The Madisonian., 1840-01-07
TWENTY CONGRESS.
FIRST SSION.
IN SENATE,
FaIDAY, January 3, lS40.
THE PUBIC LANDS.

respeclvely situated. lhe Dill was Uy ullel
and, motion Of Mr.. O., referred 10 Inc Coulihli-
tee on the Public Lands.
Soon alter
Mr. CLAY, of KY, having given notice OF his
intention 10 move 10 introduce the copyright Dill,
stated that he regretted thai he was detained by IN
disposition this morning, and prevented from being
present " hen the bill introduced by The Senator
from South Carolina Mr.. Calhoun Tor ceding The
public lands 10 certain States within which they are
i situated. He had wished 10 suggest some ober re-
/ ference of il than TO the Committee on Public
| Lands; but unless some Senator would move a re-
conside ration of the order Of reference 10 that COM
mee, he could not offer the suggestion which he
wished io make
| [Mr. SoUrHARD moved the reconsideration, and
Mr. Calhoun oblecting 10 Il without some salisfac-
tory reason -
1 MIR CLAY went on to observe that, as the commit
| Tee constituted, four OF lis five members were
| from the States. He meant 10 offer no disre-
| spect 10 Them; bul he must say that this was mea-
| sure which, disguised as il may be, and colorado as
il, provisions were, was in effect, donation 4 up
wards OF 100 millions OF acres oil the common pro-
perry OF all The Sales Of This Union TO particular
States. He did not think il right that such mea-
| sure should BE- committed 10 the hands OF Senators
| exclusively repre-entng the donees. He thought
| that committee ought TO be constituted in which
! the old States should have fuller and fairer re-
presentation. We should preserve, whatever We
may do, The decorum OF legislation, and not violate
| the decencies of Justice.
Whilst up, Mi Clay would be glad II any Sena-
tor would inform him whether the Administration
is in favor OF or against this measure, stands
tral and uncommied This inquiry he should not
make il The recent relations between the Senator
who introduced this bill and The head OF that Adj
d'mnisralion continued 10 exist; but rumors, Of
which The city the circles, and the press full,
seri that those relations entirely changed, and
have within few days, been substituted by others
Of an intimate friendly, and confidential nature
| And shortly after the time when this new state of
| things is alleged To have taken place. the Senator
gave notice Gf his intention move to introduce this
| lhert has or has mt an
nexion with that adjustment Of former differences
the Public would, he had no doubt, be glad 10 know
Al all events Il Is important to know in what rela
tioD Of support, opposition, or neutrality, the Admin
istrailon actually stands TO This momenleus measure;
| and he MIR G. supposed that the SenatSr from
| South Carolina, or some other Senator, could COM
| municate the desired information.
/ Mr. CALHOUN said he had supposed that no
man had as much occasion for delicacy in referring
10 political compromises as the Senator from Ken
! lucky. That Senator had referred To some Tansac-
| tion in the political course of Mr. G. which had oc-
Cured some twelve or thirteen years ago, and had
! alluded to certain passa ees in which Mr.. c.
cused Of chang ing his political relations Buttha Sen
aor knew that 1t was others who had changed Their
| relations 10 political subjects and political measures
rather than Mr.. c., who had followed less in regard
to those subjects andmeasures than he was followed.
! The Senator was accustomed 10 have his example
followed by others; but Mr. G. had moi usually fol
lowed it, and especially would he not follow il now.
But Mr.. C.'s personal relations must Of fol-
low his political relations The Senator had now
got the whole story, and Mr. C.. trusted ii would be
satisfactory in regard TO The rumors TO which he had
| alluded
Mr.. C. found il impossible 10 move without giving
occasion 10 accusations of changing his grounds. l
he was against the Chief Magistrate he was charg-
ed with changing his opinions. Ii he was in favor
1 Of him. he then accused OF changing his poiti-
| cal relations But he had not changed at all; he
stood now where he had always Stood and that was
on the Interchangeable purpose TO bring back the Go
| grrnment 10 It's original simplicity and economy.
/ led in he
whole of the Senator's American System, and other
| exravagances, so as 10 give the Government
| chance OF taking fresh start And il gave Mr.. C.
pleasure 10 say that the best part of the uf
the present Chief Magistrate were approved by Mr..
c.. and Mr.. c. was happy Of the. opportunity of
making these declarations and he would stand 10
them. Nothing should prevent Mr. C. from support
ing man while he was politically right The Sc
nator from Kentucky had given the Government a
| wrong direction. Mr.. c. had resisted the proceed
ing, and he should continue 10 do SO, standing the
ground occupied by Mr. Jefferson and others OF his
class.
Mr.. CLAY said he had understood The Senator as
felicitang himself on the opportunity which had
been now afforded him by MIR. c. Of defining once
more his political position and Mr.. 9. must say
that he had now defined it very clearly, and had ap
parenty given it a new definition. The Senator now
declared that all the leading measures of the pre-
sent Administration had met his appreciation, and
should receive his support. II turned out then that
The rulnor to which Mr.. G. had alluded was true,
and that the Senator from South Carolina might be
hereafter regarded supporter of this Admins
tration, since he has declared thar all its leading
measures were approved by him, and should have
his support.
AS 10 the aluson which the Senator from South
Carolina had made in regard 10 MIR. C'.s support o,
| the head OF another Administration, (Mr Adams)
/ il occasioned Mr.. G. no pain whatever. II was an
old story, which had long been sunk in oblivion
cep, when the Senator and few others thought pro-
! per TO bring il up. But what were The facts OF that
| case2 MIR G. was then a member Of the House of
/ REPRESENTATIVES. whom bee re-
turned, from whom it was the duty of the House to
make selection or the Presidency As to one OF
those three candidates, he was known 10 be in
fortunate condition, in which no one Sympathised
with him more than did Mr. c.. Certainly the Sc
nator from South Carolina did not. That gentleman
was therefore out of the question as candidate for
the Chief Magislracy and Mr.. c. had consequently
the only alternative OF the 1uStrious individual at
the Hermitage or Of the man who now distin-
guishcd in the House of Representatives, and who
had held so many public places with honor to HIM
self and benefit 10 the country. And if there was
any truth in history, the choice which Mr. G. then
made precisely The choice which the Senator
from South Carolina had urged upon his friends.
The Senator himself had declared his preference OF
Adams 10 Jackson. MIR. G. made the same choice !;
and experience had approved from tha, day this
and would to eternity. History would ralify and
approve ii. Let the Senator from South Carolina
make any thing out of that part Of Mr.. C's public
career if he could. MIR G. defed him.
The Senator had alluded 10 Mr. C. as the advo.
cate Of compromise. Certainly he was. This Go
vernmcnt ELI, TO great extent, was founded and
rested ON compromise. And to the particular com
promise to which alusion had been made MIR. c.
thought ought to be more grateful for it than
the Senator from South Carolina But for that COM
promise, Mr. c. was not AT all confident that he
would have now had the honor to meet that Senator
face to face in this National Capitol.
The Senator had said tha, his own position was ths,
Of State rights. But what the character Of this
bill It was bill to strip seventeen Of TIE States Of
their nghul ,nherltence, TO sell ii all for of
pottaee to surrender it for triHc--a mere nominal
sum Tho bill was in effect nm atempt to strip ard