The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-30

1
that had that individual consulted his mere personal
advantages apart from all desire To perform great and
patriotic actions, he might have reinquished the post
he held and that his retaining it, even one still
higher, was most injurious to his private interest -
Let il be remembered that Mr. C.. preciudec from his
calculation the high the honorable and Just ambition
which aimed the achievement of great and ~ orthy
deeds in the public service. Such ambition
honorable To all. That man was right was WORTHY
of all praise,
WHO couried fame but as the spur TO brave
And noble deeds -
But the gentleman from Tennessee had not stopped
here he had INDUCED hin self a of very Sc
we're elimination against the President of the United
States; not in the discharge of his official duties as
President, but as individual man. Mr. C.. did not,
In this relation intend 10 join Issue with the gentle
man in his general obloquy and censuIe OF the Ad-
minstration. Mr.. c. dealt with specific acts and
measures which nigh be charged, but not with gen
era obloquy. And here he would say, in regard to
what had fallen from the gentleman Of this character
that they were at the opening of short session
OF Congress, which was to expire on the Sd Of March
nex, and that there was now vast mass OF public
business of The deepest ntees, to the country which
demanded the action of the House. And the first
consideration was whether il for the interest Of
the country for the honor of themselves its Rep
to throw aside the legislation of the
try, shut their eyes to the great questions which
awaited their decsion and to episoJical digres-
sons respecting the character of individuals Were
Mr. intention to argue that question strictly, he
might remind gentlemen that the great questions of
the bankrupt law, of the appropriation bills ard Of
the British treaty not affected by the individual
relation Of parties or Of men they Iested the great
considerations Of public interest And these ques
tons and others of like character lay before them,
did it comport with the credit Of the House depart
| from them to 60 into mere party dsputation2
There was another consideration which ought to be
looked at IL was now not two years since, by the
result OF the elections of ls4O, party revolution
was effected in the country a party was formed
and new men came into the Government. Since
| then there had grown up an iniernecine in the
ranks of that party, which had been pursued for
year and half past. In the mean while, there stood
| the Federal Government, with its fixed Constitution,
and all its several functions determined by that
Constitution Interchangeable by the behests of party
sort of god Terminus, with all these political and
party changes going on around it. Against this fixed,
immovable Government and Constitution, they had
OF these parties hur itself in the madness Of
desperation. And what had been the consequence
The party thus holding the shifting relation to which
he had alluded had been dashed atoms its feet
In the course Of this operation they had heard in that
House and throughout the country quite enough of
mutual elimination and recrimination. God alone
knew, indeed, how much ii enough to suffer but
for one, he thought there had been enough quite
enough of it. Were any further and future objects
still to be promoted by Wing gentlemen ndulging
themselves in these ferocious attacks upon the Co
yernment' For let il be remembered that the ques
ton had two sides to it; and MIR. c. disposed to
look at both One of the great parties of the coun-
try had broken itself to pieces against the General
Government. We had presented most extraordi
nary spectacle TO the world for the last two years
On what events did they about to enter
There was a trite proverb which declared that ca
perientia docet" He said it not true He said that
erperientia non docei For while this most wo .-r-
full spectacle had been presented to all men in these
United States, what did they see There was ano-
Their party who stood by in most convenient att
tude, with folded arms, looking and laughing
while their adversaries who had triumphed in 1910,
| war; iEp he Il liam liz, Il, 4
vourng another. And with this warning be-
fore their eyes, with full knowledge Of all these
facts, the indications were-the imperfect givings
outhe whispers were, that this other party had come
to the conclusion in the madness of desperation
to hur itself against the rock of the General Govern
ment.
| He heard gentlemen say that this was a great
mistake; he trusted it was for although there might
be certain leaders of the party who would like such
course to be taken, it would not happen.-t
He had said that the Federal Government
was a fixed constitutional fact--(here Mr.. C.
was int rupted for short time by the confusion
| IN the House)-yes, 1t was fixed constitution
al fact, and that the basis Of all his conclu-
sions. Now suppose an individual placed as the Pre-
sident of the United States placed-it mattered
not WI ether he held his place by primary vote or
whether by circumstances unforeseen it devolved up
on HMM either case there he stood, by the Cons-
tuition, President of the United States. What was
his first duty The honorable discharge Of his Off
cial functions; the endeavor to do much public
good as Providence would permit In discharging
this his duty he was bound to look at facts around
him; to see how far he could count on cooperation
by the People their Representatives When
gentlemen talked about the treason OF certain
of the Presidents friends-the gentleman from Vir-
gina, (Mr. Wse) for example, himself; (and he
really thought they had their full share of personal
abuse, y the question was how the Government was
to be carried on, and by whose add MIR. c. would
say to gentlemen Of all parties in that House, and
more especially to gentlemen constituting the majo
| iu( o,,;Sh tbs De.
sident in carrying the Government which is your
highest duty he must seek the aid of your adversaries
| If you Wings (said MIR. CO. will lock the wheels of
Government, | trust aid will be found in the Dem
ocras and thus, and thus only, present the ques-
ton TO the House. The House for time in
no little confusion, though apparently more in mer
rment than anger.
| Mr.. G.. went on to observe we had present.
ed to u.s. in these United States great career of
bition and its end was the eliminating point of hu.
greatness at least in this country if not the very
highest ascent of human ambition in Chrstendon.-l
| And if they looked round he knew not how many
competitors striving for the prize; he doubted if
he could count them on his fingers. A voice: Five
Well say five. voice, shame them; do name |
them!"] 1t is not necessary th,t | should name
them. Their name is Legion" In this state
! of things, Mr. G. said he knew not how far par
ties mig hit split, whether from difference in opinion
or from personal relations. He could in the ace
for the Presidency no individual who, far as he
could judge, presented an overwhelming, irresistible
power Looking to overt acis as the criterion, he
should say there such competitor. He under
stood there to be Wing Convention, and there
also to be Democratic Convention; and he did
not know that they might not agree. But there
certain building, early blossoms Of
discord-whch might lead to doubt what would be |
the precise of these conventions. However !
this nigh the, this he did know, that during year
and half to come there must be great popular COM
motions and discussions. Whether a candidate might
be Nominated by each convention not, this he knew
and why should he not say it he thought the
whole he had better say several Voices "oh s,do
say it do ia couid not be for the political in crest Of
amy of the parties TO carry rery furious