The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-07-03

vctss N the most unequivocal form, on the jour.
nal in favor of that principle.
And here cannot help complaining of the COM
duct Of Mr.. Calhoun after the passage of this
law. and especially after the period when most of
M friendly TO the Protective policy, who had voted
with him for its passage, had left the Senate of
the United States. How well his conduct COM
ported with thatfeeling which became a man who
bad received at oar hands shelter from the storm
which had threatened to annihilate him. leave
him and others who are in the same category to
determine. To explain his conduct l must refer
to few facts.
While the motion was pending to amend the
bill by directing the assessment of the duties on
the home value, debate sprung up, in the course
of which Mr.. Calhoun repeatedly argued that the
amendment,was unconstitutional, and declared it
was impossible for him to vote for it. A number
of tariff Senators, friendly to the Compromise Act,
with whom was acting in concert, including,
among others, Samuel Bell, of New Hampshire,
A. Naudain. of Delaware, Samuel Foote, Of Con-
necticut and John Holmes, of Maine, had resolv-
ed TO compel all the nti-Protectionists in the
Senate to vote for that amendment, in every stage
of its passage, or to defeat the bill BY laying it
the table. We foresaw all the objections which
have been since made to the adoption of that mode
of preventing -evasions of the law and frauds on
the revenue; and we knew that the amendment
necessarily carried with it Protection to American
Industry. 1t was an unpleasant SUBSCRIPTION for
Mr.. Calhoun but it was not i'll adopted to the
peculiar disease under which he labored. After
he had frequently announced his unalterable de-
termination to vote against the amendment, which
he a often said would be violation of the con-
stitution and against his conscience to support,
motion was maGe-and by himself--to lay the
whole bill on the table; and on the part of my
friends, ] avowed our determination not to suffer
it to be called up again during the session. AT
the request of a multiplying Senator, | with
-....- L
time to reflect further; but, at the same time,
they we're distinctly gwen to understand that un-
less they agreed to vote for the amendment, at
every stage of it's passage, the motion should be
renewed and the bill nailed to the table in which
event. they must fight it out with the General
Government. Those who are curious enough to
consult the debates in Congress at that day, will
see, by recurring to them, that on the next day,
when the bill was taken up again, every man
among them, every enemy of the tariff in the SEN
ate, including the Hon. John C. Calhoun, of South
Carolina, VOTED FOR THE AMENDMENT His vote
for the Home Valuation stands recorded on the
journals of the Senate, at every stage of the pas
sage of the bill; and he coniented himself at the
time he declared, during the passage of the
tariff of 1912, (when this vote was invoked in
judgment against him by tariff Senator) by say
ing that he voted for it UNDER AN ORAL
PROTEST.! 1t is true, that promises made I'M
der the fear of death, are not binding in law !;
but it would be utterly inadmissble to suppose
that MIR. Calhoun acted under duress; and it
would be equally inadmissible to suppose that his
vote was given with view to procure the votes
OF others, then necessary for his own safety
because such vote would have been palpable
fraud upon them, if at the time he meditated an
evasion Of the pledge given in the amendment.
Two days after the passage of this bill Con-
gress adjourned; and, in less than three months,
we learned, to our perfect astonishment from the
public prints, that MIR. Calhoun was in South
Carolina exultng among his followers on account
OF what he called his triumph oUer HENRY CLAY!
In the session of 1889 he even went so far as to
tell Mr.. Clay, on the floor of the Senate, that at
the passage of the Compromise, HE was his mas
ter! 1t is true that Mr. Clay reproved the folly
Of his arrogance, and even told him " that he
would not own him as slave" But those who
forced him into the position l have described had
then left the Senate, and the staggering OF Mr..
Calhoun was not rebuked by them. Mr.. Calhoun
il now understood to be friend to the election OF
James K Polk, the peculiar friend OF General
Jackson who in 1888 threatened to hang him as
high as Hannah, and that Mr.. c. Is also the I'M
compromising enemy Of Mr.. Clay
1t may be thought due to this occasion that as
have touched upon the principles Of all the can
didates, should devote few moments 10 the
consideration of Mr.. Dallae. If the modern De-
mocrats are satisfied with his votes in the Senate,
] do not see why zoe should complain of them
He was the father Of the bill to recharter the
Bank of the United States, which fell by Presi-
dent Jackson's veto. He voted for the bill to
distribute the proceeds of the sales of the public
lands among the States on all occasions within
my knowledge. And he professed TO be so strong
friend to protection and the tariff policy, that he
made speech against the Compromise, because
it reduced duties, and voted against it, on it's pas
sage, for the a.owed reason that there was not
enough protection in it for him. He stood alone
by the side of distinguished tariff Senator in the
debate against the Compromise, thus appearing
not willing to yield anything to save the peace of
the country. One Southern Democratic Senator
spoke against the bill, and was burnt in efigy by
some of his constituents for SO doing, although he
actually voted for it. / hope Mr.. Dallas may
share better fate among his Democratic con-
stuenss in the same region. 1t is due TO him to say
that ne has now changed his principles on all these