The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-18

was derived from the public lands; and TO dlstnb'
ute which in fact to distribute portion OF ueif
proceeds Now, SIR ask, II Congress mas 'he
power TO distribute the one-half, or any o,hef por
lion Of the proceeds Of the public lands fhat power
does not extend TO the whole ofthe At whet point
will my sccusers make the Distinction WIN they
inform me what portion may, and what Poruon
cannot be distributed IT, sir, they will do this,
will frankly admit that ! nave done lnlnsuee 70
General Jackson. Otherwise, | cannot, and all
their clamor on this head must fall TO the ground.
As TO the Oregon territory, my first object, after
| NV arrival here, 10 inform myself 10 the ex-
tent of the title Of the United States TO that terrific
| nv; and from the examination which have been
able TO make, have come TO the conclusion that the
United States rs he r,ghlful owner Of the whole of
that territory. had therefore determined 10 give
my aid and support TO all the measures recommend
ed by the President in his message, with view TO
establish and enforce title 10 the whole Of that
territory; and after the expiration OF the notice ter
ninating the joint occupation Of the country, am
prepared to give my support TO bill organizing
Territorial gov eminent, and extending laws over
the whole country. Sir, believe the title of the
United States is iDdispuiabe the whole country, we
must either timidy abandon our right and title, or
we must resort to the necessary means to enforce
and support IT, This, in my Judgment, is the only
means of bringing the issue TO speedy termination,
I and would adopt it, IL war is be the result |,
for one, would prefer IL now, rather than to leave
rs legacy TO the rising generation. am unwil-
ierest of my country. ....
Mr.. President, 1 presume il is unnecessary for
me TO say that am opposed 10 the establishment Of
a bank Of the United States. My opinions on this
subject have been so often expressed, that it would
be a waste Of time to add anything further.
| desire now to say few words relative TO a per-
sona matter. Thirty-one of my enemies, members
of the legislature Of Tennessee, have published an
address in which they denounced me in no measured
terms. | shall not attenpt TO answer or to reply
! "A. "A. a.
lsiing to my sacrifice Of principle have been fully
answered In my preceding remarks. What pro-
pose to notice now, are the facts upon which
their superstruclure is built. To sustain their
malicious charges against me, the thirty-one mem.
bers say, "the FIRST remark that must strike every
man, on reading Mr. Turney's address, is, that al
though MIR. Turney set out with the declaration that
he slandered, abused, and misrepresented pend
ing the election, he has wholly failed to make any
denial OF the alleged concessions of principle with
which he stood charged" IL is, then, upon this
supposed admission Of mine that the people are now
called upon, by the potency Of thrty-one Names to
censure and condemn me. Would to God, Mr..
President, you had intimate acquaintance with
these thrty-one members, headed with tbs name Of
Harvey M. Watterson And who is he siri An
opponent Of Gen. Jacksons administration through
out, as have always understood--oDe who with
zeal, advocated and supported the election Of Judge
White. In 1888 he fixed his heart and eve on a
seat in the other end of this Capitol, and to
ical somerset, and united himself with the demo-
cratic party, and, by the aid and continuance of
Mr., Nicholson, he obtained the object OF his
wishes. IL l64l and ls42, the districts were so
changed as 10 preclude his reelection but he
loved Office, and desired to continue in public life
whereupon he commenced Counting Captain TYLER
became strong Tyler man, and finally obtained an
appointment from the Captain, and was subsequent
+ y most justly rejected by this body He returned
TO Tennessee and is again a most flaming democrat,
: (Aar he
This, MIR. President, Is one Of the men who ques-
tons my democracy, and who has taken into his
special keeping the memory OF General jackson.
But sir, TO return TO their proof; and to this say
their premises are false, will be seen from their
own showing. In speaking of nv conduct pendins
the senatorial election, say that the charges are
ISLANDERS and misrepresentation Of my course and
conduct in that heated contest This thew say in
no denial of the truth of these charges f'his. sir
is sort OF special pleading that have not been ac-
cusomed 10. | say these charges are SANDERS and
misrepresentation Of my conduct. Does this adj.
nit or deny the charges' II had said that these
charges were false and reproachful-which is the
same thing that IL meant by the term sanderous-
could my accusers have said that II was an admis-
sion OF the truth Of those charges' This by A per-
version OF the meaning Of words, is substantially
what they allege. Again | said my conduct in the
election s1I M ",,-carrs."nied Does not this
that 1t haa been falsely represented, and to my dis
advantage? Should not this be regarded as a fat
denial Of the charges' wished TO lie thus under
stood, and thought that had expressed myself
in clear and unequyocal terms. | now submit 10
the judgment of an impartial public to say whether
have not been slandered and msrepresented in the
address Of the thiry-one members.
4 One other precious piece of evidence they refer TO
| TO establish my guilt and them sir, you have the
whole testimony before you. In their address they
! say but no wing ever ventured to DENY the
charge, except some few, on the final balloting,
when their names called arose in their places,
and declared their ignorance of any concessions ever
having been made by Mr.. TURNKEY but The BODY of
the wings by their silence evasons when inter.
rogated, and their efforts TO Justify Mr. TURsEy
upon the suppositon that the charges were true. ,,
Here sir is the mass of evidence collected by thirty
one OF my enemies, and ingeniousy and falsely set
forth with malignant and wicked design of DESTROY
ing me in the public estimation. What fact ia here
proveD' None. They have suppressed the fact
that my friends, Immediately on the charges being
made, fatty denied and conradcted these charges
on my authority. Could or my friends have done
more? But, sir, TO their proof: the whigs they
say were SILENT some evaded, some justified on the
supposion that might be guilty, and some denied
They make the wings tEeir witnesses after they had
failed to prove anything by them. They, in effect,
say these wings great rascaIs--they are fiaudu-
lently suppressing the truth; and, therefore, from
their silence we infer TURNErs guilt and that those
who have denied have spoken falsely. This sir,
is the inference they make in order to affect me
Was 1t ever allowed in court of Justice for
man to discredit his own witnessed In the first
place the assertion in this paragraph that no
wing venured to deny, &c. until the final vote was
taken, Is net true in point Of fact and these thiry
! one members must have known it was not true
when they made this address And again. thew
say, another portion evaded. Who they are and
how they eevaded not told. fme thew
give the name Of Mr.. Cullum, Of Smith, as one
| instance of evasion. Col. Cuum being catechised
in debate, denied their right thus to nterrogate him;
but am Informed that in conversation afterwards
| he told Mr. Watterson he had no knowledge of the
alleged charges, and yet Mr. Watterson suppresses
this fact from his coadjutors and from the public,
and now urges Col. Cullums refusal to be cate,
cbised as an evidence Of my guilt He mus, be
great lover of truth and fair dealing to resort to so
base a trick to accomplish wicked design Who
| else evaded they do not condescend to tell US The
third and last item in this paragraph 10 this "And
| their efforts to justify Mr. Turney upon the suppo-
sion that the charges true" This allegation