The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-03-09

~ eensure, TO tpsn upon il to teM frow ~ pro-
cesdipgs = si1gle sediment Of sssPsct. lis
vsius is TOO Important h be trifitd with By any
mans resenime n,s.. though his wrongs be even
great and glaring. II is the House Of Consersp'
Fathers, checking the excuses Of Executive
power on the one hand, and Of popular hcen'
tousness on the other, by its wisdom, i's sobr'c'
| Iy. its moderation lis wel,lempeIcd age ana
experience, its comparative permanency, aud us
double link with the Legislature and with the
President. May Heaven ever preserve II pure
and unlarnished from every act Of faction. OF O.
folly, which would cost il The least of the conf
| dence of the People! Never will say, as
several have said 10 me In my own case--"Re-
| lection by the Senate is no censure il has
made one man President and TO be beheaded
| by it is to be made head talerm When this
speech shall become familiar say ing, the Senate
will have los, It's dignity, its sanctity, its own
self-respect as well as the respect Of the nation,
| and il will be an arena for the vilest contending
passions ofthe most corrupt factions, aud will
be a secret INSTRUMENT OF the most odious and
oppressive tyranny. cannot, will not, as a
patriot, SO regard il. The approval Of the Sen
ate should be sought after by every man and
its rejection should be, il Is to me, appalling TO
the proudest Of the land. II is true its proceed
Jugs and judgment should always be so calm, so
temperate, so just, SO impartial, so virluous and
wise as always to vindicate themselves, and TO
command reverence and respect for their own
sake but when it does not manifesily appear
that they are otherwise than all this, will no,
be ready to doubt even their prophecy. view.
then, the vote of this venerated body OF the
living Fathers of the Republic as a vote Of cen
sure heavy upon me, for-som etting--I know
not what.
And at this point here only, do re greet, not
osfracised by body for which cherish SO much
respect am made to feel the blow-I see the
hand which strikes 1.-THE hand of the Senate
of the United Slaies-and had it been the hand
Of Washington i, could not have been, in my
estimation, heavier-and, without an explana-
lion of the reason why, all that !, unconscious
OF wrong, can do is TO stand, as would have
stood, had the Father Of his Country himself
thus stricken, with folded arms, bound to pre-
sumo that it was meant to be just and righ,e-
Gus infection. And here, let me remark, in pass
ing that am not prepared to say how long
popular sentiment, which is above law, within
the pale of the Constitution, loiH bear these Sc
cREr SESSIONS ofthe Senate upon mere nomi
nations TO office. Upon treaties and the like
they should be allowed to sit In secret session.
But when the character and feelings of indi-
vdual citizens are so much at stake, and are put
upon sort of trial, where there is no privilege
to summon witnesses for defence or 10 be con-
fronted with accusers and when sentence of
rejection is so strong condemnation; there is
every reason why the Senate, though it be the
judge for itself of its own proceedings, should
not sit in secret session why the nominee or
his friends though they be not allowed to be
heard, should be allowed an humble seat in the
lobby or the gallery where they may hear the
reasons, and, perchance, may have it in their
power TO furnish, on the spot, to some friendly
Senator, vindication from some charge or a
correction OF some error or mistake: why, The
country at large should have reporter ready to
take notes Of the proceedings and debates to sa-
risfy it Of the allimportant fact that the body
acted and reasoned as became itself. But
enough of this.
The Senate, in my case, sat in secret session,
and debated with closed doors. They have
published only their votes. | am bound TO pre-
sumo that they acted dispassionately and rea-
soned soberIy and calmly, and that, however
mistaken they may have been, they thought
that they had sufficient reason for my rejection.
VIVA, could that reason have been2
/ am assured that no reasons personal mere
iy 10 myself were urged in debate against the
approval of my nomination. Had such, true
and sufficient, been urged they would have been
good. Ifreasons personal merely to Senators
themselves were urged, must be permitted TO
say that they did not become Senators, however
worthy they may have been of men, The man
in this high place must be merged in the Sena-
tor. The man must not employ the Senator TO
redress lis private griefs. The man belongs to
himself, the Senator belongs TO the United
States. The man redresses wrongs to himself
the Senator redresscs wrongs to his country
am bound, therefore, to presume that no Sc
major so far forgot his office aud station as TO
remember any private grieis of which he had
TO complain at my hands towards him as mere
man. The gallery, nor the lobby, nor the coun-
try, would approve of his course, if he did
Then am bound to presume that my rejectio n
was owing to some supposed wrong done by
me 10 the country, and not to any selfish indivi.
dual. What wrong have ever done my coun-
uy7 II any, God forbid it should go unpun-
ished. II any, let the sentence Of the Senate
stand. II none, then lie, it be reversed. Her,
stand or fall.
The votes of the Senate are published From