The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-20
MonpAr. March Is. 1871.


Soon after the Senate came to order
Mr.. PRESTON rose and addressed the Sena
as follows; IL is, | am sure, painfully within Il
recollection of the Senate that few days sincea
unpleasant collision occurred this floor between Il
Senator from Kentucky and the Senator from AlabI
ma Any interruption OF the habitual and chara
terlstc harmony OF this body, the parliamentaI
decorum of lis proceedings, is, under any circun
stances, deeply TO be Iegrelted-but especially IN u
present case, inasmuch the manifestation of he'
occurred between Senators of such long and distlr
guished standing IL might well be supposed, th'
nothing but mistake accident could have led
such result and thoroughly convinced Of this ris
MIR. President TO state my conviction OF the existenc
of Misrepresentation and TO state succnctly the moo
in " hcn it occurred
On the occasion alluded to, the Senator from Ken
lucky concevng that the remarks ofthe Senator fror
Alabama were calculated and intended 10 be iDjuriou
to his cha acler, and personally offensive, retorted Il
language of direct ahront-laDguage which an
convinced he could not have employed but under
deep of injury. In T. is view OF the remarks
the Senator from Alabama, believe he was mistaken
Indeed, am convinced, from information which ha
casually come TO my possession, that the Senator iron
Alabama did intend 70 be personally Offensive
AL the bottom OF this affair therefore, there Is mis-
apprehension, which | announce with pleasure ant
in the confident belief that, being announced th'
honorable and distinguished Senators will permit nd
formal difficulty TO arrest an adjustment which ii
earnestly demanded-by the Senate and the country
Mr. CLAY said he shared with the gentleman from
South Carolina Mr.. PREsroN) in the regret which
he had manifested OF the occurrence, dis
turbing the usual harmony and good feeling which
prevail in the Senate to which he had alluded; and
he bore with pleasure testimony to the honorable and
high-lnnded feelings which had prompted that Sena
tor to make the appeal which he had just presented
Before he Mr.. u proceeded to respond particular
ly TO that appeal he wished to submit a few general
observations the Senate in regard to the privileges
of Congressional or Parliamentary debate.
Every Senator had the most perfect right to speak
with the utmost freedom of those who were IN power
he might denounce them as arbitrary wicked, and IN
competent, and their measures as tylanncal corrupt,
and ruinous TO the best interests Of the country so
it was equally the right of every member to deliver his
sentiments without the character OF all per-
sons not members of the body, but whose names or
characters were connected with the subject under de-
bate and all brought before the Senate candidates
for appointment to office. All this member has a
right TO do under other responsibility than that
which bis own conscience and public opinion impose.
But while this right was clear and undeniable, was
essential the due discharge of official duty, and was
in no case TO be restrained the liberty did not
extend to the language of Senators towards each other
or in reference TO their motives In speaking to or OF
each other the utmost respect and decorum oughte
to be preserved all personality avoided and especially
all imputaliOn OF improper motives. Under these I'M
pressons to the privileges OF debate, and guided by
these rules Mr. g. had spoken few days since OF the
elder editor of the Globe newspaper whom it was then
proposed to dismiss from the office of printer to the Sc
nate. Had not that Individual been thus egltimatey
and directly before the body he should have forborne
he had always hitherto in his public station, for
borne to say word in regard to him or the paper
which he edits. Notwithstanding ten years OF the
most unparalleled abuse and wanton and unscrupulous
attacks OF himself Mr.. G. had remained SILENT and
SO he should still have remained; but when the name
of that person directly before the Senate, and bis
character and conduct of public journal became a
legitimate subject for consideration he had felt it to be
his right to speak Of him in the terms he had done
When, on the next DAY, the Senator from Alabam,
while that gentleman was speaking, he had though
that there was, his part studied, premeditated
and as he then believed, preconceited design t
make an assault upon him and his character. Ano
when the Senator concluded by instituting compa
rson of Mr. C. to man whom he had but day be
fore, declared to be infamous, and of whom he had
spoken as a libelIer and of his paper as libel
lous, he did not doubt that his object personal
offence to Mr. G. 1t was under this impression that
Mr. c. had addressed to the Chair some remarks
which he had intended deliberate offence to that
Senator.
But it was due to the Senator from Alabama well
as to himself to that he had since received salts
factory information which he placed implicit re-
lance, that there had been purpose intention on
the part of that Senator to offer any personal aront
to MIR. G.. or to cast the slightest mpuation his
character or honor. MIR. g. had therefore been mis-
taken as to the design which he had supposed that
Senator to entertain and he must have entirely mis-
apprehended the language employed. Ready, there
fore, at all times promptly to repair an injury as ne
hoped he should be to repel indgnity, and al
taking pleasure to repair than to repe and
without any regard to the nicely of mere technical
FORMS to which those acquainted with him well knew
he attached great importance--under the cir
cumstances as thus explained, and with the under
standing which he now had of the real intentions Of
that Senator it was with infinite pleasure he de-
,Ia thal tn IN
his honor, TO his character, to be Withdrawn.
This declaration elected spontaneous burst of APP
plause from the surrounding audience, who had ls-
tened with eager attention to all that had passed
The CHAIR, however, interfered, and the applause
Immediately suppressed
Mr.. KING said / concur with the Senator from
Kentucky as TO the duty which every Senator owes
TO himself and to the body of which he a member
He should studously avoid all personalities and keep
himself strictly within the rules of order, and
depart from decorum in debate. | have long been
member OF this Senate and fearessly appeal to
my brother Senators T., say whether any occasion
have violated prescribed rules or been guilty of in
decorum in debate
The Senator from Kentucky, from whoever he re-
ceiVed the information, has not been msinformed.-
That Senator having with his characteristic frank
ness, explicitly Withdrawn the injurious expressions
used by him. now feel myself at liberty to state and
do 1t in the spirit of frankness that nothing
which said by me was intended to be personally
offensive to that Senator; it my design in any
manner TO derogate from his character gentleman
or man of honor. l make this statement with plea
surei for, while um always prepared to defend my
honor when assaed carefully avoid attacking others
Mr.. PRESTON stated that he could not repress
the feelings which prompted him to congratulate the
Senate and the country upon the honorable adjust
ment of this painful controversy. The gentlemen
had acted as became their high character and dstin-
guished poston-sffording example for the future
of fearless and candid course under circumstances al
apparent difficulty while the painful suspense in
which the Senate had been involved for some days
would be, he trusted, guaranty for the cautious
maintenance of a scrupulous forbcaranco in debat.
hereafter.
Again he congratulated the gentlemen, the Senate
and the country.
ron the conclusion of these remarks, Mr.. CLAl
rose and advanced to Mr.. KING, and shook hand
with him, amidst loud appIauses from Senators AM
auditory
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