The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-27

4
been proved TO be fbsel And for what sort Of mo-
tivesl During thirty years he had known Mr..
WEBSTER as public man, and for considerable
portion of that time the gentleman himself had been
public man. think when he was about to make
thst attack and when he recalled the recoec ions OF
that Congress in which he met Mr.. WEBsrER for
the first time, that there might have been Weakened
up remembrance that should have cautioned him
how again he undertook TO attack the name and
character ola distinguished citizen.
Sir, there was In that Congress gentleman OF
the highest patriotic virtue, ehyalry, intelligence,
character, and standing, in every respect-a gentle
man from New Jersey gentleman he knows at
once-hs thoughts ran at 10 the name Of
Stockton. There was IN that Congress, when he
FIRST commenced public life, gentleman who was
sandered to his face. That Mr. Stockton was falsi.
fed In this hall; and the retrbution that immediate
ly followed, the "scarfying" process that immedi-
ately began, is within the recollection Of those who
lived at that time. Sir, tradition tells us Of the
whitening blasting attack Of Mr.. Stockton, in reply
to the SANDER of that day, and that the man who
uttered this SANDER eft this hall crying like u
whipped sehooboy; and should wonder that that
lesson had ever been forgotten. At least il has
taught him lhing-never again TO utter an attack
upon gentleman III his presence And believe
now, was ntmated by my colleague the other
day, that sooner than he would have made this at
tack upon MIR. WEBSTER, if present, he would have
bitten his tongue of. But Mr.. WEBSTER is not
here He relies on his name, character the fame OF
his public life and the weak efforts of few friends
here, TO defend him.
Sir this attack is but continuation Of that course
of ytuperation that commenced with Mr.. Stockton,
that followed upon Judge Marshall and the Judges
of the Supreme Court in charge of corruption in
their decision the question of the extending OF the
charter Of the Bank Of the United States. That
course of vituperation has lived I'LL now.
The gentleman the other day, with the most bold
simplicity might say with audacious simplicity
said that whatever thing had been said Of him, he
knew before that his truth had been called in
question. Now | beg 10 say that the gentleman
must either be very deaf very blind for that is the
preciSe question that all the world make in relation
TO this matter. Il is the truth OF the eharges-the
Islander, the yituperution, the yillifcation which
has been poured upon great men from the same
source
Sir, he is the accuser and the witness in relation to
Mr.. WEBSTER. II becomes US, then, TO know, Vho
the accuser u.s. and what the character Of the wit
ness. He has brought US here from the secret re-.
cesses Of the State department certain memoranda
letters and documents and we are expected 10 take
them on the credit Of his yeracity-his truthfuness
for no otherwise can we Judge in relation 10 IT,.
The President Of the United States says the seal is
too safe allow him 10 break Il even upon the call
Of this House, and yet with boldness that is I'M
paralleled, the member from Pennsylvania stands
up and says he has found way TO get into these
secret archives, and he here and asks US and
the nation to believe he has told the truth in relation
10 this matter.
Now, what then, says the accuser and the wit
ness IN this case' Why, on the 9th of Feb. he made
FIVE or six specific charges against Mr.. WEBSTER
He charged him in the most imposing manner, and
with shake of the finger, and a solemn gravity that
impressed this House with the importance Of this
communication, with having written Il letter marked
"priyate" to the Governor OF New York, with GER.
tain contents; with having sent il by express. And
he said the next step taken by the administration OF
which Mr.. Webster was member was to procure
to be employed, as counsel for Mcleod, a gentle
man who was lately removed from the Office Of dis
trict attorney in New York, and that fee Of FIVE
thousand dollars was put into his hands for that
purpose.
Now, these were specific charges. All Of them
have been proved false. IL was true that a private
letter was sent; but not by express. Why, then,
did the gentleman get up here, and declare the cir.
cumstantal manner in which this letter was SENT in
order to make the House think it a matter of greas
importance
Mr. INGERSoLL, lin his seat) Did l say it
was sent by expressi
Mr.. ASHMUN. think so.
Mr.. lNGERSoLL. think not
Mr.. ASHMUN. l have anticipated tais, and
have before me the Daily Union.
Mr.. INGERSOLL. That is not right.
Mr.. ASHMUN. Who tells the truth--the re-
porters for the Union, or that gentleman Do the
reporters for the Union come here to falsify men,
bers, and insert words that were never uttered
He u 80 reported; | remember he said so, and so
do many gentlemen around me-
| Mr.. INGERSOLL. | remember | did not.
| Mr.. ASHMUN (contnuing) And when he
says with that child-lke simplicity that he never
knew his truth called in question: that is an excel
lent consideration to be looked in this onnexon.
Well, he did state that fee Of $1,000 put
int the hanlq of the Uentleman Late diotrct A.
torney. Has that not been proved false'
Mr.. lNGERSOLL On his seat.) True.
Mr.. ASHMUN. "True!" Sir, there is not one
word Of truth in it., On the contrary, if the gentle
man undertakes to bolster up his former statements
by the evidence produced this morning, it entirely
ministratIon rs fee for the counsel of Mcleod.
Mr.. INGERSOLL was understood to say that
he had not said that it was paid by the administra-
| ton.
The SPEAKER called Mr.. l. to order for inter-
| ruption.
Mr.. ASHMUN. | am not afraid of this inter-
jectonal conversations; for the more this matter is
stirred, the more truth will be elected
The gentleman says he did not say that it was
paid by the administration | put it 10 the honest
sense of this House. if it not stated to be
understood that it was paid by the administrations
| Mr. lNGERSOLL Tin his seat No.
Mr.. ASHMUN. did not put it to you. l put
| it to the honest sense Of this House.
| Well, he says that note written by Mr..
WEBSTER to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for
minister to 60 to Great Britain to settle the Ore.
gon question. We'll, if he did so, think the $40
40 men should be glad that he moved so early.
But this is only important as TO the matter Of truth
Mr.. WEBSTER says he did not send note. 1t is
true that verbal communication with Mr.. ADAMS,
or Mr.. Gushing, or both, took place So far ad-
NIT the statement, and give the member from Penn.
sylvania the credit Of having told truth in the
whole. And it reminds me of an anecdote of an In
dian, who came by a farmers house, DESTROYS of
getting something to drink. Knowing that the
farmer rather surly and tight-fsed, he told the
farmer that he had just come by the bend Of the
brook, where was tree, and that deer was feed.
ing by that tree. "And now" says he, "give me
something to drink for this information" The
farmer now complied with his request, and was off
with his rifle after the deer. He got there, and
found the tree, and the bend of the brook, but no
deer. Upon coming back he denounced the Indian
for having deceived him. "Well," says the Indian,
"did you not find brook and treei Well, did /
| not tell you two truths to one ie1" Now the gen.
tleman gets up here and says-although know the
word "lle" is not parliamentary