The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-02-06

I Senate MIR. Mangum himself said he had nc
words 10 express his surprise, and he repealed
the insinuations against him in proper spirit
Carolina imagined been actually imputed 10
him, he would trample them under his feet as
he would scorn the man who would dare TO utter
them In regard 10 what had been said by Mr..
Calhoun as not TO descending TO notice him, he re-
piled, that feeling himself as humble as any
member of the Senate, he still did not admit that
the Senator from South Carolina would need to
descend to him in regard to any thing that con-
stitutes real worth. Had the dishonorable mo-
tives which were spoken of been imputed to
him, he would not have said that he would not
descend to notice the Senator from South Caro-
lima. For as man of honor he would have felt
bound to notice him. He denied that he had
made any personal assault.
J MIR. Calhoun here rose and said, that besides
other exceptionable things, Mr.. Mangum had
remarked that the Senator from Massachusetts
demolished in one moment, an argument which
it had taken him Mr.. CO. week to prepare
Mr.. Mangum corrected this statement--what he
had said was, that Mr. Webster had placed the
power of Congress over the public domain, on
so firm basis, that Mr.. Calhoun, if he prepar-
ed himself for a week, could no more move it
than he could the Allegany mountains with his
finger AS to his name being used in South
Carolina on a memorable occasion, Mr. Man
gum did not imagine that the same honor
mould be conferred on him again; but he added
while he had place in the National Councils
neither the terror of poaoer nor The fattery
Of favor should seduce him from has course.
He entertained the same opinions now, as he
did at that time, and he would sooner be beneath
the earth, than fall into the arms of those acho
developed The poaoer against aohich he then con-
tended. After this personal scene, Mr.. Web
ster made few cogent remarks in reply to Mr..
Calhoun. He admitted, with the Senator, the
importance of removing the grounds of popular
complaint. That Senator had quoted the senti-
ment of Mr.. Burke upon the subject which had
long before, however, been expressed by Lord
Bacon and is become quite common place 1t
as easier to remove ground of complaint, than
to reason people out of the justice and expe-
diency of what they desire. 1t was in this
! spirit he supported the distribution policy The
old States are complaining, majority of the
people of the new States are complaining,
and he called upon the Senator from South
Carolina to act, in the spirit of the remark
which he had quoted, and remove these COM
plants. Mr. Calhoun had urged that the power
of Congress TO dispose Of the public domain,
must be limited by "the nature Of thingsn
| Who, said Mr. Webster, IS to Judge of the
nature of things2 The Senator after all would
be required TO come back to the doctrine of
"a sound and enlightened discretion" which
Mr.. w. had contended, limits this general power
over the public domain as it does other powers
given in general terms. Mr.. Webster Illustrated
this branch of the subject with great copious-
ness and ability.
As TO the exercise of this discretion, he had
hardly supposed that there would be any diff
Guilty with regard to lands purchased since the
Constitution went into operation. The territory
had become public property by purchase, and if
Z there was power to purchase, there must also be
authority to dispose.
Mr.. Calhoun had argued that the distribution
system had a corrupting tendency, because the
States, to be controlled by the dominant party
and not to the people themselves. Does his
own proposition get over this objection Does
he not propose to give to the Legislatures? The
States cannot act but by Legislatures, nor car
the latter but by majorities.
F.