Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-03-20
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.
Correspondence Of The Richmond Enqnlre,cl
WASHINGTON CRY, March 10, 1910.

einia delivered on Saturday in the House' }"
Committee of the Whole, has attracted mucn d.
teniion here; so much that lis puolicatioh' Ho'''
nnder his own hand, is looked for with great ~
terest lis points were TO upset The knouy array
Of statistics presented by MIR. Hudson oil Massa'
chusells which the high lariffiIes had vauh'eu d
impossible, and to eucdate the probable elecls
OF The repeal oflhe Corn Laws OF EnSiaho upon
the great agricultural interests oil This county
He effected both objects most completely, snow
ing that Mr.. Hudson's conclusions were unsoanu,
because his facts were not facts indeed; and tnaI
continental competition rouM not deprive our
sorculturalists Of the increased demand Tor their
sraples. which il is hoped is 10 grow oui OF DIT
Robert Peels new commercial system. did moi
hear The sneech; but have heard ofh al every turn
in The CAPITOL. today A member, and think
BY long odds the abest member OF The House,
from The Stale OF New York, told me, that, take II
all in all il was The best vindicaion oil Inc SOUND
ness OF the tree trade or unrestricted commercial
! principles, he had heard on the Hooi VI ihe iAoa
| Of Representatives.
The Senate's Committee Of Investigation were
in session for some five or six hours Yesterday
| Sunday and concluded The examination olevery
nerson whose name had been suggested TO them
as witnesses, 10 prove the reasonable Intrigue
alleged against members oithe Senate.
Col. Benton read their report this morning,
which was perhaps the most crushing lhlng ever
emanaIins from a member OF that body. You
know how he groups facts, when desiring TO make
a point. In this report, his wonderful faculty OF
so doing was better displayed than ever before
II stalled. that having summoned the conductors
of the newspaper making The charges, they were
desired 10 name The authority upon which the Of
fensive articles we're based, and lhatlhey prompt
" gave The names OF many gentlemen who, they
declared. could prove these charges. The persons
specified were then summoned and examined and
not one OF them testified To The truth Of any branch
OF the allegation. There was nothing IN the Ian
guage OF the report 10 attract particular aSention.
It's strength existed in the manner in which The
evidence adduced was made 10 show the utter
failure 10 sutslanliate the accusation II closed
nm with resolution 10 prohibit the editor or pub.
Usher or reporters from approaching even the
gallery of the Senate Chamber hereafter, which
was adopted unanimously understand.
Mr.. Calhoun made his anticipated speech TO-
day 10 crowded Senate Chamber Indeed, the
ladies' had complete possession Of The circular
gallery BY eight o'clock, A. M. The forenoon
lrain from Baltimore came in: packed full OF
strangers, many ol whom had journeyed all the
wav from New York City, solely for the purpose
of hearing him. The Alexandra steamboat,
which arrived at nine, brought an Inauguration
day crowd not one OF whom could manage TO gel
! within twenty feel OF the an-chamber OF The Sc
! nate: and question whether single person OF lie
hundreds who came BY The cars 10 listen 10 his
speech arrived within hearing distance OF him.
This was hard, indeed; for those who came three
hundred miles Tor the purpose, should, OF al
others have been gralifed. He spoke simply 10
the notice, and, as usual, made an admirable
yindication OF his course and views on that par
ticular branch OF The Oregon question. Though
must acknowledge that his argument by no
means satisfied Ire Of The proprieiy OF his posi-
ton upon the question, yet, in common with every
person present. felt the power, cogeEcy, and in
genui,y OF his reasoning. He commenced BY
| showing The marked difference between The effect
of The notice il given nov, and lis almost certain
result, il Hhad been given under the aspect il
bore al IN beginning of the session. He had
understood the message sent al the opening otthiS
Congress, as intimating that all hopes OF termi-
mating the controversy By negotiation had been
abandoned, and, therefore, construed the recon-
mendaliou of the notice as a measure prelimin-
ary 10 the immediate assertion ofour rights, 10 The
whole territory in dispute by war, il need be.
But since thai lime, the President had entertained
negotiation, and Sir Robert Peel. in his place in
Parliament, had disapproved Of The course OF his
Minister in this city.
These facts. together with the attitude OF The
| immediate friends oil the Executive, who insist
| On the notice as a means of facilitating negoia-
lion went far towards satisfying him that The
inca sure would be one OF peace rather than
Of war, if rendered 10 the proper spirit and
| with the REQUISITE qualifications. He considered
| The Oregon question 10 be IN position IN
which il could BY no means resi-; and mat
every interest in the country required Il TO be
put 10 rest as speedily as possible. He described,
| in most effective manner, the result OF The I'M
| certainty Of our relations with England upon ou-
| siness OF all kinds, and enforced in strong Ian
gusge The necessity Of quoting the public mind
| Under these circumstances he had no great OBJ
lection 10 voting for the notice, provided it was
definitely and distinctly qualified 50 asto express
the desire Of Congress that the question be settled
| by negotiation and compromise; which was no
| made sufficiently apparent by the House resolu-
| tons to allow him TO vote Tor them. In his OPT
| MON these left our desire 10 compromise TO he
| inferred only. Although Mr.. Calhoun did
| mol distinctly declare that he would vote for
| the amendment of MIR. Colquitt, his remark
| upon it made that impression on the minds OF
| all present. His great reason for icing opposed
u The naked notice, or to that passed by the House
was his Discrimination 10 involve the country in
| war; and 10 Justify that disinclination he wen,
| on with summary OF The probable effect OF such
| a war upon rs In his opinion, il would soon
cease TO be conles, for Oregon, which, as an
| issue would be wholly lost sight OF in others OF
much greater moment, that must al once ARISE
| Indeed, he thought The war would resolve itself
| Immediately into struggle between England
and ourselves Tor national existence, and that we
| should have on hand al one and the same time,
three wars, requiring us 10 employ seven armies,
| and two separate and distinct navies. One war
| with England, another with the Indians on our
| borders. and the third with Mexico, who would
keep her difficulties with us open, al least until
| we settled the question in issue with Britain.
He felt certain that the former would at once
be brought, into The contest oy England, anu maj
| her troops be otfcered and paid by the English
in such case He did NOT regard them, when 80
differed and paid, as being The inconsiderahe en-
emy our people now conceived them. In their
contests with Texas, they fought comparatively
without discipline or pay, which were very ne
cessary elements TO make good troops. These
| had indeed, made good troops Of the Sepoys in
British India, who, physically, were much inte-
| rior to the Mexicans. He was oil opinion, that
| we should require one army in Texas; one on our
Southwestern frontier 10 fight the Indians; ano
| Their on The Northwestern frontier, 10 protect
Ohio, Indiana and Michigan; another about the
New York lake frontier, and another in lie
Northeastern part of Maine; one on The Allan
tic coast and still another on The Gulf coast. lie
| also conceived, that complete Eavy would he
REQUIRED for The lakes, in addition 10 that which
we now have, and would be compelled greatly
TO increase on the Atlantic. Hedwell with great
ingenuity and effect on the probable results OF
such war, which he thought could not possibly
end in our defeat. If il did not totally suhverl
our institutions il would leave rs with an IRE
deematle national debt, and consequently with
an unsound paper currency and an exorbiianita.
riff fixed on us forever. II would also give Us
three or more successful generals-une in The
South, one in the East, and still another in the
West 10 contend for political supremacy al its
close. He looked n this as being full OF danger
to the country. The almost certain destruction
of all State rights and constitutional restrictions
was also dwell on with much earnestness.
MIR. Calhoun closed with a powerful vindca-
ton OF the consistency OF his course upon The
Texas aud Oregon questons-the former, in his
Judgment, having required immediate action,
while precipitancy in the latter was the thing 10
be dreaded Here, be went on TO show the supe.