Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-03-27
SENATE OF TIE UNITED STATES.
EXTRA SESSION.
MONDAY, March, 10, lS4l.

MONDAY, March, 10, l84l.
Mr.. TARA; laid before the Senate, a letter
from Blair 81 Rives stating that hey should hold
the Senate 10 the contract made wiib9ihcn', us
printers to the 9Th onrrcss, and demanding a
COPY of all tho documents, the printing ii whlrai
NAV have been or shall! be ordered dnring the - III
Congress, as fast the orders shall be made
sc: winch on motion OF Nj. Preston was !a!d
on The table
Mr.. PREsr,N thea rose and addressed the Sen
ate follows: II -, am sure, painfully with
in The recollection Of tho Senate that few day S
since a very unpleasant collision occurred OF this
floor between the Senator from Kentucky and
the Senator from Alabama. ANY interruption of
the hlbilual and characteristic harmony oil this
body or the parliamentary decornn Of It's proceed
,ngs, is, under nuy circumstances, deeply 10 BE
rcgretied--bnt csgccta!i? N the present case, III
asnuch rs The manifestation Of heat occurred be-
tween Senator'S Of such long and Distinguished
staudng II might well be sappnsed. that moth
ing but mistake accident could have led 10 such
result, and, thoroughly coas Dcc3 81 this, rise,
Mr.. President, 10 state my conviction OF the eZ-
istence of nisapprehension and to state succinct
iy the mode III which il occurred.
Ga tho occasion alluded To-, The Senator from
Kentucky concerning that the remarks OF The Sen
ator from Aabaml were calculated and Intend
ed to DC jIrioua 10 his ch9racter and Personal
IL offensive rctorel in language Of direct aliront
--language which convinced he could no,
have employed but under deep sense OF injHfy.
In this view of the remarks Of tho Senator from
abaua, believe he was mistaken. Indeed.
am convinced, from in!ormat!an which has cash
ally came nv possessiou that the Senator from
AiabanIl ri va1l ,''tstfS al $685.
A, the bottom of this affair, therefore, there is
misrepresentation, which announce with pleas
ure aud in the confident belle! that, beng an
nounccd, the honorable and distinguished Sem
tors will permit personal difficulty toarresi an
adjustment which is enrncsty dcnauded-by the
Senate ana The country.
Mr.. CLAY, Of Kentucky, sniI he shared with
the Senator from South Carolina, IL the state
Of regret whic', he had expressed, ~ NE o:-
currencc of any circumstances celebrated II iiI:-
pair the harmony and good feelings which he
could always wish TO see exist among the mem
hcrs Of this bod. And he accorded 10 HIM, Tor
The interest which ho had taken, and the cbser-
vniions which he had $ addressed II the Chair,
the influence OF the most honorable, proper, and
high-m!nded motives.
He retained a very distinct recollection Of tho
occurrence which the Senator bad alluded, and
The eircumzt ,nces Attending ii: bit before he
proceeded II any thing on that subject, he
trusted he might be excused for stating the gene
ia! principle winch 1t appeared 10 ham ought IL
govern always. in congressional and pnrlimcn'a-
~ debate. II the privii ge nt every mem
Der of Congress, and the uadeuhtoi privilege u
every member of parliament, 10 spcai. with the
snost perfect freedom of al! persons in power
of all men, and of all measures dcnonncc those
as fraught with rnnnus consequences to the csut-
try. IL the right Of every member of Con-
E,ress and of Plriiament, 10 speak with the most
perfect freedom Of all persons, whe ,hor in office
or candidates for Office. At the time, it
vas the duty ct mcmbers OF Congress. as OF Par
lament To abstain cautiously and serupuouslv
from the impnlation Of any personal language to-
wards the current members of the BODY.
Whatever they said of others, they had Il RICH
80 speak with the most pcrfec, freedom, but that
did not Justly the O! similar language towards
members of The body.
1t was under the influence of this principle reg
ulaung tho course Of pnhlic debate, that when the
case OF Blair & Rves came up lie addressed The
Senate, with the observations which he had with
respect To the elder editor. Had ;hey moi come
directly before the Senat he should have sorborne
as he always had, TO speak OF the paper the cd
i'or. Notwithstanding ten years Of in iury aud :
onse towards HIM, from that paper, he had remain-
CD silent IN the Senate; but when these men came
airec''y before them, AMI their qualifications and
pre'ensions became. MS they did, legitimate sub
Jrct Oh DEBATE he felt II he his right TO speak of
tho elder editor Of the paper In The terms, in which
he Ind done
When, on The next day, the Senator fror, Ala
bama addressed the Senate tho subject h.
must say that al the time, and during the nror
ress OF his address. he had though. that there VS.
evinced premedtated and he must add. as he
Oeiievod. preconceivcd assault: and when he
concluded by Instituting comparison between
the elder editor of the Globe and himself (Mr. C)
. man OF whom he had said tina, he was infamous,
and a liheer; he must saw. that n The time he
oid not doubt that the Senator's object was Il per-
sonal offence towards him.
, IL was under the influence of these feelings
,"a' ne rose and replied, with what was certain
y on his part, deliberate offence toward. the
senator from Alabama