knowles, Esq.
The following are extracts from tho
speech made by Mr.. Preston, at the dinner
given to him and Mr.. Calhoun, by their
friends at Charleston, S. G. In ollusion 10
his own and other Efforts TO prevent tho
passage Of the Expunging Resolution, ho
remarked,
They had been engaged in desperate
struggle for The poor remains of manpled
constitution; day after day during the last
session they had sat in their seats and seen
an infuriate and ru6fan majority trampIe
ruthlcssly on the best interests of the coun.
try to crafty private ambition or party mad.
ness-they had witnessed scenes TO make
the heart of the patriot die within him
they had OF times, been almost disposed TO
10 think they were forgotten at home--tho
reception Of the evening had thrown from
his heart load that had weighed heavily
on It during the unsuccessful opposition they
mad made to majority determined to tri-
u'npb, even If il were over honor and de-
cency-a every step they had been defeat
ed, their voices unheed, their ren,onstraf,ce
desplsed-s,ill they had kept to the post
winch South Carolina had assigned them;
they bad sat in their seats. when by the
pale gl'mmering Of midnight lamps, that
desperate majority clustered together to
gut their vengeance upon the honor of the
senate by defaclng its records: while many
Senators fled with horror from the scene Of
lnlquy, they wavered not from the stern
mandates of their duty; and though the
blood swellcd in their temples, and mist
at times came over their sight, they looked
on and saw the hangman Secretary draw
the foul lines over the records, and blot out
the honor and independence of the Senate"
Ofthe position OF South Carolina to the
new administration, he observed.
The new Administration had themselves
decided it they came in as Jackson AID.
mlnslratlon-ihcy gIoried in bearing the
name and wearing the livery; it was but n
fresh batch of politics struck ont bv New
York machinery like tenpenny nails! But
they asked Us 10 wait and II, ihem-had
we not tried them for the last eight wears.
Should we try them again? God forbid ?
Let them bay and cell those who were in
the SHAMELESS South Carolina had no price.
Their aim was TO prevent union here, to
keep awake sectional jealousies, to shower
gifts and honors-to make golden promises
to all, to tickle the North with one side Of
the shell and the South with the other,
while the little animal at the centre runs
off with the OYSTER
The Charleston Mercury gives some &C.
count of Mr.. Calhoun's Speech on the same
occasion.
"Mr. Calhoun alluded 10 nbo'i,ion-he
considered It the mighticst evil that had ev
er threatened our Government. md the
only cause now IN operation sufficiently
powerful to effect dissolution Of the I'm.
lon-he believed the grcal body uf,he Nor
them people to be sound on this question
but we must remember that The Northern
States were themselves divided upon great
principles. full of parties, and agitatcG with
sharp and absorbing con,roversies--a Il thei1D
local interests lay between us, and cut off
or chilled their sympathy with the South
the aboli'ion>ts were strong, active. uncom.
promising their support was an object AZ
sufficient importance to enforce the silence
lin many instances 10 buy the voices of
those who wished us WE'LL could not
depend upon the North we could not de-
pend upon the Government-w could on.
Iy depend unon ourselves. fle left it I'd
the people ofthe South to determine the
time aud mode Of action on this momentous
subject, bu: 1t was his opinion that to be
successful, it must BE- prompt, energetic and
universal.
He spoke Of Texas, and at that name
was interrupted with long and loud cheer.
ing, and his concluding words on that topic,
pronounced with deep emotion that Texas
must be annexed to the Union! = were ans
wercd With n universal burst Of applause
that showed how glowing was the sympa.
thy Of the people of South Carolina with
the heroes Of San Jaciuto. He puliIled out
clearly the vital Importance to the 5 ulh of
The annexation. aud after n few other re-
marks, concluded, amid great cheering,
with suitable toast"