Mobile register and journal., 1845-02-27
SPEECH OF THE HON. VIM. LoWNDEs


 must ever exist under free and popular Guvern- ment, anmosItles had been engendered, preiudices | had been formed, and acrImonies had been given birth 10. which had become deeply seated in the public mind, that what might otherwise have proven | blessing to our Government. by tending 10 guard and preserve it's purity, had, in fact, become it's bane Instead oi estimating measures by their hear ing upon the great interests of the country there were but loo many who tested them simply by their contemplated effect Hpon party. That spiriI he la mtnied to see, had crept into this Ha Men of emi- I nence aud ability had given 1t counlenance; and when, short time since, he had obtained the floor, | in ihe Committee of the Whole, when the b-Trea- sury bill was under consideration he had designed (bui was prevented by sudden and iness) to have expressed his deep and uneigned regret, that the gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. Schenck) who had preceded him in that debate. dislnguisheda he was m the possession of keen and searching intellect, brilliant powers of sarcasm and wit, so rich dic- ton, and such varied accomplishments, should have lent himself lower the character of an American Representative, which he appeared well able to l dignity and adorn. The inevitable consequence of the prevalence of such spirit which he had al- | iuded, was that fast becoming, if we had not already bec0me, nation of embittered parti- sans, instead of enlightened and generous lreemen It IS under ihe influence of convictions like these, (contnued MT. ) that rejoice that great na tonal question has at length presented tself which, by it's towering greatness, oyertops all minor issues which IS so well calculated 10 purify and elevate the national heartto call into requistlon the nobler qualities oi our nature-to create high hnpes-lO crush beneath It's lofty patriotism and undoubi ed wisdom the cUnemptibe machinatons Of the mere politician-to rebuke the sordid and groveng pro- pensltes oi those who know, and feel and apprec | ate no impulse buI such draws them rresistibly- | mere bubbles dancing in the wake of party! That | question was the proposed annexation of Texas to | the Union-a question So purely American, and ad- dressing itself SO directly to the honor, and tine great interests of he Republic, that it seems 10 me, MT. jhairinan that all party euds should be hushed upon It's announcement. Every party, and every Administering for the last twenty years, has so hailed H. Like that mysterious star winch of okl drew the shepherds attention from their lowly pur suits 10 the spot where the Saviour of the W0 Id lay | bandaged in his swaddng clolhes IS this qn, sllon now eliminating over an infant Republic, appealing
 to us as ireemen, and as patrIo to forego pet 1 ty wranglIng-tO arise and accomplish in harmony the great destiny to which principles hNe devot- ed us-the spread of the blessings of civilized free dom.
 | And this appea has not been in vain. thank God that there are still amongst whose hearts | bounded with renewed vgor at the first huller of such banner and who, like the ancient Jews, when from the great temple the sacred trumpet sounded gro ARMs! forgot their intestine brois, and gird ed themselves for their country and her cause There are oihers sir, who, though still partsans, yet have respected the dignity of the question sufficiently to discuss 1t in statesmanlike manner. Not so, how ever, the Representative from orth Carolina, (Mr. Chngman) With him, the extension of our instiiu- tions-he immense effect for veal wo, to be pro- duced upon our commercial, manufacturing, agricul. iural and planting interests. by this monentous sure-its great bearing upon military deiences- it's effect upon the institution of savery-its conse- quences upon the fate of the Federal Unun all of "h,ch are now engaging the diplomatic abilities, and attracting tine anxious attention of the gre-t and good of two immense condiments, have had sufi- cient interest or dignity 10 draw his intellect his 1 intn he why "Captain Ryndsrs' visited the White House upon a certain day-why that individual dned with another upon another day-why the sailors of the ship North Carolina" voted in the 7th ward of the city oi New York, and not in the ciy of Brooklyn! Tor such were some of the themes expatiated upon by that Representative in debate upon a question which was agitating this entire Union and which,
 more than any other, which had been started amongs us during the past half century, was calculated to arouse the dormant energies of the patr tot.
 We are in the habit, Mr. Chairman, of forming es- inmates of persons whom have never seen by wha, we read of their productions, hear others say of them. had formed such estimate of the Repre- sentative from North Carolina, and was not, there ore astonished at this expose of his head and heart In that portion of the Unon have the honor to re- present, that Representative is looked upon almost without solitary exception in either party az be. irayer of the trust winch had been reposed in his hands. But l do confess to some astonishment when heard even that Representative exuling in his triumph over those brother Representatives from
 the South, whose most strenuous efforts had been able to retain the 25h rule which prohibited the pre- sentaton of abolition petitions and atrbuling to th,ir silence, on it's repeal, motives which every honest amongst them spurns with scorn, and which could y have found prompting in the heart of who had given stab to the institutions of his own land, and wears the garb of its enemy.
 MT. Clingman here and wished to expain.l wish no explanations from the Representative Carolina Ianaf nna ela yhera Surh an exulting cry over our failure to retain this one barrier erected for the preservation of property and institutions, insult in our defeat, which merits the scorn and execraton of every honest heart | in the South.
 And even with the estimate of that Representative which had, sir again confess to some surprise when heard him give an account, w th much appar- ent gee, ot what he termed the dishonesty of the Senate O. North Carolina, Uppn ths merits of that case, can pass verdict. But if il were as rep resented, would not truly honorable heart and hIg- toned intellect have shrunk from an unnecessary ex. posture of the disgrace off native State, which he. m part, represented, before the assembled wisdom of the natioul It has been said that the wild deer oi the Western prairie will turn and gore a wounded companion to death. But that is the instinct of a brueI for man shrnks from laying bare the failings of his faimily to the gaze of a censorious NO h.. Such an unwelcome task, if needs be t must De per. formed, should at last be left to other hands And well might North Carolina, thus wounded by one of IT., "Et tp BrMsF" shall pass sentence upon him; i; shall not undertake to p onounce what conduct like this deserves; but the Bible Of eyer that Represen- taive reads such a book) might teach him the fate Of one who forgot what was due to himself and to his family. Let him turn to that portion whlch tells of the patriarch Noah, betrayed in an unguarded hour, by toe free an indulgence in the use of wine. and iyiDg exposed in his tent. One of bis soRs bis parents shame, and went forth and rdicued the spectacle before his brothers. In silence they took il mantle, and, with ayerted face. approached iheIr prostrate parent and cast Il over him-the broad mantle of filial chary-to cover his shame from too pryng eyes, The old man at length awoke, and hay ing heard what had passed, gifted with the spirit of prophecy, he arose and pronounced upon him curse, which has come down upon hs poslery to the latest day. that he and his children and chdrens children should be the serDant of spants throughout all time. And most fearfully has that curse been fulfilled upon the descendants of Ham, who even now dwell m the tents of laphet and Shem, pitched upon these west ern shole es proving ibe stern truths of the Scripture, and offering awipl lesson 10 him who dares forget his hlia duties. How the people of North Carolina will view similar conduct their Representative, cannot say; but of this may feel we'll assured, had the spirit of that pure and great patriot, Nathaniel Macon, been lowering in these halls, and amidst these stately pillars. and had heard of North CaroliHa utter such language had fallen from one Of her Representatives here, on this occasion, and that spirit could hove been susceptible of an earthly feeling, that feeling would have been of the most pnmt igatad disgust
 shall be pardqnsd then, by the committee, if, en- teraining these viess of lhe cba'a acter which the Representative from North Carolina has attempted to give 10 debate which otherwise had been emi- nently dgnihed, and worthy of that Hall and the subject, do not follow him into the sinks and pur- leus of party; and shall therefore at once address myself to the great question before us.
 or lhs several propositions which have been com mitied 10 the committee of the whole the state of the Union am most inclined to vote for that intro- l.t tLuer