Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-06-06

l nj
W holc) the consideration OF the bill 10 refund General
jackson the hue inflicted ON HIM by Judge Hall
MI toNRAD, being entitled 10 the floor. addressed
the Senate or upwards Of AN hour speech OF which
the following Is condensed outline He observed tina,
II the object Of the bill merely To refund Ia General
Jackson Of money if Congress had been asaed 10
remit thus tine ON the grounds that fines frequently
reunited. not only by Congress- but by the Secretary OF
the Treasury to Wi, thai there had been violation ol
law, unaccumanlcd 10y any evil intention, the result
OF euor and mistake or called make hanoraf,
donation TO General Jackson as additional mark Of
our gratitude for hls military services. he would cheer
fully have voted Tor the bill. But this money WAS
claimed on ehc OF these grounds; the contrary. the
gentlemen who had advocated II had. and all. dis
claimed putting the claim ON either ut these prounds
They had said tho money was ohoet that the uneet
OF the bill was merely 10 sIndcae the character Of Gen
eral jaekson-to wipe of, ss the gentleman from Mis-
soun had said, the last stain censue upon his ta
fame Other gentlemen had also used similar language,
aud the gentleman from Pennsy lsana particular. Nj.
Buchanan who never met Il difficulty without at once
graphing II by the horns. had made an elaborate and n
bic argument To prove that the proceedings q General
jackson had bccu strictly eonlorablt To law nd AS 4
necessary consequence that the pronounced
hun for these acts illegal and UNJUST and the Judge
who pronounced 1t was deserving OF eensure.
The question: then, was one of principle. and after a
lapse OF quarter ol century. Congress called upon
To reverse Judgment of competent tribunal, On the
ground Of It's illcgaty.
GcntIcnirn had sad that this was no party question:
and deprecated the introduction q party topics this
debate tie had no doubt OF then entire sincerity in
these professions; bat they must al the saline tine
udly admit that this very question had always been
Of controversy In ms State, IN Particular II lad
given rise. at the time the occurred, angry
discussion. lie was, himself too yonng al that time
take any rof' in this discussion, 10 entertain any t
y, feeling tJr Ga, Jackson llan that of unqud
fled gratitude r his great military achievements feeling
wh,ehreu twelve years Of political opposition lad
damped but not ,N!ngushcd
There was another circumstance which stared Us IN
the face aud To which lie could slut hls eyes ard
tals Was, that this claim WAS mol presented 10y Gen.
Jackson. but rm1nalod from two Democratic i.rsisa
tur,s--thosc OF Ohio and New }ork. NV. whatever
respect he might entertain Tor the opinions of Two such
distinguished bodies he doubted their peculiar fitness tc
determine THIS question, and could not help sasPeetnp
Ula, party considerations were lurking ii the bottom
OF THIS DISTINGUISHED movement. Although he had al
ways entertained tine opnion that the Imprisonment u
Jddgc Hail. and the resistance OF Gen. jackson tie
process OF hlS court. were acts Of arbitrary power, thie
" uulustIahlc ia themselves, and mol eXrasabo any
plea Of padlc necessity. he had tried not he mfrr
vlous to conviction He had listened atientY,y 10 ir
arguments Of gentlemen yindiane these aeis but thy
had not convinced nn, but on the contrary confined
the opinion he had always entertained.
kttpug IA yiow den, that the only point al ISSUE
the legality Of these acts Jet tie taets a the ease lie
examined. il necessary Tor every gentleman 10 do
this, because cyclN gcullcuan Who had spoken bad sup
posed, aud based las argument on, different State q
facts. They did Not even agree on the eaaGe III which
the fac was uposcd One SAYS II WIS inflicted On oel
jackson because he declared mart nd lac another he
cause he refused to obey tie writ Of haJeas corpus: an
other, because he offered personal lndenlty 10 the
judge; and all concur III eensnrng the JUDGE and Ia
surprising he Was acratcd ~ personal resentment a
louc
He did profess to have any personal knowledge Of
these facts Since the last debate, however, he had
consulted work in which they narrated with
great perSPlculy aud miuueness oil detail lie alluded
to the History OF Louisiana by Judge Martin. lie did
not yonch for the accuracy OF this work but he could
vouch that the author Of great learning, indus
try, and research, who was in sl5, and sill IS one Of
the jud yes Of the supreme court Of his State distinguish
ed for his Impartlahy Judge; and II fair pre-
sumo that he did not lay aside this quality assuming
the character OF historian. The work mol o par
| tlsan political character but embraces the history Of
Louisiana from It's discovery to the battle Of Ne" Or
leans; and the author eye witness Of, and an ac
/ tor IN the which he describes.
Mr. {. here referred to various passages in the work.
to show that when General Jackson arr, ed in Looisl
he induced. by the representations OF persons
who enjoyed his confidence 10 entertain suspicious o Tie
fidelity ola large portion Of the nhahianis 81 LOUIS ala
particularly those of French extraction that, under
the Influence Ct this feeling, he recommended 10 the lie
glsaturc then in session. that the hdbeds corpus act
should be suspended-wheh, however, they refused 10
dog that Loualllcr, member from one OF the interior
parishes was one Of those who warmly opposed this
measure ssary. and dangerous 10 the Liberties
ofhe citizens of the State. The battle fought and
won; and whatever might have been the suspicious Of
General Jackson bciore they ought now to have been
dispcllndthoy were nobly Teiuied at tie cannon 5
mouth. 1t remarkable fact land one he took plea
sure in recurring to- that. though Louisiana had been
but recently admit;,d to this great American family ct
States although the attachment OF me- citizens 10 Tins
Government had hardly time to mature, and 10 acquire
that strength had since ataned although her popula
ton of very heterogeneous ehaeter, and many Of
them natives OF foreign countries although placed IN the
most dlscouragng circumstances, there was not as Tar
he knew sing instance OF treachery, c0Nardlce,
or even iacring in the ranks.
I The sequel is known. The enemy was defeated. On
the 2@d January solemn hanhsgiyings We're offered up
Tor the dclvCanCc OF the country from the eminent
lis that had enyirlnod it, On the 9TH OF february the
enemy at Mobile, $50 miles of. On the 2ith Gen
era jackson received unofficial intelligence that treaty
Of peace had been negotiated. This intelligence was
communicated by the commander OF the onemy's forces.
But on tho I'D it confirmed from another quarter.
No doubted the fact although it might mol have been
prudent for the commander in chief TO have acted on II,
and disbandcd his forces.
Among those who had borne tive part in the cam
paIgn, were number OF cngrans from France. Their
own country then at peace with Great Britain; and
they not bound to take up against her in de
fence of the ned States. But they rushed voluntarily
to the conflict, and only displayed that martial sprt
which is the characteristic OF their naton but many OF
them having served under Napoleon. possessed scion
tfc knowledge in which the United States forces were
deficient. The blood of Frenchmen and American once
more mingled in the stream against the enemy oil
this country. After these rumors OF peace had reached
New Orleans, anxious return TO their homes and thor
civil occupations on which many OF them depended Tor