Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-08
MIR. ADAMS, ia repiy to Mr.. MARSHALL
JANUARY 2sth, is42.

yAsuARr 2sth, is42.
MIR ADAMS rose and said; J have heard 1t said
by person acquainted with Warren iiastings-l
MIR GILNER rose to point oil order. lie said
that nc had made four Ave efforts to obtain the
aoor lie did not wish by any means to deprive
the gentleman from Massachusetts Mr. Adams) Of
tho floor. But he believed that Parliamentary
courtesy, not any express rule oil the House per-
mit,cd member the author Of proposition, to say
some things ms TO the motives which had led him 10
Offer his resolution. He had submitted PROPOSE
ton TO the consideration of the House, in relation
which he had not, in the first instance, intended to
saw word. He had not yet said word. And
all that he desired TO know of the Speaker was,
whether before the debate closed, he would be en-
lcd by the rule, or by Parliamentary courtesy, to
say few words, not in relation TO tho proposition
of the gentleman from Kentucky, but that which
he mir G.) had himself offered1
The SPEAKER said that unless the whole sub
ioct should be laid on the table, or the previous
question should be demanded, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr Gilmer) would be entitled by the rule,
to close the debate.
MIR GILMER explained that he had not risen to
any point of order IN relation to the personal right
to the a ,or OF the gentleman from Massachusetts,
with any personal or political reference to the
subject, so far as that gentleman was concerned.
The point related entirely to himself, (Mr G) and
he begged the pardon Of the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts for nterrupung him.
MIR ADAMS said there was occasion to ask
his pardon for taking the floor from him. He did
no, feel 1t as an net Of unkindness toward him on
the part of that gentleman, (Mr Gimer.) lfhe
tMr Az was to answer for one crime, he might as
well be called TO answer for n half Dozen or ten,
OF twenty. The proposition OF the gentleman from
Virginia was one which would materially conhne
and make more narrow his defence. That charge
he should have been willing to have met OF oace.
MIR A. said something (Which the reporter could
distinctly hcar) in aluson 70 the distress which.
he could not deny, the propositions both Of the gen.
temnn from Virginia and the gentleman ftom X =
lucky, had given him, and said that the most poiy
part of that distress arose from the fact that
the House would be under the necessity of consum
ing large portion OF its time in his defence il he
was be held TO the charges of the gentle
man from Kentucky. And the FIRST proposition
that he should make was, what he had already in
sisted upon, us would appear by the journal, name.
y, that he should be entitled TO the benefits of q
trial before his peers upon the charges of suborna-
ton OF perjury and of high treason, because these
charges "sre contained IN the proposition OF the
gentleman from Kentucky, whatever ingenuity the
gentleman might have used in his remarks to-day TO
explain them away.
Amongst other things, the gentleman had stat
cd that it not him Mr. Az that he charged, but
that, If any body, it was the petitioners; and the
gentleman had made speech OF upwards of two
hours duration, TO prove that he mir Az was re-
Sponsbc for the very same things as those who had
signed the petition. He (Mr NJ had represented
him MIR A. in his speech in favor of the petition
the face OF his express declaration TO the contrary
since it appeared the Journal that at the time he
had presented the petition, he had proposed nstruc.
tions to II committee to report an answer TO the
petitioners assigning the reasons way their PRAYER
should not be granted. Now, had not the gentle
man from Kentucky logic enough III he had rot
lawl to see that the very proposition that this House
should instruct the committee to report against the
petition, q declaration on the part ofths Houss
at the very first instant, that they held such
opinions; that they disapproved of them; and that
only in defence OF the sacred right Of the petitioners
10 present their grievances here would they
the petition, and assign reasons why the prayer OF
II should not be granted.
He had heard il said by person acquainted with
Warren Hastings that when he was brought before
the judicial tribunals OF his country for the commits
sion OF high crimes upon the trial which lasted MIR
A. believed seven years, when the thunders Of eo-
quenoe of Edmund Burke and Robert Brindley
Sheridan were poured upon his head; he almost
thought that he guilty Of the crimes with which
he had been charged, so powerful was the eloquenct
with which he WIS assaed. The eloque which
the gentleman from Kentucky had now exercised
personally against him, under the profession Of
having no personal feeling, was equal TO that o.
Burke and Sheridan combined. But he Mr. A..
did assure the gentleman and the House, that, no
for single instant, had the idea been Impress
upon his mind that he was guilty Of any part oftht
charges brougl against him. Not for momen
had lie been driven from that sense Of conscious
innocence with which he met this charge, coming
as it did, from the most extraordinary combination
of parties that had ever been formed in this Hous
"a combination of a most formidable character
What was that combnation2 Ii came in the frs
place from the State OF Georgia. The first aitacl
upon him here had been from @ .orgia Wings (Mr
A. recaptuated the circumstances attending thu
presentation ofthe petition and letter from Clnrks
vile, Georgia, so postmarked and mailed A gen
tleman from Mary and, Mr. Johnson,l to the opin-
ions expressed by the members from Georgia that
that petition was a hoax, had added fact unknown
20 him Mr. Az that the petition and letter were
written on Congressional paper. Did the gentleman
to say that he was privy TO the composition Of
these papers2
Mr. VIC. JOHNSON ESQ far.as he could be heard)
was understood TO say, that he had not examined
the paper but he had been told that il was the
kind-that it gilt-edged, and that the signatures
were all in one handwriting. The impression Of all
was that it was hoax. He had never seer the
paper till he had seen it at the Clerks DESK The
Representatives from the State Of Georgia discaim-
cd any knowledge Of it. And (Mr J. was UNDER
stood TO say) il the gentleman from Massachusetts,
had taken the same precaution in reference to that
petition, as he had done in reference 10 the petition
pendng-written homo to see If the paper was
genuine-he would have found out whether the
signatures were true not
Mr. ADAMS said he did not feel himself bound
TO send to Georgia 10 do so. II it was a hoax, the
injury was the greater 10 his rights and to the rights
OF his constituents, and the breach Of privilege TO
him was greater than il the paper had been genu.
inc. IT, therefore, the gentleman's nforma. ion
correct, and II the petition was on Congress
paper, what was the nferencel That il was a "a.
IRRIGATION on the part OF some member OF the House
TO draw him (Mr Al into the difficulty into which
he had been brought. II might be So In the usu
al simplicity OF his heart, he had received the paper
as n genuine paper, and he believed it to be so.
Mr. HABERSHAM 1.-THE hoor being yielded fol
the purpose Of explanatory here discnimed any
know ledge whether the document was on Congress.
paper or not, and said that he would disdan on he
half of himself and his colleagues, TO say word in
Jeninl Of the charge or insinuation (whichever il
might bel Of this kind; yet he felt bound 10 say,
that the gentleman from Massachusetts ought TO
have known, that he did know, that he had good
to know, OIL at all events, to believe that the
petition came from no meeting Of citizens Of Haber-
sham county, and must, If II from them at all
have come from a single individual. The gentle
man must either have dIsbeeved what he (Mr HI
had stated TO him, OF least have doubted the fact
Mr. ADAMS, offer protesting against the con-
slant interruptions 70 which he liable and re.
curing to the manner in which he had been cut of
ai the very moment he was entering upon his je
fence, fell back upon the assertion he had made as
TO the combination Of parties by whom the present
process was being carried He stood here he
said, upon the accusation Of the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr Gilmer) on the one hand, and the
gentleman from Kentucky on the other, both Of
them being apparently extremely anxious to have
tho question tHkeH; that II he should be acquitted
on the charge Of the gentleman from Kentucky
there yet remained the other, upon which he was 10
defend himself upon other grounds, against the
gentleman from Virginia. Who on this floor could
fail 70 be surprised 70 see the gentleman from en-,
lucky and the gentleman from Virginia united 10
gether IN this purpose Of casting censurc upon him
the gentleman from Kentucky, the head Of the
home squadron, and the gentleman from Virginia
the head, the nominal head from the dignity which
ne cHerrieed "A lnte Governor al Vt,.tn,t a. a. =.