Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1844-02-17
SPEECH OF MR.. PEYTON.

Mr.. SIidell, says The Tropic, we copy be
low the remarks Of MIR. Peyton, Of Ten
nessee, on the same subject:
Mr.. Peyton next addressed the House
1t was not my purpose, said he, to have
said single word on this subject; it wa
my wish to vote for the bill before tn,
House. the purport Of which is simply tt
refund toGeneral Jackson the fine impo
sed on him at New Orleans by Judge Hall
without having any debate upon it what
ever.--l regret that gentlemen have feI,
themselves called on to take a dfferen
course, and not conten.ng themselves
with restoration Of the fine to Gen
Jackson, and studied high-wrought euo-
gums upon his character, nave heaped
mountains Of abuse upon the character
and motives OF The deceased Judge. Is
this just2 Is fright! Is it required that,
in order 10 do honor to Gen, Jackson, we
should trample upon the Judiciary, and
PROSTATE this great bulwark of our insli.
tutIonS--thls safest repository of our lib
critics, upon which depend our lives, our
property, and the peace and good order
of society? Is it necessary to invade ths
sanctuary Of the grave, and hyena-likc,
dig up the bones of the dead, and blacken
them all over with the rankest ABUSE,
and vlrulent vituperaton? No, sir, no!
1t is not. |, COR one, shall not do it; nor
do feel myseI! called on to say aught
against Gen Jackson, feel as much
pride ia his military fame as any Of those
who are making SO much nos3 about it.
regard his military fame as national
property, in which you and |, and every
manln this country have an interest. But
am not quite sure that those who are
most active and clamorous abolt this iiue
are the best guardians of til, Generals
lame. | believe that they are mere pre-
tenders; that :hey are going for them
reIves and for their party, and not for
Gen, jackson or their country.
If this stain, as they call it, on the
bright escu;chion Of Jackson has been
praying like vulture upon their vitals
why have they not been FESTIVE before
now? Why have they suffered it to re-
main corroding, rusting, and eating like
cancer in the very vitals Of Gen. Jackson's
fame for thirty long years without an
effort to erpuage in Sir, you were in
power twelve long year, and not word
was ever heard about this stain. Why
did you not then camor as loud as you
do now, to have it washed out? Your plea
is that Gen. Jackson was then in power,
and deticacy forbid that this matter should
then be agitated. But what pretext have
you for your negligence during the reign
Of Mr.. Van Buren,? Was delicy in the
way then? Did you regard him as the
only begotlen political soa Of tue General,
and that it was indicate Tor the son ,oI
lct in behalf Of the charater of the faith
er? | seems to me that this was the most
oropltlous time for erasing the staia;
line was precious; many OF those who
rad witnessed the transaction had gone
Town to the grave; others were daily fol-
owing them, and the memories OF the
survivors were daily and hourly growing
more and more dimand forgetlul of the
acts and circumstances Of that important
1NOHt' WY ulu you HOl uGt thcHt Do-
;ause, sir, you did not care one fig about it.
I has all been the result of an after
bought. You were then rich, strong and
,roud-your political capital was at ''the
lood, !" and you needed the aid OF no such
lumbugs. You are now poor, bankrupt,
tumble, tmid, and, like drowning men, (
lou arc catching at straws. Mr.. Van
3uren was mere political parasite, a
'ranch of miseto, that owed its elevations |
IS growth, nay its very existence, to the
all trunk oil an aged hickory; but so soon
IS twas attempted to transplant it and 1
o.ce II to live upon its own resources, in. {
DEPENDENT Of hickory sap, it shrunk and
and died; and you have now (
ound out that the only mode Of reviving d
again, and restoring it TO its former c
lecdtion and yigor, is to call 10 its aid the
trength and support and susIenanco of
ne same old hickory. This, sir, is the
ecret OF all this clanor ahou, this fine tC