The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-06-28

""'''S tiilS i!ttuiNdl, tllaL VII. iJdildS II
+, celved from the people OF his native Gil
I an honorable mark Of their confidence b
an election 10 the mayorai,y; an oifc
winch Tor many years past has, in consC
quence of the usual ascendency of III
, federal party Been seldom bestowed upo
person OF his political opinions. O.
t the election of General Jackson, he wa
selected by him as the chief repleseitativ
: oil the executive government Of the Uniol
IN the same city, by being appointed {,
the Office of district attorney of the Uni
ted States. TO the same post his falhe
had been appointed by Mr. Jefferson
through the whole of whose adminislra
ton he continued 10 fill il, aud from tina
Office Mr.. Madison called him TO the hea,
oil the treasury. His son occupied thC
post for much shorter period, but in til,
two years during which he DISCHARGED il,
duties, several cases Of public interest and
considerable magnitude gave full scope tc
his abilities, and contributed their share
10 ms reputation as professional man,
which each year continued to augment.
AT length, in the year 1891, q vacancy
having occurred in the representation from
Pennsylvania in the senate Of the United
States, the legislature selected Mr.. Dallas
TO fill the honorable post. illus, in en-
Iering for the first time legislative body,
he found himself in the highest and most
porlant assembly that exists under the
provisions of the American constitution.
new field was given 10 his talents as a
statesman and an orator. Having at the
bar OF Philadelphia few equals in forensic
eloquence, and being perhaps without a
rival, certainly without a superior, at
home, on any occasion of public and es-
pccially political discussion, he was now
required TO match himself with men train
cd by exercise as well as possessed of
distinguished ability, in a scene which
forbade the logical precision of a court,
and yet could scarcely call forth or permit
the animated current of spontaneous dec
lamallon, so often successfully INDUCED
in the lesser assemblages of his fellow
citizens. His speeches in the senate of
United States, throughout the period that
he remained there, were heard with atten-
ton that gave evidence of his complete
success. Those that have been more
carefully reported, display on a variety of
topics, striking political views and they
abound with passages of animated elo-
qnence. The most interesting subject of
general discussion, was that which made
the winters of 1882 and 1888 more mem
orablc in our legislative history than any
period since the war with England. The
principles on which revision of the tar
if of duties was TO be made, gave rise, in
the former session, 10 warm and long de-
bates, which, in the following one, led to
those that involved the serious question
OF right OF one or more Of the states TO
nullify law making such revision on
principles that it might regard as contrary
to the provisions of the constitution. On
both occasions, Mr.. Dallas took part in
these debates. On the former, after an
eloquent picture of the situation and re-
sources of the United States, he touched
with powerful. but friendly spirit, the
various causes to which, independently
OF the policy Of protection generally adj
yocated by the northern statesman, might
be imputed the disresses that were sup
posed peculiarly to affect and inure the
agriculture of the south. Following then
the course of general opinion, as well as
the declared policy Of Pennsylvania, as
evnced in the repeated votes Of her legis.
laturo, he presented, i'll manner not Of
ten surpassed in force and cearnes5, by
those who have treated the matter in the
same light, the views then entertained on
the best mode of adjusting. the delicate
question, so as to save the south from any
real injury, and yet preserve from des-
truction the labor and pursuits of the nor
thern and middle states. When the hight.
ened excitement of the following year
produced that gloomy epoch in our fra
ternal annals, which was marked by scri-
Gus discussions on the extent of force that
the general government might exert upon
the opposing laws Of the states, and the
consequent actions Of her authorities and
people, he sustained that power in the
Union wh'lc;lhi he -bdlievttidi to DC essential
to its preservation, and warranted by the
spirit and terms Of the contract, but de-
preciated, in so doing, every measure not
clearly necessary for those objects. On
all questions appearing to involve any DIFF
lerences Of policy or interest among the
states, Mr.. Dallas appears uniformly to
have leaned 10 that course which he
deemed most calculated, even at some
sacrifice, to preserve the harmony Of the
whole.
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