The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-12
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF MR.. LEAKE,
OF VIRGINIA,

the notice for the termination OF thc Jolnt oeeu
paney OF The Oregon territory.
Mr.. LEAKR rose, and addressed the COMMITTED
As follows;
Mr.. CHAIRMAN am not one Of those who ar'
disposed 10 regret the protracIed debate which thu
aussuOn before has elected in this House. am
not one Of those who believe chat whsn question
OF the lsgpIisde and inportsaces the acknowledged
importance Of this, is brought up for consideration
and decision the debate In relation to its merits and
10 the consequences which may result from It, ought
70 be at nl limlled IL is question as to which the
people Of The United States are demanding al ouI
hands the fullest and most thorough investigation
which our minds are capable Of bostowlng upon IT,
| When the eyes OF the nation are turned towards
our deliberations here--when all classes and inter
est, aye involved in the consideration and decision o
this quesyon--l say 1t behooYes the American Con
CESS behooyes the representatives. Of this great
oonfejeracy, 70 deliberate well and TO consider ma
lurty before they come TO u decision on It's merits
II is, indeed, 20 ordinary queSiOn that we are
eal ed upon 70 decide II Is, firmly bcheHe, 0s I'M
porant a one any that has engaged the stten
ton Of the American Congress since the foundation
Of the government, not excepting even tho momsn-
sus declaration Of war, and the deliberations which
preceded il, in 1912 have given To It whatsoever
consideration my feeble powers have enabled me to
give. have Investigated Il az maturely as could;
and such are the impressions and such the contlu-
Mons at which my mind has arrived.
A spirit Of leyily unbecoming this body, and I'M
worthy of the occasion, has sometimes manifested
itself In the course Of this discussion. And could
well rejoice had matter foreign to the question
and eItraneous to the subject under consideration
been introduced so that ! might be at liberty TO
march directly up TO the question, as is my wont,
and confne my attention, and the attention OF the
committee If shall be 50 fortunate to obtain il,
sxclusivelyto that point. But, sir, am not thus
at liberty. For high the responsibilities IN
der which acknowledge myself 70 be as repre-
sentative in the Congress OF the United States
high as is the duty which owe this great eonfed
,racy Of Staes-yet there is one duty even higher
and more sacred, and which calls were loudly upon
me FOR at least "A passing notice.
The State which have the honor in part TO rep
resent this floor, has been again assaulted here by
honorable gentlemen from all parts of the hail. Her
representatives have been arraigned in body-not
put upon separate tra aud allowed each TO plead
guilty or not guilty as he nigh feel-by gentlemen
who have thought proper to arragn the Common
wealth Of Virginia. and to send inimatpns abroad,
which have been carried the wings Of the press
from one end Of the Union to the other, that the
representatives OF that State--those to whom she
has confded her intercsts-are false to their duty
and TO their country, and recreant to those obga-
TONS which they owe TO their constituents.
The gentleman from Illinois, Mr. HoGE, my
friend near me, on Friday last, believe took occa
sion to draw contrast between what he was
pleased TO term the ancient and modern patriotism
OF virginia, anu 10 Tcdu noIllIy u W NHNl WCiC
the dutics Of her democratic members here, with
view to show that we who are the accredited or
gsns Of that State do not speak fairly the sentiments
Of the people whom we represent. He read also an
extract from speech made by distinguished gem
teman, formerly member of this House, to show
that Virginia had departed from the faith Of her ia
Tiers, and that we, her representatives, were
occupying ground not only at war with the
interests Of the country, but irreconcilable with
the ground which that Commonwealth had her
self taken. 1t is little remarkable that whilst
the gentleman was reading the speech of Gov
enor Floyd, he did not remember q, indeed,
he had investigated the matter sufficiently to
know tina, the position which that distinguished
gentleman took, (and he spoke the voice Of Virgin
la) was Identical, in all respects, with the position
now assumed by her representatives. What was
it, The speech was made in 1899, two years after
the joint convention had been renewed, subject to
the limitation in the convention Of 1927, to be ter
minated on one years notice. And yet that distin-
guished legislator proposed law here to take pos.
session Oregon without giving the notice required
under the convention. lie proposed stronger
measure than the representatives of Virginia now
propose, although we, too, have one mode OF set
Ting the controversy as shall presently show. II,
desired to erect military post at the mouth of tho
Columbia river without giving the notice; and thu
gentleman from Illinois, if his position is correct
should have denounced him, as well as u.s. with th
intention TO steal the territory in spite OF the y'gl
I
nmn III. o.n,.,,,,n That in ;udpinp n
o%". Say =" '"e so .,' 3 W 49,: - SO =
what belongs TO the patriotisfn OF virginia, Whe,he
ancient or modern, he had better leave her repre-
ae'auNe1 W "ureei'e'' - - G.
no, 10 he State which the gentleman represents.
row cir that the gentleman will find his hands full
in sailing That LONG account which never fails 3,
rim mn seainst n repre.entn,ive bv the time b
rncbes horne. and although he has kindly ofere,
to t,ke chary, Of ma NV word for it. the people
r,nrsssnt Taed believe I NAV sneak Tor The who,
l Cpmmonnsol,h az V;rgn;oS wili moi thank him 70
L hi, ;n,srrsrsnco -. ~.
Pr, .;r NJ /. "a, ali The s,eech of ,hc pcn
i ,Isro.n, e., .r.,nssaso mi, Iouyson1-and
viii ha r.noar,harnd ,ha, 90 had here Yesterday
\ boa,,;fT a'';.oSa .s;.;no ,,,, of ;,-cont,;ned
anil nonr, ,r.~,au ,s..,,,, ,non m. Old Domin;or
Will; s,d -, sy,rsr, No, onlu "a SHOW ,bn, the tnst
| and ,isasn.. 81 ,hs a.n,on, us dic,;on bu, IN
ebsr,c,ss nsI sro. h;eb ha h., nrcc.rr,d ,oains
! ps
l ue ssvs. .,.
Nv ~" a., ,,,, ,,,rso
in IL. sSscE J o, for several wears past
now when she had freed herse as they had hoped wine
W. Rives had been deposed from Office on account Of n
oonsetVsiiVs posnio"hen Tue ON DOMINION $1,000 GREG