The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-04-04
REMARKS OF Mr.. GRAVES. OF KEN
lucky.
Mr.. GRAVES addressed the committee as
follows;


intend TO DO personsl and has redeemed ns' peoge
the sans faithful manner Ia which he kept me- oa'n o.
eternal hatred 70 those IN power, ana IN the way no
has psosecutsd sesinst thcm his uncompromsing un-
extinou ishabIs wsr--wsr 10 the knife
The delicate and Rentlemsnly bearing OF the mem
h.r ~ combining hmssf 70 defence Of his own pon-
cal position and sbstsinng from oil personality quite
characteristic Of The man aud the refinement OF his
feelings.
Sir. was not little amused al the evidence the
members of this House gave Of their solemn convic-
ton Of the great fitness Of the gen.emsns lecture
tho subject Of style in parliamentary debate. Surely,
cir no member il better versed in rhetoric. or more
closely adhefes it's stctest rules than does the hon.
orsble member when in debate here. And, am sure,
If this House called elect professor Of that
department Of rhetoric which regulates the amount Of
putting and blowing, OF fosming and swelling, which
should beauty and sdorn Congressional speeches, the
honorable member would be elected by scclamation.
Yes cir this field Of fame in which the honora-
Bile member has en,eredin his literary ssprations-I
venture to say he would be more successful than
he was in his aspiration to the Chair Of this House.
which he came near reaching, (having received At
time during his race, which lasted for several
tnuous days, number Of votes not quite equal TO
fifteenth Of the whole number Of members presently
A. to the refined language and classical illusions Of
the gentleman, whose relations to, and associations
with, the senior Senator from his Stale have i'm
parted to that Ssnator oil Of his little importance have
no response TO make other than to say, that most
readily admit should have been &, subject for the APP
pcation Of the fable Of the toad and the OF, II had
ever attempted 10 swsl myself into the dimensions Of
the distinguished Senator from my own State, to whom
slluson has been made. Still upprehend, to
attempt IT, should share the fate Of the toad If my
skin should prove elastic the principles Of the hon
orable member
The member Gays be has not changed his position,
but stands firm, unchanged and interchangeable. as the
Rock Of Ages This is question upon which would
very respectfully ask leave TO differ in opinion with tho
honorsble member And think should risk but little
in making the ISSUE il he will admit that Mr. Van Bu-
and his old supporters in the Houses OF Con-
gress are competent witnesses to testify upon the sub
ject. The honorable member, Mr.. Chairman, Congress
before las aud the Administration, headed by Mr.. Van
Buren,, were az vide apart the poles. They
together in close and sfeconste embrace. Mr.. Van
buren, and his party say they have not changed since he
has become their leader, but that his has been
consistent with the principles Of his party, and that his
march has been an onward one | agree with him and
them in this, il in nothing else, for consider his march
has been onward-onwsid to power. and that he has
not on any occasion shown any scrupulousness in the
use Of the means best calculated to attain bis ends.
Thus. il accurs to me, If the member will admit tho
President and hundred Of his Oldest and most loyal
followers this floor 10 bear testimony TO the point
which be and issue, he must ct perceive
that will have succeeded in producing, to say the
least Of it, slight presumption that he is in in
supposing he has not changed his p0ston. II really
seems 10 me, Mr.. Chairman in this age Of strange in
fatuson, that, by unaccountsbe Influences there
are certain politicians who be for and against the
administration, with unchanged policy; for and
aganst every political question out Of which political
capital be manufactured; always adhering to that
side Of aqueston which TO be available Tor
the time being, and yet seriously TO believe they
occupy an unchanged position.
The honorable member says that it part of his
character 70 conceal his opinous that he knows
conceamsnt that his opinions openly and fearless
ly svowed. This, Mr. Chairman, is best known to the
49, L. ....al A.
certainty any other person hence, do propose
to raise with HIM this collateral issue.
The gentleman says that, like HANNIBAL, who was led
to the altar BY his father nine years DID, and made to
take an oath OF undyng hatred to the Romans the i'm
pacabe foes of his country, he had taken an oath
sganst the enemies OF his country The member, /
suppose, fulfilling this oath when he declared UNI
compromising, unextingnishable to the knife
against those who he said had overthrow Repub-
can form Of Government, and converted into des-
Hotism.
The member, in introducing comparison between
himself and Hannibal, doubessy considered there
some analogy in their history; and, as it strikes me
there analogy their careers, according to the
which history renders Of one and the account
which the other gives of himself propose very briefly
to trace the analogy, and to mark the point OF which it
ceases and to that point call the attention Of the
country.
Then to proceed Tho analogy commcnces-each
had father; each grew up from childhood to manhood;
enemies of his country But here the analogy ceases,
and at this point heroes dverge to points exactly
opposite directions. Hannbals against the Romans
not Of high sounding inflated words, abound
ing promises Of phat he icouid do but Of arms,
which continued during his life, and ended only in his
death. But Mr. Chairman, our modern hero, fond Of
tangled notions, concluded TO adopt the more civil
lied and modern mode of warfare he waged against
the enemies Of his country Of words and hot
war it was, long as IL lasted But to show the true
Ell Of wa n Il II oil N
read extracts from the bulletins which the honor
able member issued during its continuance These bull
etins issued from this floor during the Congress
before last, at time when the member from South Ca
roina professed TO suppose that his present allies bad
overthrow the Republic, and converted it into just
such an empire the Roman Republic had become
irhen IL tcds divided bciioeen Antony Ocidutus, and
Lepidus.
The first paragraph which will read is from the
speech of the gentleman delivered the 23d Of May,
1896, when speaking Of the arrogance of the then Pre-
sident and the encroachmen Of Executive power, and
as follows:
It then that the President, with the first officer
OF his Cabinet and the second officer Of the Government
into the dark Of this Capitol and through
his vile minions and miserable tools, defeated
Of vast Importance, before this House, for the
torious purpose of wsgng popular upon the Sc
nate. Cromwell vert into the House of Commons, at
the head Of armed men, and ordered its dissolution
But here sir, have President who comes not like
soloer Out Al Inc mead OF MS seTVe Courters anu s
cophants and practically asserts his ascendancy over
both branches Of our Legislature by management and
duplcily."
The next paragraphs are from the same speech, and
are as follows
"Slr, it is the reign Of Caesar and towards,
dastards slaves, If submit TO this state Of things,
and shall deserve to have children raise before
their little bands and shake their manaces saying, thou
did il, thou did it.
NJ. hay, aatI IL Sc l. ,kox nf