The North-Carolina standard., 1846-08-26

held three confidential conferences with the RESI-
DENT, by his request to whom my DISCRIMINATION
to vote against the bill was always knoan. Il is
unnecessary for me to allude to our Intimate per-
sonn and political relations, TO state the pqTcu-
lar conversations that occurred it it were possible
TO repeat such conversations with perfect accura-
cy Suffice il to say, that he had notice OF my
difficulties, and knew all about my determination,
except my intention 10 resign / was not willing
TO tell him of my intention 10 resign, when there
could have been no motive for 1t, but to constran
his magnaninty into resistance of my self-sac-
rifce to his administration. He saw that nay
mind was made up and he respected my scruples.
though he was not indifferent to their supposed
political consequences to me, or to his admlnlstra-
lion. l will not say more.
had been positively informed, before my last
interviews with the President that the democratic
senators could not unite or would not agree upon
the amendment which l had suggested, and the
reason assigned to me was, that it would leopard
the bill in the other House to alter it. and that the
House would reject it, If it went back. / replied
to this that it was mistaken calculation; and II
not then the bill ought not to pass with the peoples
representatives against it! The sequel proved
that was right for it had to be returned to them,
in consequence of another amendment, and yet it
passed. as it had done before The democratic
senators must have regarded any effort of mine to
amend the bill contrary TO their ishes, and after
all that had passed. sinister attack upon their
bill, and perhaps they would have been justified
in that and therefore l finally resolved no, 10
move an amendment mysel. AS honor and good
faith TO the party required Of me not to attempt
amending The bill against their will, determined
to let my opposition be, in all respects direct and
above suspicion. So l was exceedingly careful
not to do anything which might expose me to CEN
sure, interfere with my confidential party rela.
tions with democratic senator's, and therefore re-
uod iOh he ~
until was forced to the wall, when, las told
them,) l would be "compelled to follow the die
tates of my conscience, party or no party, and
leave the consequences with God" There is no
senator, am sure who ever doubted my scruplcs,
or if he did, he had selErcspect enough to conceal
his suspicion. On the contrary, the leading mep
of that body on the democratic side, without ex:
ception, as well as the President Of the United
States, expressed themselves 10 ME, upon all oc-
casions, nnxiously, but most con6dmgly-all of
them concurring in the wish thatd could vote for
the bill; none doubling my perfect sincerity They
saw and knew the conflict had to endure betuixt
feeling and duty, but which am not able to des-
cribe to you. There was never an: hour when
could not have altered my course, without any
abatement o! their respect, or any sacrifice TO my
own pride Of opinion, if could have reconciIed
1t to my sense of duty, and my conscience, under
any circumstances, to vote for the bill as IL soas
Yet my convictions were too strong for that
COULD NOT DO 1T. And nothing remained for
me but to continue in my place and vote against
my party friends, to resign my seat, at a period
when no other question was likely to be affected
by IT. owe 1t to myself 10 state; that all those
who knew beforehand of my intention TO resign
with one voice, dssuaded me from it, for reasons
indicative Of their confidence and attachment per.
sonat and political and after my resignation had
been laid upon the table of the Vice President
number of them, without my knowledge, interpos-
cd TO have its presentation deIayed until could
be solicited to recall it. But my own opinion
never varied upon that point, although nv deter
mnation occasionally vaciIlated anterior to the
25th Of July, out of Difference to others; and hao
ing done all for the party that an honest man
could do, chose to resign And now after n
calm review Of all the circumstances, [ do not
hesitate to declare, that should do precisely the
same thing, were it TO be done over again. and
these are my reasons; .-....-- - .'.-. 81
Democratic senator's, numbering twenty.seven
had agreed to vote for the experimental tariff bill;
and so had Mr.. Jarnagin, whig senator from
Tennessee l knew that Mr.. Jarnagin expected
to vote for it, for he not only had told me himself
but also bad reliable information OF the fact that
he had given assurances Of his fixed determine.
ton to do so, which it was hardYpcs$ibIe for him
or any man to violate; and L had knowledge,
more than week before resigned, that, in case
OF a ue the VToE :I Pa ss1D1f'f ">snntnt0 in
Iavor OF 1t. The result has proved That was not
mistaken in my facts From these'!facts, it NAV
be seen that, with my or without it. the biil
was destined to pass the Senate IF I had kent
nv seat, and voted for the bill, it would have pass
ed by vote of twenty-ninel If had kept nv
seat and voted against it, the bill would have
passed by the casting vote Of the Vice President!
But why resign, as my vote against the bill
would not have counted in the result2 It was not
to be expected that should vote against nv partv
friends without defending my vote A speech in
the Senate at that time would have created great
excitement and no doubt the same persons who
now complain Of my resignng would have de.
nounced me for holding on to my Office, merely
Tor the sake of making war upon nv partv. NV
trends In the Senate, who had resolved not to
speak, might have had reason to accuse me oc SCI
hshness and probably some of my reasons. utter.
ed IN the warmth of public speech might have
appeared as much like arraigning others as de-
tending myself In short, deprecated the posi-
bllI.y of an open rupture with those loved. but
win whom dared not act, and was ever ready
10 sacrifice much more than place in the Senate
10 avoid il, unless my duty to the contrary had de-
manded that risk at my hands" Country before
party but party before self" has always been INV
principle OF action. If my seifsacrifice did not
secure the peace it was intendedto proptiate ont
OF the Senate, l am abundantly rewarded bv its
ehects IN the Senate My firm intention was oui-
ely to resign and not to attack a measure Of ihe
administration after it had been passed by INV mr.
y y friends even for my own vindication. And
mat determination would have been kent. If the
NP fhAr IL