Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1837-04-13

A Public Dinner was given to Messrs.
CALHOUN and PREsToN, the distinguish
ed II. S. Senators from South Carolina,
at Charleston on the 10Th ult., at which
Gen. Hayne presided as President OF
the day. We have only room to extract
a few passages from Mr. PREsroN's re-
marks on that occasion.
Mr.. Preston made warm and grace
ful reply to the sentiment drunk in his
honor. Ii said, at any time, and under
any circumstances, to be received with
such lively and strong marks of regard
by his fellow citizens, would excite his
proudest happiness. 1t was peculiarly
gratifying at the present time---they had
been engaged in n desperate struggle
for the poor remains OF a mangled Con-
siitution; day after day during the last
Session, they had sat in their seats and
seen an infurate and rulfian majority,
trample ruthlessly on the best interests
ofthe country, to crafty private ambition
or party madness-they had witnessed
scenes to make the heart of the patriot
die within him-they had at times been
almost disposed To think they were for
gotten at home-the reception Of the
evening had thrown from his heart load
that had weighed heavely on it during
the unsuccessful opposition they had
made to a majority determined d TO triumph,
even if it were over honor and decency
at every step they had been deie ated =,
their voices unheeded, their remonstran-
ccs despised-still they had kept to the
post which South Carolina had assigned
them; they had sat in their seats, when
by the pale glimmering of midnight
lamps, that desperate majority clustered
together to glut their vengeance upon
the honor Of the Senate, by defacing its
records; while many Senators fled with
horror from the scene Of iniquity, they
wavered not from the stern mandates of
their duty; and though the blood swelled
in their temples, and "A mist at times came
over their sigh 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.
He then prOceeded TO comment in II
strain of iEimitable wit upon the change
Of Administr aton--the old lion, he said, ,
had gone off roaring, and his successor
had come creeping into his place
Would that you had been there, fellow
citizens, to have marked with what quak
ing awe the vermin of the palace peeped
forth from their corners to watch the de-
parture Of the mighty beast, dreading
each moment lest he shold turn and
scorch them with his hot breath, or sweep
them off with blast Of his throat: and
when the last football Of the retiring
monster faded in distance, how they drew
a long breath, rose OF their hind feet,
and scampered away in flocks to cele-
brate the Saturnalia Of liberated slaves.
You would have seen, continued he, that
the reign of terror was at an end, and
that the dynasty Of another, and far dii-
ferent animal, was to succeed-uDder
the new state Of things, the South has
far less to fear from the court quarter
the Ex-president was a man Of violent
passions, of indomtabe will, hot resent
ments and unimosities. When he took
his stand, he kept It, though the Consti-
tuition and the Union should crumble into
wreck around him-he was ready for
war to the knife to CRAFTY every caprice
what he directed was done, the man
whom he denounced was excommunica- a.
ted from the congregation Of the faithful
but the most striking characteristic of
his successor was Hmberness-he must
GO with the current-he could not make
it:-some indeed who had seen him
come putting on the breeze had mistaken
him for the demon Of the sforn-he was
only the chaf before it-he was not the
man 10 make and TO unmake-to set up
and pull down at his pleasure, TO issue
proclsmations, to browbeat Congress-
10 send insulting letters and smother
unsavory laws in his breeches pocket: -
It would indeed be the height ofihc ridi-
culous for Mr.. Van Buren, to thrust his
lamblike carcase into the skin Of The