Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-02-13
FROM WASHINGTON CITY.
I Correspondence ot The Richmond Enquirer. J


scsne of intense excitement and "about town,
Today, we have an almost unexamPied qu'et
II appears as though the machinery oy winch
the minds. feelings, MOTTO say passions, oil mem
beers and the public are operated on, has e"ne'
broken down from overwork, or ceased ac''ol
from The withdrawal Of The motive power. ~
The House, this state OF things will doubtless con
Time 10 exis, until The tariff question shall be
taken 10. or until The bills and resolutions inci
den,ally connected with the Oregon question
came 10 be considered; in which case The ~hiri
wind will again rise, iflhe appearance OF our feia
lions with Great Britain, as they then exist, j
threatening. AS The discussion, commenced TO
day in The Senate, progresses, the popular mine
will be by degrees excited, until, by the end c
the debate, public sentiment, no, only in Wash
ineton, but throughout The country, must be ever
more effectively agilaied than Of late. To-day
the nerves OF all usually 10 be found about the
House, are perfectly unstrung. Such lislIessness
has not been seen before since the commence
ment oil The session. II is the calm OF utter eXhaus-
tion--lhe most stupid calm imaginable.
Our friends in and ont OF Congress are de.
lighted with the gand finale of this, the most
important and able debate known in The history
of The American National Legislature. Thus
il is as Mr. Adams characterizes il and who 50
good a Judge as he 7 He certainly knows
more OF the civil, political, legislative and
diplomatic annals OF his country than any
other man in it, He stands without rival in
such requirements. He said in his speech Of
Yesterday that all that an, eloquence, learning
patriotism and ardour could do, Tor either side OF
- - h.l -
bear in The debate. il was his opinion, tha, every
possible argument likely 10 affect sensible man
in making up his judgment had been advocated
and maintained with power and 10 The purpose
The speeches against the notice were quite as bic
as those on the other side many OF Them, indeed
were clothed with double force, from he fact thai
the strongest calls Of public duty operating On
high minded and patriotic men alone compelled
The Republicans who differed from their political
brethren on the subject matter, 10 separate from
them even on mere question OF expediency-no
of principle. However much may have differed
from our Southern friends who went against the
notice, can and do appreciate the noble efforts
on their part, to which this discussion has given
birth The world may be searched, the journals
of the Legislatures of this country England and
France may be examined, and eleven such
speeches as were made BY The eleven Southern
Democrats who addressed The House in oppos
lion TO The notice, are moi 10 be found elsewhere
The South, even though not concding in theil
positions aud opinions, may well prize them as
The richest gems in their cabinet Of Southern
Parliamentary literature In my last letter hat
neither time nor space 10 devole 10 comments OF
the work Of yesterday in Congress, as marked
by important results as that work is. The vote
OF the House on the notice stands ont in bold re
liel, a singing and overwhelming rebuke 10 he
insinualions of which, as fby concert the speeche:
then msde by Messrs. Mangum in the Senate anc
Butler King in The House, were almost entirely
composed These gentlemen, il not in so many
words in effect certainly, argued 10 show that tht
Presidents course on the Oregon question hadJust
ly lost him the confidence of the country, as well al
otlhe Democratic party. II is useless TO remind
your readers of the verdict pronounced not only
by The whole people OF The United States, with
few insignificant exceptions, but BY the civilized
world, as far as i, has as yet reached u.s. upon
his management OF the controversy up 10 the
publication of the message. That verdict Is
known 10 all who read The newspapers OF the
day. The fact that The Presidents subsequent
management of the subject and his general poll
CIV thereon are equally satisfactory 10 the United
States is manifested most clearly by The MAORI
~ of one hundred and nine votes on The question
Of the nolice-a majority which not only en-
sixteen, but more than one-hall OF The opposition
strength Of The House, all t0id-aye, and in spite
OF Wing drilling, threatening, secret meetings
consultations, arrangements, taking The cue from
The propositions Of the British envoy, &c, &c, OF
which this city has been the scene for the last
month or SO. All the efforts OF party machinery
have in vain been directed BY The Wings
against the management Of the question by The
Executive; and YET majority OF the Whis party
even have sustained that policy By their voles.-
You have little idea of the lengths 10 which the
Wing leaders in Congress venlured 10 proven!
this display OF confidence in the Executive ON The
part OF their followers. Some lime about The
first Of January James Watson Webb, Of The
Courier and Enquirer, came 10 this city, as he
declared lin efect through his paper, 10 regulate
the vote oil The Wing party upon The question OF
the notice. He said that secret and highly I'M
ponant information was forwarded to him, which
made il most necessary that be should, in person,
repair 10 Washington, and here exert himself
to further plan, to concentrate the Wing
strength on project, not then known and under
stood. On The 25lh OF January ulimo, he wrote
an editorial from this city 10 his paper, in which
he announced that his mission had ended happi-
", and that on the next day Messrs. Manaum
and Butler King would respectively introduce
into the Senate and House the proposition by
which it was understood that the recommends
tons of The Executive upon The Oregon question
were TO be defeated which, he then remarked, but
for The death OF The Hon. VIM. Taylor would
have been brought forward on the 18th ulImo
The day after Britain's offer to arbirate before
distinguished individuals" was submitted 10 the
u. S. Government On the mex, day, Messrs
Mangum and King did simultaneously introduce
propositions iniolhe American Congress, identi-
cal in effect with That Of the British Government.
The van-glorious boasts OF Webb, his history Of
his movements and consultations here, together
with the identity OF The proposal oil England and
those of these Wings 10 Congress, leave no doubt
on the minds OF thousands in This city, that the
opposition leaders and their shalo mouth piece
and bunging wrc-ruller Of the Courier and En-
quirer, were well-informed Of everything that
passed in The meanwhile between the British en-
bassy and our Government. They certainly did
moi obtain information from the latter. They
we're not in its confidence. Nor did they oh,ain il
from any friend ofthe administration, which keeps
lis own secrets. The public must be permitted
10 Judge from the circumstances, TO determine
achose confidence they did possess, through which
this information, sealed book 10 all others,
was obtained, upon which TO base these
ever memorable Wing Congressional move
menls, perfected according 10 advertisement,
under the immediate superinlendence OF ]. w.
Webb of $4,000 dollars memory Such we're The
means used by our opponents 10 deleatlhe notice.
In spite OF Them, as | have before said, even
majority OF the Wig Party in Congress endor-
sed The Presidents management Of the question
up 10 The hour OF the final vo:e. With This now
historical fact staring Mr. Mangum in the face,
he must have moi only the assurance OF the -,
but that nameless genlleman's disregard of pub
lie opinion, 10 venture on assertions such as he
made Yesterday in the Senate. shall not pur-
sue this subject further When Mr.. Mansum
lets himself down to slangwhangine, following
him up is like playing poker for pennies. The
game is not worth the candle.
In the House Today, the annual fortifcation
appropriation bill was passed in Committee of
the Whole, but is not vet acted on out Of Com
mittee. II contains clause, giving The Execu.
tive permission 10 apply il al once if he thinks
proper, which is doubtless. suggested by our re-
lations with England. Nothing else of mpor-
lance 10 your readers was touched.
In The Senate, The notice question was taken up.
according 10 arrangement By nine o'clock, A.
NJ, every seat in the gallery was occupied,
This crowd OF citizens and soiourners were so