The North-Carolina standard., 1839-02-13


Senate; for whose members, individually, feel
every kindness. With the anotiues of Others, l
have nothing to do. l deal with measures-and
the principles by which it is sought to sustain
them. My right to do this, 1 shall exercise
freely What then are the principles
bodied in these resolutions At the outset,
take the position, that they are at variance with
the spirit and genius of our institutions; and
dangerous to free government; and that all the
notions, by which they are maintained, are
clearly hereticaI. What are they?
1st. They arraign public servants. not amena-
bic to the Legislature, or to the people of North
Carolina
I'd. They impugn the right of instruction
Sd. They defeat the object of the trainers of
the constitution ottbe United States, in relation
to finance and theseurTemcy. ~.s.,.- ,.-.-.-.
4th They deny to the Federal Government
the Just and rightfmL exercise OF its own powers.
5th They concede to it pou0ers not granted !;
& trammel its action in matters of mere detail;
with which we could not possibly be acquainted.
Sir-lt is not the least prominent of the extra
ordinary features of the first resolution, that it
designs the trial of men; rather than the asser
tion of principle. Its purely political-it smacks
too much of party its object surely cannot be
to restore the manuscript journal of the Senate
to its primitive condition. To suppose so would
| be to impute to its friends an absurdty of which
they are incapable; for it is utter impossibili-
ty. 1t lived its brief day; and by the primitive
mandate of the people, was speedily consigned to
its long home. 1t is among the things that have
been and you had as we'll try to resuscitate the
culprit who had expiated with his life some
crime against the offended justice of his country.
Nor can it be to vindicate The constitution ofthe
United States, or the just rights and po0ers of
the Senate. A glance will convince US that this
| is not its object. Its business is with persons,
not things 1t aims blow at the late President
of the United States, General Jackson) and the
Senators in Congress from this State by the at
tempt to reafirm, by eulpabLe indirection, the
obnoxious sentence of condemnation against the
former, and by pronouncing unjust censure up
on the latter. [ am not sensible of wrong to the
friends of this resolution, in insisting, that 1t
seeks to reprint on the pages OF your country's
history, the scathing stigma affixed by the reso-
luton ofthe Senate in 1884, to the life and char
acter OF that illustrous citizen, who has battled
in the cause of public liberty, with equal success
in the cabinet and in the field Yes. Sir, he is
10 be again dragged to the altar and offered as
sacrifice to appease the angry demon of party i;
and, if your Senators will not stoop to be made
the instruments in this deed of shame, they are
to be hunted down, and driven from the high
places thew fill with so much honor to the State
and credit to themselves by hard requlsltlons
Of duty. which every consideration OF seltresPect
would teach them to contemn.
tenders two issues; one oflaw; the other of fact;
neither of which have L the least inclination
| to sfIun but am willing to meet any and every
argument by which the affirmative may be at
tempted to be maintained. 1t condemns, first,
the ezpunging resolution, as " q palpGbLe UioLG-
tion of tie plain letter OfGhe constitution" This
Sir, is harsh, and, give me leave to say, rash
judgment, and casts an unmerited reflection up
on the heads and the hearts Of those who voted
for it !; to say nothing of the censure it implies
upon the people especially of this State, who
commanded its passage. IT. indeed, it be so
palpabIe how shall we account for its unqualif-
| ed approval by many of the wisest and most
sagacious and patriotic Statesmen of the age, as
well as by large majority of the people OF the
United States2 49,
The clause In the constitution of the United
States, and the only one which 1t is pretended
has been violated, is to be found in the 5th sec.
lst article, and Sd paragraph ph-whlch ordains
that leach House shall keep journal of It's
proceedings, and from time to time publish the
same" Now, Sir if this command has been
| fulfilled, and the act accomplished by its full
hlIment is unaffected BY any thing since done
then utterly deny the allegations charged in
the resolutions to be true-and one must lay
aside all realities and deal entirely with the
shadows and fictions Of the Imagination, to en-
tertain, for moment such an opinion. Did the
Senate of 1888 and 1884, keep journal and
publish the same, and howe To put this mat
ter in tangible form, the time of the Senate
will not be unpro6tabiy spent in taking short
review of the history and practice OF Congress
in reference to it. By existing, regulations,
more than one thousand sets OF the journal OF
each House are required to be printed and dis
tribu.ed. Two hundred and twenty-five volumes
are furnished to the Governors, Legislatures and
public institutions in the several States; five to
each ofthe Departments at Washington, and to
each of the Judges of the United States Courts;
two to each member of Congress, and to each for
eign minister Besides, twenty-five are placed In
the Office of the Secretary Of State, and the same
number in the library of Congress. and thirty
five in the Offices of the Secretary of the Senate
and of the Clerk of The House of Representatives.
In the scale of evidence. all these volumes occupy
the same grade with the highest record. and car
ry with them the same weight and authenticity;
And what meaning has every Congress attached
to the words "keep" and publish" Each House
has an officer, called Secretary or Clerk whose
duty is made to prepare minutes or diary OF
its proceedings; from which is compiled g IN
totidem verBis,'' the number of volumes required
These volumes are printed and distributed i;