The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-07

~ a
W. rive 10 our readers below an abstract OF
The sneech Of his gentleman, delivered 40 sne
- ~, ~ n Z, 80 On Saturday last. We Win II az
1911, ,nJerxfood that we give this sketch upon
onr On respop ability. II was made up from
no,s. which we took At the TIM, and without any
sub,eouent communication with M. hives. "a
some portion, Of il we have given tne very mn-
gnao ,of the speaker but in others and perhaps
much the larger half the language - our own,
and we only attempted to give the idea. Az
mu,t be SAT- d that this Is so, when we { IL
m an. thai Mr.. r. was speaking about four hours
We NAV not in all cases have caught the senti-
m mt even, and in this respect, may have done
him inju tice. II is an outline--a skeleton-,oi
one of tn most logical, argumentative ana eio-
gu snt speeche, we ever heard.
We say that Mr. Riyes was speaking about
four hours: But Notwithstanding the Length OF
the speech, there was no impotence manifested
no tagging Of interest on the part OF the nume-
rous and most intelligent auditory: On the con-
trary we never have seen more marked and pro-
found attention paid TO any speaker. With the
exception Of the momentary bursts of applause
which happy sentiment happily expressed, a
dead silence prevailed throughout. We should
like exceedingly to see this speech prepared for
the press by Mr.. Riyes himself-especialy that
portion of il which was devoted to the daring
project of III, present administration, TO raise an
Army Of 100000 men. His argument upon this
subject was infinitely more able and conclusive
than any thing else we have heard or seen. He
laid bare the disgusting features of the monster
with master-hand.
An Abstract Of the Speech delirered by the
Hon. Nm c. Rires, In Charlottesville, April
11hh, 1910. fa
Mr.. Rives rose and said, in substance, that he
appeared before his fellow-citizens, in compli-
ance with the request Of large number of the
fri nds Of Aibemarle, to repel the many danun-
Citations which had been heaped upon hi head,
and to vndicate those great principles Of Repub-
lican Liberty which had ever been dear to him.
He came before them as one of the people, desi-
ring for himself the continuance of that good
opinion Of which they had heretofore given so
many manifestations. He had now been in the
public service Of his country some twenty three
years, and held himself peculiarly responsible TO
the people Of Albemarle and Nelson, as it was to
them chiefly that he was indebted for the little
distinction he had acquired as public man..
But he was now arraigned for high crimes
and misdemeanors, denounced as a traitor, an
apo state and a renegade, and why was he thus
accused Because he refused to surrender his
hone I opinions to the arbitrary mandates
Of power. He saw that the mea sures of the
President of the United States were fraught
with the direst curses Of the Liberties Of the
country,-he saw him rapidly progressing from
cum stances like these, to give the degrading and
slavsh pledge, ito sink or swim with Martin
Van Buren," he was denounced from one end of
the land to the other by an unscrupulous and
vindictive press.-Had he taken counsel of hi
own interest and ease, he would have pursued
very diff path Attempts were made TO
al ufe him from his duty to the country by re-
peated prof rs of Office. Any office within the
gilt Of the Executive was at his service. Tempt
AL ,1,I 49,.
when h. saw tn party, with which he had here
tofore act d, abandon, under Mr.. Van Buren,.
tn If w President, every principle they had
p.ofessed, he abandoned thu pa " and went for
Ia, county. Wa; this tr ion2 And it was
for this that he wa now nounced in language
which wouli di 'g ace the billing gate Of the Fl h
wo q IN OF London.
And who, he inquired, is his chief accu,er7 1t
il none ota sr than Thonas Ritche, back d by a
And who i; Thoma Ritchie7 A man who has
en- alternately the lick-ipittle and lib Her Of
evly prominent man who ha, been on the pub
lie stage Tor the last quarter Of century. When
popua sentiment sat strongly against the cleo
lion OF G IN. Jack ,on to the Presidency, Thoma
R tchia predictad that il would prove curse to
the country; but SO soon as he was elevated to
power, and beca ne the dispenser Of the loaves
and Fl shes, who sang louder hosannas to the
Greatest and Best" than this same Thomas
Ritchie2 Who was it that in l313-N came
forward and paid the tribute Of national graft
tule to William Henry Harrison? Who was
il that then pronounc ID him second Wa hing
ton,-a, one Of the greatest banefactors of his
country? II was this same Thomas Richie
But now, when he finds it necessary to advance
the interest of Martin Vau Buren,, his ma ,ter
and patron, Gen. Harrison Is an imbecile, a
dotard, coward, and disgraced man. Such
is the character Of Thomas Richie, the pre-
tended dictator of public opinion in Virginia.
And is is the Thomas Richie who attempts
to blacken his (Mr. R.'s) name in the Rich
mond Enquirer, that common sewer of party de-
traction. What were the opinions Of this same
Thomas Richie on the subject of the currency
a short time since? He then condemned the
Sub-trea sury and used language Of reprobation
He denounced il as odious to republican peo-
pie But now he appeals to Heaven and earth
in favor OF the election Of Martin Van Buren,,
who is TO saddle the country with this detesta-
Bile system. And is he to be denounced as a
degraded and disgraced man BY such witness
IS this-a witness whose daily vocation is to
trumpet up every advocate Of power, and to lie
down every man who resists it.
MIR. Rives here referred, in proof Of the pro-
fessional malignity for which the Editor of the
Enquirer has become so notorious of late, to the
Address of the Central Committee, appointed
by the Republican Convention of the Goth Feb
ruary TO the citizens Of Virginia. and published
in the Enquirer Of the 10th instant Who, he
inquired, composed this Committee He had
understood that Henry ST. George Tucker was
its Chairman, John Rutherford was member,
and so was Thomas Nelson, the collector Of
customs for the polt Of Richmond, and who was
hi; (Mr. R.'s) connection. Their names are not
I'll found affixed to that paper. They shrunk
from the vile and sanderous stuff which it con-
tanned The only name attached TO it was that
of Thomas Richie, and even he never could have
endorsed such ISLANDERS, had not his conscience
been scared with an iron, heated for forty years
in the furnace OF party spirit That document,
said Mr.. r. contained at least half n dozen
statements in relation TO himself which were