Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-02-10
MR.. pRENTLss, SPEECH.

We extract from the Washington cor
respondence of the Baltimore Chronicle,
an outline Of the speech delivered in the
House Of Representatives, on the l7thand
81 18th instant. AT the latest dates Mr., +.
still occupied the floor, daily enchanting
the attention and admiration of the crowds
that still thronged the legislative Hall, TO
hear the Mississippi orator. Nat. Cor.
On the nth, the following resolution, Of
iered by Mr.. Bronson, was taken up, in
order:
"ReSolred, That Messrs. S. S. Prentiss
and T. ]. Word are not members OF the
25th Congress, and are not entitled to
their seats in this house as SUCH"
Mr.. Bell moved as an amendment, the
following proposition. @
"That the resolution, declaring Messrs.
Claborne and Gholson to have been cleo
ted as members of the 25th Congress, was
adopted without proper knowledge of the
facts, and the same ought to be therefore
fescinded"
Mr.. Prcntiss one of the new members
81 elect, then rose and addressed the ouse,
at length, in vindication of his, and his
q colleagues rights as members of that
a House, elected by the people Of Mississp-
a ri. under her Constitution and Laws, and
N under the Constitution ofthe United States.
Mr.. Prentiss is very eloquent speaker,
n perfectly self-possessed, fluent, argumen-
4 tative, and alternately playful and severe
A in his style. The House was very much
crowded, during his speech, and among
The gentlemen upon the floor. / observed
Senators Clay, Crittenden, White, Preston,
Southland, and others, who were very at
tentive to the speech, from beginning to
end.
He began by returning his thanks 10
the House for their courtesy to him as an
individual, while he could not but regret
that the application Of his State had met
with so tardy an attention, at the hands OF
that body. He aud his colleague had for
weeks been memorialzing he House
had sent their credentials to the Speaker
and had demanded to be sworn as mem
bers Of the House; no objection had been
made to their credentials, or to the returns
of the proper officers, as to their election.
Il The only objection was to the right of the
State of Mississippi to elect them; and 10
elect any body in November last.
Mr.. P. expressed his surprise, alarm
and regret 10 hear it said upon that floor
as he had done, that the application Of a
sovereign state to that House, stood in the
same position as an humble petition, OF
memorial Of individuals. He discaimed
such an idea, and stood, he said, upon thai
floor, claiming 70 be heard as the repre-
sentative of the sovereign State of Missis
slppi. Br
lie adverted to the disadvantages of hi:
position. He was addressing Judges who
mad made up their minds, and given de-
clsion upon the case: and he alluded te
the course taken by the government press
against his claims. He expressed a hope
that the sword of Brennus would MT be
permitted to be thrown into the scale--tha
the force Of executive opinion would no
be allowed to sway the action of the House
He and his colleague were strangers there
and had to struggle against the advanta
ges which possession gives to the sitting
members--and he alluded to passage il
Clal5orne's address to the House, in which
he had expressed the fullest conidenc,
that, during his absence his friends woulC
successfully advocate his cause. IND has
Mississippi any such friends here? askec
Mr. Prentiss. Asto the probable decision
OF this question on party grounds, he haC
heard such rumor--but he could not be
lieve it true-he could not harbor I
thought SO unworthy, so derogatory to tn
members of that body. He said that
state Of corruption which would warran
snch suspicion transcribed his belief
and he forcibly and eloqucnty depicte
the consequences Of such an alarming an
reckless step. '''a
Mr. Prentiss then alluded TO the hithel