The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-18

his'cpinechluuOn' III necessary hhNc Hoefty W
70 oiherwise, hut shall avoid all unnecessary rep
''l,oa Of the declarations of others TO me.
When the tariff bill first reached the Senate, war
~ Raleigh, and tben communicated 10 an intimate
alit,ca friend how difficult should find It to sup
Jort II without important amendments, expressing
20 him my exceeding anxiety and fears upon th'
subject. Immediately after my retnrn 10 TINS city
he first day Of the debate in the Senate told seVe
ra of the senators (democrats) with whom was
most intimate, the same thing, and, upon a CONFER
snce, suggested 10 two Of them that might nave 70
resort TO resignation! hut they did not agree wi'h
ne, and consented to think further OF that IL nae
been voted by the party to have no reference, an"
greed to have no amendment % the bill Next day
held long and confidential conversation with the
President OF THE UsITED STATES himself uphl
his subject, and informed him OF KY determination
for the bill; but LEFT II TO his discrelor
whether keep that purpose secret or not In thH
| interview, such was my anxiety to reconcile my gY
with the wishes Of Others that consented to waive
ny opposition and vote for the bill however reluc'
family, provided It were amended so that inc new
Tariff would not 20 into operation before 4h Mafeh,
647. The bill would then have operated as re
Deal of the tariff act of 1912 and far was vii
ling 70 support it, But desired its operation to be
postponed TO come period which would he less OPP
Jressve TO existing manufactures, and whleh mlsh'
allow Congress time To correct its errors, and, after
full elaboration, TO amend before the existing sys
EN- had been destroy ed-for delberaton had been
refused, and amendments excluded, although the
one was due to the subject and the others were ad
mitted to be necessary BY that time, too, hoped
| we might have peace with Mexico, and, indeed,
entertained no doubt that Congress would sse the
necessity for modifying the act at the next session.
knew we'll that the Senate were about passing The
bill, contrary the judgment Of majority, under
The duress Of purity driHi yet, unwise as that was
my feelings ayerse To going against the course
/ Of my party in that body These reasons assign
ID TO the PREsrDEsT, whose name Is not used ,elh-
Il ITHa.a FafII
ate chamber, as had promised TO do, told several
senators, who were garded as leaders upon this
question, that could not vote for the bI unless u
| should be amended as above; but, " II were 90
| amended, IpOuLd gips my rots. And again pro-
missed TO keep my objections and purposes secret
/ from the other side until my own party had been
| consulted, and until should be- obliged 10 act The
| secret kept sacredy upon my part, ana no
| Vhig senator knew of my opposition to the bill
With that view IL was that, down To the day beiorr
| resigned, had no conference with persons IN
| Washington, and out of the Senate, upon this sub
eci, except the President of the United States him
self and ore Of his cabinet; unless II may be, thai
| N general terms, limited to one Of my colleagues In
| The House that was embarrassed; but he asked no
| interview, and sought none. On the day before
resigned went into the country with private gen
tleman and personal friend, Ia distinguished demo-
crat to consult with him upon the single point OF my
resignlng or Of making resistance to the bill mad
frequent conversations with senators, and during
Wednesday aud Thursday, before the vote was IA.
ken in the Senate | held three confidential confer
ences with the President, by his request, To whom
| my determination TO vote against the bill was al
WAYS known Ii il unnecessary for me TO allude 10
our intimate personal and political relations or TO
state the particular conversations that occurred u
| Il were possible TO repeat such conversations WIN
perfect accuracy. Suffice il TO say, that he had no.
ice Of my difficulties, and knew all about my deter
| Inination, except my istention to resign. | was
not willing TO tell him of my intention to resign,
when there could have been no motive for 1t, but to
| constrain his magnanimity into a resistance OF my
| self sacrifice to his administration. He saw that
ny mind was made up, and he respected my scru.
pIes though he indifferent TO their supposed
political consequences to me, to his administra-
ton. | will not say more.
| had been positively informed, before my last in
terviews with the President that the democratic SEN
ators could not unite, or would not agree, upon the
amendment which had suggested, and the reason
assigned was that it would leopard the bill IT
| the other House TO alter II, and that the House
would reject it, if it went back. | replied to this
that it mistaken calculation; and If not, then
the bill ought pass with the people, represen
taiipes against It.! The sequel proved that was
right, for it had to be returned to them, in conse
II ouence of another amendment, and yet 1t passed,
| il had done before. The democratic senators mus
have regarded any effort Of mine to amend the bill
contrary their tcshss and after all that had passed
as sinister attack upon their BILL and perhaps they
would have been justified in that and therefore
finally resolved not to move an amendment myself
| As honor and good fath 10 the party required
= Of me not to attempt amending the bill
against their WILL determined to let my opposition
BE- ia all respects, direct and ADORE suspicion. So
was exceedingly careful not TO do anything which
| might expose me to censure, or interfere with m,
confidential party relations with democratic sena
orp and therefore resolved not to be put in
tyanst them at all, until was forced to the wall
when, Gas told them,) would be compelled L
follow the dictates Of my conscience, party or M
party, and laDe the consequences with God
, There is senator, ] am sure, who over doubtet
my scruples or if he did he had sef-respect enough
to conceal his suspicion. On the contrary, the lead
ing men Of that body on the democratic side, with
out exception, as well the President of the Uni
ted Srntes expressed themselves to me- upon all oc
| casions, anxiousy, but most confdngly-all O
them concurring in the wish that | could vote 70
the bill; none doubling my perfect sincerity Thel
saw and knew the conflict had 10 endure betwiy
feeling and duty, but which am not able to describ
to you. There never an hour when | cou
not have altered my course, without any sbstemen
of their respect, any sacrifice 10 my own pride o
opinion if could have reconciled it to my sense
duty, and my conscience, under any circumstances
., to vote for the bill IL Yet my conviction
were too strong for that. | COULD NOT DO IT. AN
nothing remained for me but to continue in m,
place and vote against my party friends to rssig
my seat, at a period when no other question wa
likely to be affected by 1t. | owe it to myself Il
state, thall all those who knew belorehad of my in
| tention TO resign, with one voice, dissuaded m
from il, for reasons indicative of their confdenc
and attachment, personal and political; and after
resignation had been laid upon the table of the Vic
President, number of them, without my knowl
edge interposed to have its presentation delayed
Ill could be solicited to recall it. But my owl
| opinion never varied upon that point, although M
fl determination occasionally vaciated anterior to tn
25th of July, out of Difference to others; and hapin
done all for The party that an honest man could do,
i chose 10 resign. And now, after a calm review O
all the circumstances, do not hesitate to declare
, that ! should do precisely the same thing, were
, to be done again, and these are my reasons:
ri Democratic senator's, numbering twenty
had agreed to vote for the experimental tariff bill
, and so had Mr.. Jarnsgin, wing senator from Ter
nessee. knew that Mr.. Jarnagn expected to vot
for it, for he not only had told me himself but ais
4 had reliable information of the fact that he ha
, given assurances Of his fixed determination to
so, which it was hardly possible for him or an
man to violate; and had knowledge, more than
f week before I resigned that, in case of tie, III
VICE President meant 10 vote in favor Of it. TIL
| he, hat in,