The Arkansas banner., 1844-12-25
SPEECH OF COL. RUST,
OF UNION.


 of the House, while reply to feae of the remarks of the gentleman from Clark. He was so discursive and entirely irrelevant 10 the question, thatI shall only reply to that portion of them, in themselves having no bearing upon the subject, but personal to myself He has taken a wide range, sir, as to subject and to time; has arraigned before this body the framers of our Constitution, for incorporating in that instrument the pro- vision authorizing the establishmentof Banks, the Legislature that afterwards chartered them, and all the officers, directors, presi- dents, commissioners, and cashiers, who have since had any participation in their dl- rection or control. He says, from the pres ent deplorable condition of these institutions, 1t must be evident to every one, that they have been managed in ''most lame and bungling manner;" and judging from the subsequent part of his remarks, he arrives at the conclusion, and it is mostratonal one too, that the individual whose conduct, as member of the committee that made this re- port, 1t has been his duty to examine and in- vesiigate, Is 10 blame for all the errors that have been committed in framing our Consti- tation, in oul Legislation and dFinanciering.- l feel entirely inadequate to the task of de. lending these functionaries, and shall not at empt 1t.
 But, sir, the gentleman i'll the outset of his remarks, after stating that he had atten- ded but few of the sttings of the committee, as Understood him, offered as an excuse for his failure to do so, the informal manner in which it conducted it's proceedings, stating that he had not heard single interrogatory propounded to a witness by member of the committee while he attended upon it, He then alludes to private conversation be- tween himself and the chairman of the com mittee, (alludng to mel, and says that ss asked him if he wanted to convict Col Se- vier," and says he replied by asking me x If ) wanted to acquit Col. Sevier, right or wrong" And here he leaves the matter leaving this House to infer that, by my si- lenee l gave an affirmative answer to the question. It would have been farer for the gentleman 10 have stated that, by a most preposterous and illiberal proposition he provoked my question, and that l did not assent to his. The conversation to which he alluded, occurred on the second and last evening that was able myself to attend up- on the committee, directly after its adjourn ment, when the gentleman was complaining 10 me that more order and formality were not observed in the committee room. Why, ) said he, "a witness comes in, Is qualified, and instead of being allowed and required to tell what he knows about the matter, they forthwith propound leading questions to hlm. Leadtng questions, sir, astonished at such proposition, that q committee of the Legislature, required by that Legislature to ascertain " the truth and the whole truth 3 m relation to certain matters and things, should be restricted, cramped and tied down in their search of this whole truth, by the rules, the legal technicalites which would govern the prosecution of criminal in a court of justice! did ask the gentleman, and under a feeling of strong indignation, if he wanted to convict Col. Sever and would not the same question have occurred to every man Tn this Houses We wanted new light thrown upon the subject; we wanted all the facts to report to this House, and whether they were elcIted by ieadiag question, or any other kind of question, was not at all materiai. If the gentleman had made the suggestion to any one who hears me, that the committee should adopt such rules for Its government as would have an inevitable tendency to shut out this light and to sup press these facts, would he not have conclu- ded, as did, that his object was not to ren- der justice to, but 10 coacict the accused :? Aud are not bubble, special pleading and tri- fiing technicalities, the invariable refuge of every pettifoger who has bad cause, un- supported by truth, justice, or common sense? The gentleman from Clark, Maj r. Owensl, did ask me if wanted to acouit Col. Sevier, but the insnuation that wanted to do so, right or wrong, was utterly uloun- ded.
 The bare testimony of the witnesses ex- amined in the investigation of which the re- port now under consideration is the result, establishes so fully and eonelusiyelv the n- nocence of Col. Sevier of all the charges preferred against him by the last Legislature, had hoped that report would be adopted without dissenting voice. But, sir, see spirit manifested here, emanatng 1 hope from judgements warped and misguided by prejudice and political animosity, which indicates too plainly to be misunderstood. that am to be disappointed Nor did l rise, sir, with the vain hope that any thing which could say would expel this spirit and these prejudces from this House. have so mnch confidence in the fifmness. tho fixed, predetermined and mmovable pur. poses of certain gentlemen on this floor, lha l honestly believe the voice of inspiration itself could not effect such result.
 But my position in relation to the suhec without explanation, is exposed to miscon. struciion. l wish to make that explanation It appears upon the Journals of this House that was a member of the committee ap- pointed 10 investigate this subject, and iron the documents accompanying the priule, report, that the committee did me the hone 10 elect me its chairman and ye. my nam, IS not appended to the report The reasoT assigned for me out of ,his House. and b, atieasi one membes in il, is, that vas dispose, 10 .dodge tho questions, - and that did not ap. prove the report, its statement of lheiacls. infc. rences and deductions thal | could no, con. ecienliously subscribe my name ta II fkss