Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-05

now branded on his coun'Ty's history traitor,
| IN an evil hour, had laid HIM low. Whatever might
| would be hard 10 convince MIR. NJ. that one who
had entered the family of Washington at Ihs age
OF nineteen, and who had served with him FOR
years. through all the soul trying scene, of the Re
volutionary war; who enjoyed his entire confidence
heo, and continued so IN enjoy Il, that afterwards.
| when the soldier of the Revolution became the civil
| head OF the Republic, and commander in-chi. Of
all her military powe he appoint ell this traitor Sc
/ eond IN command, " would be hard, he again said
| TO convince him, with all his own confidence IN the
| wisdom and patriotism Of George Washington, that
there was treason in the heart Of one whom tho
Father ut his Country loved well. If this, cried
/ Mr.. NJ, is Federalism. make the most Of il.
MIR Marshall said he had no; brought forward the
measure proposed in the resolutions he had offered
as being peculiarly Southern measure neither
had he'proposed II rs peculiarly Northern measure;
/ for he was not one who admitted that men OF the
North alone were possessed Of enlightened patriotism
or OF devoted attachments to the Constitution, or that
they ware the only men who were entitled to psss
censure on one who had introduced prayer to Con
sress to overthrow the Government II had not been
designed as sectional measure in any sense. but
purely rs an .im.'ieun measure-asa test Of how
| much American feeling existed IN that body. and
as ahording to all who were actuatcd 10y It an
opportunity of subscribing here 70 wha, he deemed
the true doctrine OF tbs Constitution, in which all
good and true-heirted patriots could unite, and
winch tended TO secure the peace and happiness OF
| this country.
Thus much for what might bc considered as in
some sort foreign TO the suhicc; immediately before
the House. lie came now 10 the matter IN hand.
And hrst he nal word to say on the nature OF
the defence which had been here set no. The
House had had four speeches addressed to il, some
OF which were most abe and Interesting. IL had
been argued IN tones of fec : eni OF cloquenee,
which must h,ve gone home 10 every heat. After
presenting moving description Of the venerable se
the long services, the weight OF character, the talent,
inc standing, the inluence, and power OF the gen.
teman from Massachusetts, and commenting on the
severity OF the censure proposed to he inf upon
him. that his real object had been to obtain an 90.
portunlty OF replying TO the petitioners, of pr du-
eng State Paper the effect of which should b. In
stay these neendlary measures OF discomfort, and,
with all the power OF his eloquent pen and all the
v'st resources OF his mighty mind, TO rep5ess by
| me iorce OF unansweable argument, the wild pro
lects ana heldStrons purposes of those who desired
to strike at the Union, that the design Of the
whole movement had been n triumphan NJ defence
and vlndcaton of the Amer can Union, and such a
Teproo To those who asAed is destruction should
forever seal their ins in silence; the production OF
an argumen, which should once satisfy all the
world, and put down ut once and forever all such
Destructive designs IS had given birth to this memo
rial. ms had, IN substance, been the dcteCce set
| un, not by the en'eman from Massachusetts but
by the ab'esi OF his odvoSates Now, 1t that defence
had been urged before this House by the accrue
himself, u he had SD much breaihei such a wish
as had been nscrlbed 10 him by his eloquent cham.
pion from Virginia (Mr Botis,l it would have had
such nm effect on the feelings Of Mr. VI. ms might
possibly have revaied with him At once TO with
draw his resolutions. But Mr. NJ. could not consent
10 overlook the defence up by the gentleman
himself, and I've thus turned over 10 the deences ad-
Senced Tor him toy Others. What had the gentleman
saiof As TO what he might have uttered IN the rri
htion OF the moment against Mr. NJ. himself II had
gone by; ms mimi was occupied by things so much
higher, and IN which he felt much deeper interest,
that things Of this kind could make but lutte I'M.
preston upon him. And, although the Judgment
oi the gentleman from Massachusetts coud not hut
have great weight in TINT House; and although The
gentleman had denounced MIR NJ as not possessed
Of mind enough 10 Judge OF the meaning OF the Con-
sttuion, or 10 comprehend the nature of high tree
son, and one who had suffered so deeply from
haoits of incompetence that It would take him
inree years TO recover sufficiently be fit go 10
law sshoo'; and though the gentleman had said
that MIR NJ. had admitted TO him in private CONVEX.
saiIon as justly complaining Of oppression under
refusal Ia receive their PETITIONS
MIR ADAMS here inierposcd, and the floor hav.
ing been yielded TO him Tor explanation corrected
the statement OF MIR NJ. by observing that what he
had SAID was, that the gentleman from Kentucky
had admitted TO him, in private conversation, that
he was friend TO the right Of petition. and he be
| heved abolition petitions ought 10 he received.
MIR MARSHALL resumed, and expressed him
sell as happy IN being thus corrected. IL was true
mat he had taken the ground that abolition memo
rails ough; 10 he received, but not as a matter of
| right, but purely as a matter Of expediency. lie
still thought so; he believed il would be expedisnt
TO repeal the 2lst ru'e, receive oil those memoir
ais, and TO refer them 10 select committee with the
gentleman from Massachusetts at its head that he
might have an opportunity OF teliin5 that House.
the South, anc the world, what was that Northern
men really thought on that subject, and what they
| would be at.
| Bat to proceed, MIR NJ had been ac,unteJ in Mi,
whole proceeding by no personal feeling hostile to
the gentleman Ion Massachusetts; and # tina, gen.
teman thought, by those irritating taun,s which no
man better understood than himself, 10 sting MIR NJ.
INTO want OF pfoprety IN his department in that
he 10 t,r.a NI 81, g...
incorporate as he might deem him 70 be-
The pc ltion which had given rise to this pro.
ceedins was now on the table of the House. !:
prayed the National Legislature 10 take the pre- mi-
nary steps 10 a dissolution of this Union What
was the defence which had been set up for such
document? Two Points had been made frs, the
gentleman inis'ed upon the right OF these petitioners
10 do this thing. They had a natural right TO dis
solve he Cove nmsnt, and 10 sever the Union Of
uese Stites whenever that Union should, in their
opinion. be injurious or inconvenient to themselves
And then, IN the second place. that this right was
nutagofy and oi no value unless they might peton
Congress 10 effect such dissolution. What DID this
argument prove? That the American Government
cannon he abolished by the American People with.
out their asking Congress to do u. This was the /
body which must destroy the Union II It was to he ,
destroyed az all. So much as 10 the matter OF
right.
And then the gentleman, as the next step of !
his rrgument, had gone to enumerate tho erie. !
vances which led these PEOPLE TO desire dissolution
OIL the Onlon and the greva@ were almost with
out number. Mr. NJ would 60 a few Of the !
heads OF complaint, 10y way Of contrast the state
ment made hY the gentleman from Virginia, (Mr. |
Bots. as 10 the object and motive Of the gent cman
n bringing that petition into this House, which he |
"a was that the gentleman fiom Massachusetts I
might have an opportunity Of aIidylng the discon- |
tents OF the Morrill, and satisfying them that the |
Union ought not 10 be dissolved. The gentleman /
had taken he position that that portion ofihc Union
from which Mr. NJ came were trying, with all the .
influence they could exert, 10 effect rereil of the
act OF haueas corpus and Of the rial by irfy; that
they were industnously endehvorlng TO extend the /
existence a avery over the free Staier that thew
ought 70 involve this country a war with Great
Britain with view 10 r. ore the African slave .
trade, and 10 fix Il upon these States forever; end
that the PROJECT ot the Secretary Of the Navy flr
the establishment Of a home squadron had tor its
real Object, not the defence Of the country bu, the
pro'eo on If the slave trade. And then, after emu
nerans all these fsrent grounds OF grievance the
gentlemnn had ~ ned The House that he should pa
nome 10 his people, and say 20 them that u vas
time o take the alarm; that he would give them the
adfm, and that he hal mt oJuced this leti,ion f,r
the very pur pose Of EXCITING alarm
Mr. ADAMS n,erposed, and denied that he had
said this, or anything like Il. What he had s,id
vas that lie Tad presented the petition because he
considered .; hls duty.
Mr. MARSHALL, IN reply. appeoled IN tho re- .
port of Mr. Adams sreecn. He was arked from
what paper he read. Tie replied, u WIS report in
me Nition1l lnieliizenccr, given ny one Of The @
guar reporters ri that establishment in this House
Mr. NJ read extensively from the report, observing
that thus The gentIeman's language had gone forth