Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-05-01

lcmau uas any t4cts tct us Know ~.
Wei. sir, came into Congress during the wal
found /, wsgsd and raging. Ard What did d,
here to oppose III Look to the journals Let III,
honorable gentlemen tax his memory. Bring oI
any thing, II there be any thing to bring up-no
showing error OF opinion, but showing want Of loys'
~ or hdelity to the country. did not agree to al
that was proposed. nor did the honorable gentleman
did not approve of every measure, nor did he
The war had been preceded by the restrhtive sys
tenn and the embargo: AS private individual,
,cert,inly did not think well of the measures.
appeared to me the embargo annoyed us as much al
our enemies, while it destroyed the business ans
cramped the spirits OF the People.
In this opinion | may have been right or wrous
but the gentleman himself OF the same opinion
lie told us the other day, proof of his ind pen
dence OF party, great questions, that he dlerfet
with his friends the subject of the embargo. Ii,
was decidedly and unalterably opposed to L. Il
furnishes, IN his Judgment therefore, no imputatioG
either on my patriotism or the soundneSs OF my
political opinions that was opposed to il also.
mean opposed IN opinion for I was not in Con
gress, and had nothing to do with the act creating
the embargo. And as TO opposition TO measures foI
carrying on the war, after came into Congress,
again say, let the gentleman specify-et him lay
his finger on any thing, calling for an answer and
he shall have an answer
MIR President, you were yourself in the House
during n considerable part of this time. The hon.
orable gentleman NAV make n witness Of you. He
may DC his own witness. Give but some fact,
some charge, something capable in itself either OF
being proved or disproved. Prove any thing not
consistent with honorable and patriotic conduc', and
am ready TO answer II. Sir, am glad this sub
Ject has been alluded to IN manner which iust6es
me IN taking public notice of it; because am wei
aware thai, Tor ten years past infinite pains have
been taken To Ind something. in the range OF these
topics, which might create prejudice against me in
the country. The Journals have been pored over,
and the reports ransacked, and scraps of
and half sentences have been collected put together
IN the ialsest manner and then made TO fare ont
" there had been some discovery. But all this failed
Inc next resort was To supposed correspondence.
My letters were sought for, to learn il, in the
ndence OF private friendship, had never said any.
thing which an enemy could make use OF. With
this view the vicinity ofmy former residence has
been searched, as with n lighted candle. New
Hampshire has been explored from the mouth of
the Merrimhck TO the White Hills. In one instance
gentleman had left the State, gone five hundred
miles oil, and died. His papers were examined, a
letter was found, and, have understood, it was
brought TO Washington; conclave was held to con-
sIder IT, and the result was, that if there was moth
ing else against MIR. Webster, the matter had bet
ter be left alone. Sir, hope TO make every body
OF that opinion who brings against me a charge OF
want OF patriotism. Errors OF opinion can be found
doubtless on many subjects; but as such conduct
flows from the feelings which animate the heart, |
know that no eel of my life has had il origin IN the
want OF ardent love Of country
Sir, when came TO Congress found the hon
cradle gentleman leading member of the House of
Representatives. Well, sir, IN what did diffeI1
One OF the irst measures OF magnitude after came
here, was MIR DIlass proposition Tor a nk IL
was war measure. Ii urged as being abso-
Iuiely necessary 10 enable Government TO carry on
the war. Government wanted revenue; such a
bank, II was hoped, would furnish it. and on that
account Il was warmly pressed and urged on Goa.
gtesS. you remember all this MIR President, Y, n
remember how much some persons supposed the
success OF the war and salvation of the country de
pended on carrying that measure. Yet the honora-
bic member from South Carolina opposed that BILL
tie now t'kes TO himselfa good deal OF merit-none
too much, but still good deal Of merit-for having
defeated IT, Well, sir, agreed with him. 1t was
n mere paper bank-a mere machine for fabricaiins
paper. IL was n form for paper
money! and instead Of benehIiing the country,
thought 1t would plunge II deeper and deeper in diff
hcuty. | made a speech on the subject: IL has off
ten been quoted. There it IS; let whoever pIeases
read and examine II. am not proud of il for any
ability exhibits; the other hand am not
ashamed OF II for the spirit which it ma nfests But
sr, say again, the gentleman himself took the lead
against this measure-Ihis darling measure OF the
Administration. followed him; If Twas seduced
into error or into unjusabe opposition there sits
my seducer.
What, SIR, were other leading sentiments or lead
ing measures OF that dayl On what other subjects
did men differl The gentleman has adverted to
one, and that most important one-l mean the
Navy He shys, and says truly, that at the COM
mencement OF the war, the Navy was unpopular-I
Ii was unpopular with his friends, who then con.
troed the politics Of the country. But he saws he
dne'ed sh his friends; IN this respect, he resisted
party influence and party come x.on, and was the
friend and advocate Of the Navy. Sir, | commend
him for II. tie showed his wisdom. That gallant
little Navy soon fought itself into favor and show
ed that man who had placed reliance on it had no,
been disappointed.
Well, sir, IN all this, was exactly q the same
opinion IS the honorable gentleman.
Sir, do not know when my op Mon of the i'm
portance OF a naval force Of the United States had
ITS origin. can give no date to my sentiments on
TINS suoJec', because never entertained different
sentiments remember, sir, that Immediately af-
Ter coming into my profession, period when the
navy was most unpopular, when u was called by
all sorts OF hard names, and designated by MANY
coarse efiIheisi on one of those occasions on
young men address their neighbOrs [ yentured 10
put forth boys hand IN defence OF the Navy.
INSISTED on us importance ITS adaptation TO our cir
Gums ances, and 10 our national character, and
It's indispensable necessity, if we intended 10
maintain AVID extend our commerce.-These
OPINIONS and sentiments | brought into Con-
sressi and, so far as remember IL was the first or
among the first times, IN which presumed TO ,ns,L
on the topics OF the day. thatI attempted 10 urse on
we house greater attention TO the naval service
There were divers modes Of prosecuting the war On
these modes or on the degree Of attention and ex-
pense which should be bestowed on each, different
men he'd different opinions. confess looked with
most hope TO the results Of naval warfare and her.
lore invoked Government to invigora,e and
strengthen that arm OF the national defence. | in
VoSed II TO seek IT'S enemies upon the seas-to on
"hefe every suspicious indication pointed, and
where the whole heart and soul Of the country
would 60 with II. ''
SIR, we were at war with the greatest maritime
power on earth. England had gained an ascendancv
on the seas over the whole combined Powers nj |
Europe She had been at war twenty years. She /
mad tired her fortunes the continent but generaI
" WIN no success. At one time the whole CONT |
nent had been closed against her. A long line of
armed exterior, an unbroken hostile army Irowned
upon her from the Gulf Of Archaoele. ronnd IN.
pfomonlory oiSpin and Portugal 20 the foot Of Nh,
loot OF lialy. There was not a port which an En- |
gish ship could enter.-Evety where on the land
me genus OF her great enemy had tiumphed n. |
mao defeated armies, crushed coalition and over.
turned thrones, but, like the tabled giant he was
uneonquerhble only while he touched the land. On
the ocean he was poweriess. That field of fame
was hrs Adversary, and her meteor lag was stream.
ing IN triumph all over IL.
To her maritime ascendancy England owed every
thing, ard we were now at war with her One Sf
the most charming Of her poets has said OF her bn.
Her march is DER the mountain wave
"iier home IL on the deep"
Now, sir, since we were at war with her wa,
Tor Intercepting this march; was for calling unon
her, and paying our respects to her at home; was
Tor giving her TO know that we, too had right of
way over the seas, and that our marine Officers and
our sailors were not entire strangers on the bosom
OF the deep; was for doing something NOR.
with our Navy than TO keep il on our shores
Tor the protection Of our own coasts and
our own harbors; ] was for giving play 10 liz
gallant and burning spirit; Tor allowing IL 90
iOrth upon the seas and encounter an a.