Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-01-13

antounded / challenge defy -.yes, / ia,
them 10 show me statement there, that
untruei
Il is true, the gentleman from Desmoin
(Mr. Hebard) refers 10 the arrest Q
Marshall as appearing in the protest
but il the gentleman understands us o
protesting against his being legally arres
ted, he is mistaken. We protest ssains
the manner Of his arrest; and / now chal
lenge gentlemen to produce prsceden
in the annals Of legislation that will sus
tain them in the course they have pur
sued. He was arrested upon the mer,
ipse diri o. man deprived Of his lib
erty-and because he had the hardihoot
10 protest against being robbed oil his
rights as cilizen-b because lie demanded
to have the charges and specification.
against him reduced TO writing and sweru
to, before he would be compelled to an.
swer them--because he asked the House
to hear him by his Counsel--a reques,
which was never before reiused-and for
the reason that these reasonable requests
were contemptnously voted down, and re-
fused BY the Kingiy majority Of one in
this House, we protested.
Gentlemen would dictate 70 US what
kind Of language we should make use of
to convey our ideas. They say that it is
disrespec'ful, and reflects upon the ma
jority Of this House. to make the state.
mentr embodied in that paper: Be it SO,
Str; it reflects where it should; and ii the
gentlemen will take the issue upon The
disrespect paid in this House 10 our laws
Ito the Constit ation-to the people, and
to hnmani.y-ws will make it tell against
and reflect upon them with tenfold great.
er force.
Do gentlemen recollect that par: of the
protest which rsferx to the refusal of this
House to give Marshall nourishmen,
aye, even to provide him witt, bread,
while he was in confinement by their or
der? Yes! and they say that it is cruel
In US to denounae that refusal as an act Of
tyranny. That resolution was intr oduced
by me, Sir; it simply asked that the Ser.
gesnt at arms should be authorized to fur
nish the prisoner with food, while he
should be detained in durees; and de-
nounce it as cruel and tyranical act.
Gentlemen h We insinuated that we ere
trying to offend Marshall. l, Sir, stand
here as the Representative Of the people
not as the deteider OF any man, or set
OF men-not the defender of any party or
parlizans-but as the friend Of humanity
and the defender of constitutional liberty, |
my voice shall ever be against the course !
pursued by this House. Search the his
tory Of criminal proceedings, and show me |
Nh instance where the prisoner has been |
refused iood! Irepea', Sir, it was cru.
city upon the part pf this House, cruel
y which the most hear,le.s monster, the,
most ruthless dePot that ever diseraccd !
humanity, might Ie proud to initiate
twere cruel to illegally deprive man of
his liberty; but ii, dan,nable to snatch the
Food from his mouth, that was to sustain
life
1t is said, we were opposed to Mar.
shall's being tried BY the Comm;t,ee-we
we're opposed to the course Of the House
n disregarding his affidavit, which stated
hat The Chairman of that Cemmittee
was q sworn enemy OF his, and that an
,ther had conspired to entrap hun.
'ay he was unimpeached, and his oath
ought 10 have more weight than the mere
assertions Of member Of this House;
yet these same gentlemen stood in their
places, and urged the proprie,y of trying
lin before them. Their request was
granted, and he was handed over TO his ,
Because we opposed this
course, We are charged With having tried
o shield Marshall and suppress the inves.
igation. 1t Is needless fer me 10 say,
SIR, that is a gra'ui'ous and sroundless
assumption. wholly unsu>tainsh by the |
acts, as the journals, unless e sly per-
'erted, will show. We dare them 10 the !!
>sue, well knowing that they will be en-
,ulphed in the whirIp pool OF public indig- |
,atlon by an exposition Of the facts.
Again, Sir, they have endeavored to
on, US down. to gag US, by sprinsins upon
IS motions which were MT debateable.
But in this last attempt they have not sue
,eeded 90 well. After having heard
heir own side Of the case, they have
wished to adjourn! Was mt this hon.
'rable was it not nagnanimous. truly,
u maturity drilled for The purpose of for
cling through any party measure, however
revolting-a majority deaf 20 reason,
'teeled against justice and humanity, and
not one OF whom has ever evincsd The
Eighties, scrnpes at any thing proposed on
hat side of the House? Though ben, up
IN violation "f Var Elementary usage, and
sven OF the Constitution itself, pre- pared
~ previous ha' dening fur the perpeira-
ion of the most daring ou'rages, and Ut
.erly devoid Of shame, they could not en-
iure to hear the honest reasoning aud de-
Of those over whom they had
resolved to 'yranniz-. Perhaps they
feared lest some Of their number more
honest and less hardened than the rest,
should be frightened by the too faithful
pictures Of themselves which might thus
be held up 10 their view. Perhaps they
were apprehensive that some one might
be visited with compunctions Of con-
science, and induced 10 Telenf of the dia
bo!icsl purpose upon which their forces
have thus lar been united.
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