The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-03-21
MIR. LEGARE,s OPINION oFRoByT.

MR.. LEGARE'S OPINION OF ROBTT.
FULTON.-The following eloquent remarks
of Mr.. Legare, the late Attorney General of
the United States, were made by him, in the
House of Representatives of the United
States, upon a bill for the relief of the heirs
of Fulton. They do equal honor to his head
and heart.
Mr.. Legare said, he trusted that the ques-
ton would at once be put, and that the house
would pass the bill. He was satisfied on he
high authority of the chairman of the Com
mittee of Claims (Mr. Whittlesey) that the
demand was just and fair.
Every Conscientious man would feel lusti-
fed on that ground alone, in voting for the
Bill; and he was sure every generous man
would feel dissatisfied if he should be Undue
ed to vote against it.
Mr.. Legare well remembered when the
Report they alluded to was rendered.
He was then in the city, and had an OPP
portunity of personally Witnessing some of
the misery it was here ~intendedst to relieve
The memory of it could never be efaced from
the mind. 1t seemed like some hideoas
dream that in a country Which was the one
great monument ofFulton's genius, such q
case could possibly be real.
Never had Poet, Statesman or Hero, a.
mongst the. Mausoleumsin Westminster Alb
bey, such a monument as had been raised u
Fulton's memory.
! Let any man goto the lofty peaks of the
Alleghenies, and look down upon the scene
spread out below.
Let his eye glance downfhe valleys ofthe
Ohio and the Mississippi, alive with all the
, wonders of our internal commerce.. Let his
} eye wander on the vide spread plains, on the
: other side, covered with cities, that spring
up, as it were, but yesterday. Let them
contemplate the happy scene OF busy wealth
and enterprise and uccessfufindustry, which
every where presents TO view. All his was
the creation of the genius of one man. And
yet his children, in the midst of this spectacle
Of social prosperity, were seen knocking as
. paupers, at the door of Congress and asking
S in bis nam forbread.
He repeated that such a sight, seemed TO
him like some frightfuI vision. 1t could not
be reality.
Yet such had been the fact; and at this
< late day their claim still remained unsatisf-
flCu. duu lneTG WGTG men IOuIEu VIII WGfS i0k
denying this tardy justice still longer.
: The house had heard the testimony of one
on whose scrupulous integrity, or whose un-
bending fidelity TO the demands of public
justice, it had for years relied and never re-
lied in vain, in decided advocacy of this Bill
as a matter of fright. Can they refuse a claim
thus vouched! But there was another cir
g cumstance in the case, which gave the claim
peculiar force. Not only did Mr.. Legare
believe in his conscience that Fulton bad
done more good for this country than any
: man (save ONE) who had ever breathed in
it, but just as he was about 10 reap the har-
y vest Of his fortune, the just reward of his
great talents and meritorious exertions, a
0 point of law was started; tie exertions of
counsel were called in; spectators thought
they had now a good chance Of success and
e in the hour of anticipated reward, Fulton
d found himself bound a sacrifice on the altar
of the law, to a stern principle of com
stitutional right. 1t was indeed a double
sacrifice.
His own hope, and that ofhis family, per-
ished in a moment, by the breath of a legal
decision. Mr.. Legare invoked the house TO
do Justice. They could do no more than
a. Justice to the memory of such a man. If
they were to give twice The sum proposed
by The bill, they would still be within the
n mark.
n IN. B.-The Bill passed by a large ma
iority, but too late for the Senate that ses-
sion; and it has since twice passed the house
: of Representatives, but lost by delays in the
Senate. 3