Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-02-26
Speech Of Mr.. Wick,

In the House Of Representatives., January 30 1885,
On the resolution authorizing the President to give
the notice of the termination Of the joint occupant
cy Of the Oregon territory.
The House being in committee of the whole on the
State Of the Union
Mr.. WICK rose and addressed the committee as
follows:
He was in place, he said, in which it had been
justly remarked that could neither speak nor
hear and in which, in point of fact, little that was
said was heard. Though aware of this difficulty, he
should undertake the task of speaking and strange
as it might seem, not for Buncombe, but for this
House.
His good constituents at home had been quietly
enjoying the Christmas holidays eating their ducks
and turkeys, pursuing their ordinary avocations,
and perfectly unconscious that their representa-
tive here had for the last two or three weeks exhibit
ed the ungraceul figure of sitting here leaning upon
desk, crouched like catamOunt watching for prey,
and waiting for the moment to spring forward at the
close of each of some hundred or more speeches. and
at the top of his voice, cry out Mr.. Chairman - His
constituents had heard nothing of ths but he meant
to tell them about it when he got home and let them
know the difficulty here Is, not to make speech, but
to obtain the floor for tie purpose of making one.
Now that have obtained the floor Mr.. Chairman,
(said Mr. w find that it is privilege scarcely worth
rejoicing over, for everything had been said that could
be said the subject, and il was now perfectly eX-
hausted. There not an infnitesmal point which
had not been made the subject of long speech and
am too proud (said Mr.. W. to repeat what Others
have said before. What, then, shall do In the
committee of the whole on the state of the Union,
believe it is in order to speak Of matters and things
in general, and also to respond things which had
been said by others in the course of this discussion
There things which had been said in the de-
bate to which direct answer had been made, and l.
(said Mr.. W. will attend to them.
While we engaged here in celebrating upon a
subject concerning foreign relationship most de-
cate of all topics discussed here-he could well COM
prehend the propriety of not oersteppng the nodes
ty of NATURE" and of measuring every sentence by
the dictates of calm discretion and prudence. He
would endeavor to control himself accordingly
and to "let his moderation be seem" Yet he fell
at liberty to remember that he was the represen
tative of a fearless and independent people. who
speak their minds in free off-hand style-always
however, in courtesy, or, what is BETTER good nature
At an early stage of this debate we had been tolc
by an honorable member from South Carolina (Mr
Rhett,) that the West and Northwest had claimed
special interest in this question and in other quar-
tiers 1t seemed to be understood western north
western question. He (Mr. W. wonld say that the
Northwest had strong interest in this question. ST
had the entire country and he (Mr. W. was sur
prised to see the representatives from portions
of the country apparently blind to that interest
The honorable member from South Carolina (Mr
Rhett,) had III addressing the committee seen proper
to infer suppose that the Northwest was DESTROYS
by means of this question, to bring on war for war,
sake, and the supposition that war would be prof
table to the northwest in pecuniary point of view
and in this conclusion. dishonorabe to the North
west, the member from South Carolina (Mr. Rhett
is fully sustained by foreign newspapers, an.
by some Of the opposition papers at home. Sir