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


Mr. TAPPAN laid before the Senate a letter from
Blair g. Rives, stating that they should hold the Sc
nate to the contract made with them as printers to
the 9th Congress, and demanding copy of all the
documents the printing of which may have been or
shall be ordered during the 9th Congress as fast as
the orders shall be made, &C.. which, on motion of
Mr.. PRESTON was laid on the table
Mr.. PRESTON then rose and addressed the Sc
nate follows Its, sure, painfully within the
recollection of the Senate that few days since very
unpleasant collision occurred this floor between the
Senator from Kentucky and the Senator from Alaba-
Any interruption of the habtual and charac-
terstic harmony of this body, or the parliamentary
decorum of its proceedings, is, under any circum-
stances, deeply to be regretted-bu especially in the
present case, lnasmuch the manifestation of heat
occurred between Senators of such long and distin
gushed standing. 1t might well be supposed, that
nothing but mistake accident could have led to
such result and thoroughly convinced of this, RISE
Mr. President to state my conviction of the existence
of Misrepresentation and to state succincy the mode
in which 1t occurred
On the occasion alluded to, the Senator from Ken
lucky conceivng that the remarks ofhe Senator from
Alabama calculated and intended to be injurious
to his character and personally offensive, retorted in
language of direct affront-language which am
convinced he could not have employed but under a
deep of injury In this view of the remarks of
the Senator from Alabama believe he was mistaken.
Indeed, / am convinced, from information which has
casually to my possession, that the Senator from
Alabama did not intend to be personally offensive.
Al the bottom Of this affair, therefore, there is mis-
apprehension which | announce with pleasure and
in the confident belief that, being announced the
honorable and distinguished Senators will permit no
personal difficulty TO arrest adjustment which is
earnestly demanded-by the Senate and the country.
Mr. CLAY, of Kentucky, said he shared with the
Senator fiom South Carolina in the statement of re-
greet which he had expressed at the of any
circumstances calculated to impair the harmony and
good feelings which he could always wish to see exist
among the members of this body And he accorded
to him, for the interest which he had taken and the
observations which he had just addressed the Chair
the influence of the most honorable proper and high
minded motives.
He retained very distinct recollection of the oc
currcnce, to which the Senator had alluded and the
circumstances attending it, but before he proceeded to
say any thing on that subject he trusted he might be
excused for stating the general principle which it APP
pearedto him ought to govern and always in congress
sonal parliamentary debate. 1t was the privilege of
every member of Congress and the undoubted priv-
egeof every member of parliament to speak with the
most perfect freedom of all persons in power-of all
men; and Of all measures-to denounce those in
power as corrupt as tyrannical-and measures, as
fraught with ruinous consequences to the country. 1t
the right of every member of Congress and Of
Parliament to speak with the most perfect freedom of
all persons, whether in Office candidates for Office
At the time, it the duty of members of Con-
gress, as of Parliament, to abstain cautiously and
scrupulousIy from the mputation of any personal Ian
guage towards the current members of the body.
Whatever they said of others, they had right to
speak with the most perfect freedom but that did not
justify the use of similar language towards members of
the body
It was under the influence of this principle regulat
ing the course of public debate that when the of
Blair & Rives up he addressed the Senate with
the observations which he had with respect to the
elder editor. Had they not directly before the
Senate he should have ,ioIborne he always had TO
fha Nnti ,liF,sr
ten years Of injury and abuse towards him, from that
paper he had remained silent in the Senate but when
these men directly before them, and their qual
cations and pretensions became, as they did, leg
mate subject of debate he felt be his right to speak
of the elder editor of the paper in the terms in which
he had done.
When on the next day, the Senator from Alabama
addressed the Senate the subject he must say that
at the time and during the progress Of his address be
had thought that there was evlnced premeditated,
and he must add, he believed, preconceived
saut and when he concluded by institutng COM
parison between the elder editor OF the Globe and him
self Mr.. CO man Of whom he had said that he
infamous, and beller; he must say, that at the
time he did not doubt that the Senator's object
personal offence towards him.
II was under the influence of these feelings that he
rose and replied with what certainly on his part
a deliberate offence towards the Senator from Ala
bama.
But after having said so much, it was due alike to
the Senator and himself to declare that he had since
received authentic information that there existed on
the part of the Senator from Alabama intention to
communicate TO him any insult or to say any thing
derogatory TO his characteT-that he was mistaken in
his pu pose, and must have misconceiyed the Sena
tors language under these circumstances and acting
on the truth of the information ready at all tines
prompt always 10 repair and he trusted he should be
TO repel as long he permitted TO raise his hands
in selfdefence, any ndignity offered to him-but al
ways with more pleasure and promrtness in repairing
than IN repelling them. Under these circumstances
and without regard to techncay of forms which had
never commanded with him any particular respect
under these circumstances in which he had been
placed and the ceilings which he entertained towards
the Senator from Alabama, it with infinite plea
sure that he awaited himself Of the opportunity to say
that every epithet dsparaging to his character was
most cheorfslly Withdrawn.