Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-01-31
From Washington.
MONDAY, Jan. 1G.

In the Senate Of the URited States, this six
toenth day Of January, in the year eighteen
hundred and thirty-six,- faithful historian
will so record 1.-THE Constitution of the I'm
ion was openly, boldly, and pal pably violated,
hot merely in its spirit but in its very letter
the dignity and the independence of the Sem
ate was meanly surrendered-and the nation
was disgraccd, by an act of the grosscst SER
Witty TO one man, engcndered, sustained, and
consummat,d by party madness. Are we our
selves "parly mad" that we use this language?
Mono it is the language of truth aud So
berness the calm, the candid, the judicious
oil all parties nuw-the very actors in the dis.
graceful scenes in the Senate chamber on the
10th of January-al posterty will so declare
~ "hen marty y" g" and preiudices and passion
shall have gwen place TO reason aud judgment.
Let US look at the Constitution of the land:
it is before US, signed by GEO. WASHING
TON, and the noble patriots of the Conven.
ton of 1888, and ratified by the people Of the
Union. awe, the people" says the sacred in
strumeDt, " do ordain and establish this Con-
stitution." And what do the "people" Of this
nation ordan as part Of that Constitution
Article l, Section S, declares each House
lof Congress, the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives,l shall KEEP A JOURNAL OF
ITS PROCEEDINGS, and from time TO time
publish the same, ereepling such parts as may,
in their judgment require secrecy"
Where, then, we ask, is the "journal," the
record, Of the resolution ofthc Senate of 1884,
condemnng Andrew Jackson for assuming
upon himself authority and power not confer
red by the Constitution" 2 1t was erpunged
by rs Van Buren, Senators on the night of the
10th of January: darkness well became the
black deed. That record was destyoued-tha.
journal was defaced-and therefore the Con.
stitution Of the Union was openly, boldlu and
patpably VIOLATED, and the majesty of the
people, through this enormty upon that sacred
instrument, was insultcd and defied This is
the language Of truth, and reason, and sober
ness. Yea, more and severer language would
be true; as the resolution of 1884 was in de-
fence of the Constitution against Executive
aggression, go is the expungng of it double
wound upon the Constitution it would over.
turn this defence, and makes new violation
in the very act! But for what is all this To
g'onfy Andrew Jackson and crafty his mad
admirers: for these, the Constitution is viola
ted and the country disgraced! And yet how
wretched the glory, how miserable the salts
faction it will afford % Senators out of IS
adopted the resolution of ls34-but 25 Sena.
tors out Of 50, not a majority Of the ohOle SEN
ate, conspire to erpunge it.
We will add but word, and that apologet-
lc Tor giving SO much space to this Natter
This is the econd violation Of tho Constitu.
ton by this Van Buren, Senate, the present
session the first was the vote TO admit Mich.
lgan upon the acceptance Of the prescribed
terms by mere party caucus, or convention
it is, then, high time that the people were alar-
med at the march of Vandalism they should
be warned of the assaults upon the temple of
Liberty. 1t is the duty Of the press, of all
true friends to The Constitution and to the Re.
public, TO raise their voice, cry aloud, and
spare not and we will be faithful! to our trust.
Annexed are the proceedings of Monday, Jan.
&c.
The Senate having resumed consideration
OF the expunging resolution of Mr.. Benton
Messrs. Clay, Bayard, Hendricks, and Ewing
of Ohio, opposed, and Mcssrs. Buchanan,
Strange, Dana and Benton supported it. At
the suggestion Of Mr.. Strange, the preamble
was unanimously amended in some unimpor.
tant particular, and the question being about to
be put, Mr.. Webster, in behalfof his collea cue,
and in the name of the State of Massachu.
sets, offered solemn protest against the res
oluion when the question was put and the
resolution adopted by ayes and noes, as fol.
lows:
Yeas-Benton, Brown, Buchanan, Dana,
Ewing of Ill.,, Fulton, Grundy, Hubbard, King
of Ala, Lewis, linn, Morris, Nicholas, Niles,
Paige, Rives, Robinson, Ruggles, Sewer,
Strange, Tallmadge, Upton, Walker, Wall,
Wrght-25.
Nays-Buyurd, Black, Calhoun, Clay, Crit.
tehden, Davis, Ewing Of Ohio, Hendricks,
Kent, Knight, Moore, Prentiss, Preston. Rob.
bins, Southland, Swift, TomIinson, Webster,
Whlte-l9.
On motion OF Mr.. Benton, the Secretary
tnen proceeded 10 the task of drawing the
black lines, during which some Kissing was
heard in the gallery, and an effort was made
TO clear the gallery, when person was brought
down and after few words from Mr. Benton,
he was discharged.
The Senate adjourned at 10 o'clock.
In the House, petitions relative to abolition
were prescnled-objectio made to receiving
them, and the question of reception laid on
L. III