The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-03-03
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF sIR. WOOD,


The House being in Committee of the Whole on the
state of Union on the three million appropriation bill
Mr. WOOD said If violence .of language or acton
were either eloquence or argument nave neither II
there were no other in taking the floor upon this
occasion than merely TO send speech to constituents
should not take it. have rarely sought the floor have
no opinion OF what called" Buncombe speaking, and il
not for the purpose OF making speech OF that kind
that avail myself OF the opportunity now have OF adj
dressing the committee. ! wish TO call the attention OF
the committee, in the first instance 10 the bill reported
by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, (Dlr lNGERsoLL
bill approprating S3O00,oQo for purpose for which
(f the language used in another part OF this building is
any evidence) honorable man could never give his
vote Ii has been alleged that this SO 900 900 for
fuencing the rulers of Mexico and the Mexican army In
other words it is to bride them. trust for the honor of
my country that such proposition will receive coun
tenance here Fight to the last but keep your escucheon
unarnished II there those who love treason, and
will tamper with traitors let us not be OF that number
No, sir, if supposed such the object OF the admin
istraton, for that reason alone, would vote against the
bill. However others may do, will never dishonor or
disgrace myself by having any part or lot in such trans
action. For the honor OF the country trust this gov
eminent will never thus disgrace itself.
shall not vote for the bill, sir unless this WuMoT
proviso obtains On this question Twill endeavor give
my views succinctly, plainly and moderately. Were
otherwise disposed could not since all the appelatves
and explosives in the English language, with its whole
datrbe OF abuse such as dctaon s.arrogance" 'sub
terfuge "sophstry" nsdious assaults" moral trea-
son" "ncendiary" esuitical," outrage madness,
'insane rawlings" towards plea" 'cateran," ''scurvy
in their calm and dignfed discussion of the question
In the shape of argument against that provlso, have
heard but little that could be dgnifed with the name.
Has that question been directly metz BY One
obector says twill embaass the administration though
for his life he cannot tell how Another that it po-
ltcal movement third, that is premature fourth,
that it is abolition movement True it is, there
others who, jumping the other extreme deny right
to interfere with the question at ALL and who undertake
to vlndlcate the institutions OF slavery by invoking the
laws of God and man in their defence and who would
hrnw themt he nj jty aDat
oil the constitution TO all these, If time sutces, do In
tend briefly to reply.
AS to embarrassing the administration, and wasting the
time OF the House, 1t has not been done by the dem
ocratc delegation from New York IT is false and sin
lister charge. One of the number, [NIr. STRoNG,l in
deed says he has done If this is true, it is certainly
own powers and Importance. We have voted every war
measure, the $2S0oo,0oO bill, and every other bill
CURED to prosecute the war; reported from the Committee
of the Whole, soon as brought forward by the special
committee, and have never inerposed single obstacle
10 the consummaon OF the object avowed by the admin
lstration IN carrying on this 1t is true, this House
did an independent proposition to impose duty
tea and Coffee but ii has refused to provide the
means OF raising sufficient revenue. 1t has virtually
said It will use its own Judgment as to what are
not dutable articles. This Is its province an indie
pendent part OF the government 1t does not belong to the
PRESIDENT or the Secretary OF the Treasury to dictate to
this House, In this any other matter The indepen-
dence OF the representative is the only security the
try has Were 1t otherwise, might well belong to
the French Chamber of Deputies. Sir, hold him equal
ly unworthy OF seat in this House, whose governing
principle Is acous opposition, or blind subserviency to
the administration We have done everything for the
prosecution of this war, believing the only way OBJ
tain speedy and honorable peace. If have any fault
to md is, hattie has not been prosecuted with su
fcient energy and vgor war, too, which, in common
with others, believe, caused by the annexation of
Texas and that by southern rapa
city and northern cupidityby combination between the
slaveholder and the Texan bond and scripholder And
yet SIR, what change in the tone and ethics OF portion
OF this House One year since, and while discussing
the Oregon question, and conquest denounced
ny many of our southern friends most immoral, and
sion was with them Nor have | changed nv opin-
ions since for nothing can be subversve OF every
democratic principle than war Tor conquest and the
tension of slave territory.
shall briefly notice the charge that this movement is
political one. Our wing friends have long been in the
habit OF arrogang to themselves all the decency and all
the moray-our southern friends, all the chvalry and
patriotism and they have long persisted in this, that
1t is possible some of them may believe their own asser
TONS Little as may be left of these virtues, trust
we shall be found to possess enough for this occasion
is there any want OF charity, supposng that those
who are so ready to impute unworthy and dshonorable
motives to others, themselves actuaed by them ;
They who Judge others by themselves oftener pass
tence on themselves than those whom they arraign
and condemn
During the attacks made upon my colleague, MIR
HING the Responding inquiry made by some south
ern gentleman the other side of the House, whether
there was not at least one northem with southern
principles" The CALCULATIONS which have been show
cred down on some who have preceded me in this debate
show that they have found more than one such. This
debate opened with an imposing anti-clmay of three of
them at once-the gentleman from Pennsylvania, [AIr
T. j. lNGERsoL my colleague, mir STRONG and the
member from Michigan, MR. CmPMANl OF the last
two can only, say par Mobile frGtrunl Sir when
heard the gentleman from New York disappearing her
citizens and at the time knew he had in his pos
session the resolutions OF her legislature nstrucng her
senators and requesting her representatives TO their
best efforts to exclude slavery forever from any territory
hereafter to be acqured and that he must have known
there was but one opinion throughout the whole State
and that the very reverse of what he stated could scarce
RESTRAIN from giving uterance TO my Indignation on the
spot vi the whole delegation, he alone OF
all the brave and bright Names who achieved our coun
rys independence, there was one-and, thank God but
one-Benedict Arnold
In all honesty and truth, tell my southern friends not
to be deceived by such Misrepresentation. tell them
that there Is the beginning of that "whe heat" of which
they have already heard Ii not mere political move
ment, but the uprisings of people slow to rse but the
more to be feared when reused What be gained by
such movement They must see at once that no polt
cal capital can be made by it maugre the whisperngs of
those protested friends of certain distinguished northern
statesman and who appear deeply soicitous for his
future success. Gentlemen mistaken | speak for
class who would spurn the reverson of the Presidency
from this time to the final connagraton (should the re-
pubic exist so long0 coupled with the condition that
slavery should be extended over country free No
one could regret sectional division of the country more
than myself; but ii should be So the fault is not ours
our accusation against the north of arrogance and die
tation is very much like the cry of stop thief" 1t is
your arrogance your dctaton not ours which has pro-
duced this state of things 1t you who first made your
pecular institutions an affirmative issue The democracy
OF the north never withheld their votes from any official
candidate because he was southern man with southern
principles IL Is you who have declared that no northern
man shall receive your support unless he shall first re-
nounce his allegiance to free institutions and swear
featy to negro slavery Now, we do not mention the
fact that you are and have been in the possesson of
nea DISTINGUISHED off nf