The Madisonian., 1840-02-22


this chamber There is not the slightest preext or
color for atirbuting such scheme 10 any body.
As 10 what had been said Of the letter OF the
Barngs and the newspaper and other publications,
he asked, did Il comport with the dignity Of the Sc
naIe &c get up grave disquisition from a com
miltee on any thing agilaled OF doors only and
never presented to the body, thought of Ia Con-
gressl
| Mr. CLAW, in this connection, referred TO the re-
mark Of MIR. GauSDY, that Il proper for the Sc
nate TO sebd forth warning voice The people, even
on subjects which not brought forward for le-
gslative action. This, he commended, was inverl-
ing the proper order. Il was making the Senate a
great mandatory Of public opinion, instead OF be-
ing The recipients OF opinion from the people. II
was usurping province which did not belong to
| them.
The whole course Of proceeding of the committee
(said he) has been arraignment OF the States OF
The union-holding them up 10 the public gaze and
public censure. And by whom is this donel BY
the sworn guardians Of the rights the honor the in
dependence of the States by those who the
lected representatives of the States. II has been
done, ioo-noi in moment Of party excitement and
phrenzy-but coolly and deliberately, by grave Se-
nalors-grautously, unnecessarily, cruelty animad-
ver,ing on the conduct of the sovereignes they re-
present!
So sensible was the chairman OF this cruelty, in
The first form of his report, that he could not stand
the hrst exposure. He was Obliged TO ask to have
i sent back to him for correction and emendation
He struck out many Objectionable points. But he
has still efl In Il number Of remarks which ought
not TO have b.en retained.
Mr.. Clay here took up the report, and read some
signal examples of severe and insulting repreken-
sion Of the conduct Of the States by these woud-be
guardians Of their honor and rights
One Of the charges is that many of the rail roads
IN this country have been so wastefuly, and unsk-
iully carried on, that they will no, yield annually
product sufficient to meet the demands for their an
nual reparationl Mr.. CLAY disproved this accusa-
tion by reference TO the highest authorities; and
commented in strong terms on the impropriely, and
injurious effects of sending forth with the sanction
Of the Senate a declaration Of this kind
Wha, good can come from such PRONUNCIATION
What benefit can result from inuring the credit OF
The States; or the works in which they have
gagged The mischief to the States themselves from
this proceeding, must be great and immediate
Many OF the works yet 10 be completed and, in
order TO continue and finish them, il is most impor-
tant that their credit should not be deprecated.
Suppose from this course any Of the States should
be so much injured and oppressed as TO be unable to
meet their engagements;can any part Of this Union
lose its honor and pure fame wilhou, loss of honor
to the whole
Here Mr.. CLAys own peculiar, natural and earnest
eoquence burst out in one of the most impassioned
and effective appeals ever heard from human lips.
1t must be reported fully in order TO give an ade-
quate notion even Of the icords. As to the manner
that cannot be reported, aas!-The flush Of genu-
inc and deep feeling On the cheek-the beam OF emo
tion from the eye-the thrilling notes Of voice at
tuned by nature the heart of sensibility-the en-
phass of gesture, cannot b. described
He turned again 10 the assailants Of State Credit;
and asked who the men that are now reading
these lectures to the Sates2 The rery ,cho hare
charged The States ,cih e1tvapaganec, hare carried
up the expenses of The Adminirtration from thirteen
10 torty millions Of dollars, They the men who
have gone TO the widest extravaganza 10 every
branch Of the public service-who had already ex-
pended thirty millions Of dollars the Florida War
! Ia war begun without necessity-carried on without
vigor--and likely to terminate with dsgrace-who
had most unnecessarily enlarged the Diplomatic
Corps, sending representatives TO every part of Eu-
rope and of South America for no other purpose
but to reward greedy and camorous partisans;-
who, session or two ago, had actually called on
the Executive Departments to say, not how little
1
tripc 10 erpcnd! "a party, who at this moment
much reduced by their extravaganza that they
obliged call for issues Of paper money, TO supply
the deficiency caused by their own lavish prod-
! gality
Mr. Clay, in this part Of his speech, contrastcd in
striking manner the unproducive profusion Of the
| General Government, with the rich fruits of the
capital that has been expended by the States on their
great works of Internal Improvements
The orator again reverted to the sra,c denolising
course of the Committee.
He asked who had brought foryard the PROPOSE
ton for assuming the payment of the debts Of the
Satesl He assured the Senators from ALBANIA,
Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and other States, whose
debts were so large, that he and lis colleague had
no idea Of imposing Kentucky the burden Of
paying share Of those debts! He congratulated
the Senate upon there being least one question on
which all parties agreed. He only regretted that so
much time and labor should be expended in battling
down proposition which nobody contests.
| Mr.. Clay then passed to the question of the Dis
tribution Of the proceeds Of the Land Sales We
have beard Senators standing up and declaring that
this distribution to the 26 Slates eighteen ot which
have debts and eight have none is an assumption of
The debts OF States! We are trustees of this domain
for the use OF the States Is the paying over of
trust fund, an assumption of debt Was the dstri-
button bill Of 1886, giving the surplus fund 10 the
States, an assumptions Was the first bill for dis
trbutng the proceeds Of the land sales which pass
ed both Houses in 1896, an assumption Had il
received the sanction Of President Jackson and were
it now in operation, would any man propose to re-
peal it, because some of the States might devote the
quota, to which they would be entitled to the extn-
guishment Of their obigalions9
puta k.d Mr. n, ybatr L.,