American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-04-18

torney General; assuming, as in this case, that
the Senate has been abused; an assumption not
at all justified by the fact. | spoke of the
public acts of the body just as the Senator
speaks of the House of Representatives, Are
we not at liberty to speak of our acts, or of the
acts of any branch of the Government! When
we speak of an act which has been done, shall
we be met with the charge, You are attack
ing branch of the Government; you must
not interfere with it; you must not refer to
what has heretofore been done by Congress, or
you will incur the charge ofmaking an attack
upon Congress- | think the gentleman's i'm
; agination has carried him rather too far in the
execution Of his assumed commission. The
, long practice Of the gentleman as Attor-
ney General may have given him q iondness
for the sort Of advocacy which he exercises
here; perhaps his leaning that way is so great
that he does not reCollcct he is not now filling
that office. can account for his distorted
view of the subject in no other light, Not
word can be said but, outspringing his broad
shield, he cries, "Stop; not one inch further.
Behold the shield of AchIlles--not in his tent;
oh, no-Achlles advanced to war, shield OH
arm!"
But again repeat that am utterly at a loss
to account for the unnecessary warmth Of the
Senator. He says that spoke dsparagingy,
/
pray? He speaks Of my manner. The man
ner of the Senator from Kentucky is to make
faces; my manner is to make gestures. He
thinks that the audience will be alarmed at my
gesticulations, Well, they will be compensa-
ted by hearty laugh at the faces made by the
Senator. | mean no harm by speaking in
loud tone; and if people are here who come to
be entertained, they cannot fail to be SO, see
ing that we have comedy as well as tragedy
enacted.
Mr. Crittenden rose to offer some observa-
tons in reply, when the Presiding officer re-
marked that this personal discussion had gone
far enough, and he begged the gentlemen would
desist from pursuing it further. 1t was, he
said with great reluctance that he felt himself
obliged to interfere.
Mr.. Crittenden remarked that it would have
been we'll if the objection from the Chair had
been made at an earlier period.
Mr., Allen hoped the Senator would be allow
ed to proceed.
Mr.. Crittenden. Certainly; claim the same
right the Senator from Ohio has enjoyed.
trust there is at least one member of this body
for whom have right to speak, and he hap
pens to be one who is assaed by the Senator
from Ohio. Sir, am content to learn from
any body. | would even learn from black
guard how to improve my manners, or from
him who has the slightest, fmsiest claim to be
. called gentleman,
III have acted part, it is a part intended,
and doubt whether the language | employed
c was considered farcical by any other than the
: Senator from Ohio. presume to be among
a the humblest of my friends; but, whatever may
be the deficiency of my capacity, hold in de-
testaton, feel an irresistible inclination to put
: down arrogance and impudence, from whatever
- hos, -
fault, but it is fault which the rebukes and ami
madversions of my best friends have not cured
me of, much less am | to be schooled out of it
: by such teacher as the Senator from Ohio.
= Sir, ventured to ask by what commission the
a Senator from Ohio presumed to read lectures to
-. Senators hereby what commission he under
took to assume an oracular position, and arraign
the Senate on a charge of paltering in double
: sense-of hiding behind the bush--of commit
ing acts of humiliation.
| asked by what warrant any Senator dared to
e address the Senate in that manner? By what
privilege? BY what prerogatve? And | am
t answered. it is my commission from the State
e of Oho and that that State is one of the most
k respectable in the Union. Sir, the gentleman
e can say nothing Of that State that will not
G meet my hearty concurrence. That great
t State of the West! Her children are scarcely
r more proud of her than |, one Of her nearest
neghbors. But the gentleman will excuse me
. from being little incredulous as to the extent
9 of that commission. The commission of which
= he speaks is to perform the part of gentleman
t The State of Ohio never gave a commission to
D any one to violate the rules of decorum; to
t stand up with assumed superciliousness, and to
Q give orders and to dictate to Senators what
r course they ought to pursue. The commission
Y of the gentleman comes from another source.
'; wish were at liberty, consistently with the
= rules of order, to say from what source it comes
r to speak out my whole mind on the subject.
Among the least, | think, of the gentleman's
a errors-I had liked to have said presumptions
; it seems his belief that have made him
:, particular object of attention, and that have
L, been extremely anxious on all occasions to re-
9 ply to him. Well, sir, there may be some OBJ
2 iect of ambition to be attained by having
g formidable name, or great man for an anita
t gonist; to attack an Achilles or Hector, when
S victory might make mans fortune, and de-
: feat detract nothing from his fame.
But has the gentleman dreamed it was this
n sort of fame that | sought-that it was the
G light reflected from his name, in which
S sought to warm or illuminate myself? If he
believed this he is certainly mistaken-alto-
# gether wrong. Never did | expect, humble as
{, my name may be, to borrow any lustre from
him; and | believe | can appeal to you, Mr.
G President, to bear me witness when say that,
e as often as the illustrious hero has presented
>, himself in the field, | have never sought to
e gain renown by touching even his shield, | am
n not altogether unambitious; very likely have
IS ambition; but through my ignorance, | never
d knew it could be obtained in this way.
h can promise the gentleman another thing,
n and hope it may be the means of peace be-
= tween US, that shall not seek him out; but if
,, he ever attacks my dignity or gives offence as
st though he intended, dsagreeable as it might be-,
II | would never allow the time to pass; if were