The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-21
SPEECH or HON. wADDY THOMPSON,
In House of Representatives Of the United States,
.L february -, 1889.

february ~, 1889
II is not my purpose, sir, to make speech
but to throw together some "random recollec.
tons" of the last and present administrations.
Ii may not be wholly Improbable, especially,
ifit shall suggest to some of my former politi.
cal friends to look well to the new associations
which they are about to form. Brief it pro.
badly will, desultory it must be. NV col.
league (Mr. Pickens) has said that any party
which acts upon the principles set forth in the
report Of the Committee Of Ways and Means
shall have his support. understand him by
this to mean, and only to mean, that he will
support the measures which may be proposed
for carrying out these principles, and not as
pledging himself to support the reelection OF
those now in power. hope that ia so under
standing my colleague am not mistaken.
am sure | am not. Thus understood, en-.
tirely agree with him. l have always thus
acted whenever the administration has, by ac-
cident, staggered on proper measure. I'have
voted for it. / shall continue to do so. More
than this my colleague could not have intend
cd. He had too often, and too fercely, de-
nounced those in power. He had uttered too
many eloquent and burning anathemas against
them as not only ignorant and incompetent,
but as corrupt and profigate, TO make it posi-
BILE for him to unite with them without the
amplest recantation-if not as an act Of Justice
to them, as due to himself and the country
Besides, sir, there is another reason much
more honorable to him, which would prevent
it. He knows those in power--he knows
them well and has known them long and
if accident, or the necessities Of their position,
have driven them into wise and proper poll
cy, he well knows that when that necessity no
longer exists, they will, by a natural proclyi-
ty, relapse into their former courses. Why
this joy and exultation--this rapture may
say--at the profession Of sound and Just
principles 7 Is this profession any new thing {?
Is there single one Of these principles-state
rights, economy, retrenchment, anti-internal
improvement, or any other that has not been
constantly asserted in the messages and docu-
ments from the commencement of the late
administration, and in practice as constantly
and most fiagrantly violated 7 All this will
prove. Is there any where more admirable
compendium ofthe doctrines OF the States rights
party than the messages of Gen. jackson !?
the man who has done more to break down
all the landmarks of the Constitution, and to
consolidate all power in this Federal Govern
ment, than every other man who has preceded
him.
A gentleman of Kentucky, formerly dis
member of this body, who said and
did so many good things, that have always
regretted that he left Congress before entered
it, once said that Virginia would die some day
of an abstraction. Sir, there was profound
philosophy in the remark, and it is true as APP
piled TO more states of the South than Virgi-
nia-we are destined to die--to be killed BY
distractions. Profess our principles, talk Of
reform, state rights. and eepe-
cially if you will add word or two of state
remedies and the right Of state interposition,
and adopt in practice what measures you
please-force bills, tariffs, Cumberland roads,
harbor bills, or whatever else you choose
And such, sir, has been, and is now, the poll
cy of this administration. To gull and catch
the South with the profession of certain prin-
ciples, and to secure other sections with the
solid realities of acts in violation of every one
of those principles. Their motto is that of
Lady like the innocent flow
er, but be the serpent under it."
| have said that would show that the late
and present administration have violated every
single one Of the great principles upon which
Gen. jackson came into power. l will add,
sir, that never have the just expectations Of
patriotic and confding friends been so cruelty
disappointed, since the return of Charles the
Second to England when noble minded and
loyal people lined the roads from Dover to
London with joyous and heartfelt greetings,
and in the exuberance Of their generous Joy,
freely forgiving all the past offences Of his
odlous race in their happy visions of hope of
the future. How that confidence was repaid
who does not know. That heartless profligate
rode on through this dense and living mass oil
loyalty and love as insensible to all these
feelings as the horse that bore him-the nobler
animal OF the two. Since that day, repeat,
the just expectations of patriotic and devoted
friends have not been SO disappointed, or
pledges so openly violated.
Shall we trust again to the hollow profess
sions OF these very same men. No sir, the
head OF your party was once told by dis
tinguished Senator from Virginia-you have
deceived us once, that was your fault-f you
do it again, it will be ours. said every prin-
ciple. No, sir, there is ono to which they
have adhered with noble fidelity. That ia
nous maxim-"To the victors belong the
spoils."
The general policy of the party cannot be
more fifty illustrate than by the measure
now under discussion, whilst forever prating
of retrenchment and economy, they lavish
thousands and millions on the Cumberland
road. harbors, and other such objects, not
only in violation of the Constitution, but of
all their own professed opinions and seek to
atone for it by reducing an appropriation for
an important arm Of the national defence,
the pal,ry sum Of 100000, and by cheating
mail contractors and other small employees
of the Government.
word or two AS to this matter OF in.
ternal improvement. If there was any one
principle which more than another enter.
cd into the canvass which resulted in the
l. e L. u. IL