Southern pioneer, and Carroll, Choctaw and Tallahatchie Counties advertiser. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-05-22

pleases read and examine it. | am not proud
OF II for any ability it exhibits-on the other
hand, am moi ashamed of it for the spirit
which it manlfests. But, sir, say again, the
gentleman himself took the lead against this
measure-this darling measure of the Admin
istration. followed him-ifI was seduced
into error, or into unjustifabe opposition,
there sits my seducer.
What, sir, were other leading sentiments,
or leading measures of that day? On what
other subjects did men differ? The gentleman
has adverted to one, and that most important
ONE mean the Navy. He says, and says
truly, that at the commencement of tie war
the Navy was unpopular. 1t was unpopular
with his friends, who then controlled the poll
tics of the country. But he says he differed
with his friends, in this respect, ne resisted
party influence and party connexion, and was
the friend and advocate of the Navy. Sir,
commend him for it. He showed his wisdom.
That gallant little Navy soon fought itself in
to favor, and showed that man who had pla-
ced reliance on il had not been disappointed.
Well. sir. in all this, was exactly of the
same opinion as the honorable gentleman.
Sir, ! do not know when my opinion of the
importance of a naval force TO the United
States had its origin. can give no date 10 my
sentiments on this subject, because never en-
tertained different sentiments, / remember,
sir, that Immediately after coming into my
profession, at period when the Navy was
most unpopular-when it was called by all
sorts of hard names, and designated by many
coarse epithets-on one of those occasions on
which young men address their neighbors, |
ventured to put forth boys hand in defence
of the Navy. | insisted on its importance, its
adoption to our circumstances and TO our ma
tional character, and its indispensable neceSs-
ty, if we intended TO maintain and extend our
commerce. These opinions and sentiments |
brought into Congress; and so far as remem-
Der, ii was the first, or among the first times,
in which presumed to speak on the topics OF
the day, that attempted to urge on the House
a greater attention to the naval SERVICE
There were different modes of prosecuting the
war. On these modes, or on the degree OF at
tention and expense which should be bestowed
on each. different men held different opinions
| confessed looked with most hope to the rc.
suits of naval warfare, and therefore invoked
Government to lnvigorate and strengthen that
arm of the national defence. ] invoked it to
seek its enemies upon the seas-to go where
every suspicious indication pointed, and where
the whole heart and soul of the country would
go with it,.
Sir, we were at war with the greatest mar
thine power on earth. England had gained
an ascendancy on the seas over the whole com
blned Powers of Europe. She had been al
war twenry years. She had tried her for
tunes on the continent, but generally with nc
success At one time the whole continent hao
been closed against her. A long line of armed
exterior, an unbroken hostile array frownee
upon her from the Gulf of Arch-angel, roune
the promontory of Spain and Portugal, to ths
foot of the boot of Italy. There was not ;
port in which an English ship could enter
|, Every where on the land, the genius OF he
great enemy had triumphed. He had defeat
ed armies, crushed coalitions, and overturned
thrones-but, like the tabled giant, he was un
conquerable only while he touched the land
On the ocean he was powerless. That field o
, fame was his adversary's, and her meteor fias
was streaming in triumph all over it.
To her maratime ascendancy England owet
, every thing, and we were now at war witt
her. One of the most charming of her poet
; has said of her that -
.sHer march is DER the mountain wave,
Her home is on the Deep"
Now, sir, since we were at war with her,
I was for intercepting this march, was 10
/ calling upon her, and paying our respects t
I her at home-I was for giving her to kno,
a that we, too, had right of way over the sea:
e and that our marine officers and our sailor
h were not entire strangers on the bosom OF tn
e deep-I was for doing something more wit
S our Navy than to keep it on our shores. for tn
# protection of our own coasts and our own hal
bors-I was for giving play to its gallant an
e burning spirit--for allowing it to 60 forth upo
e the seas, and encounter on an open and equ;
It ueld, whatever the proudest or the bravest {
if the enemy could bring against it. / knee
$ the character Of its officers, and the spirit {
:. its seamen, and knew that, in their hand
o though the flag of the country might go dow
: to the bottom, while they went with it, "
il that it could never be dishonored or disgrace'
: Since she was our enemy-and most pow
n erful enemv--i was for touching her, if "
j. could, in the very apple of her eye; for reacl