Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-03-01
LETTERS FROM WASHINGTON.
lp- The following letter reached US las usual, latelyO a
day alter 1t wa. due We therefore omit some portions Of
it, which have been anticipated

I VI IN T""V""HE TVTVCT TGlCnOd us T1a uTlaT TaIeTV \ a
day after 1t was due. We therefore omit, some portions Of
it, which have been anteipated.l
Correspondence OF IN, Wig.
WARRINGTON, Feb. 24th, lsl7.
l have Just come from the Senate. with the cl,.h ol
democratic" arms ringing in my ears. The con,cnd,ng
leaders Of the factions OF L,ocoCseetsn No. nS -
and victory Perches On the noddng plume o. the south
Carolina Senator.
After some preliminary business, MIR. BKSroS took the
floor on the Three Million Bill. Mr. II h,d ,,Len att
eular pains TO have II rumored abroad that when he smoke
he intended to snn'hilaie Mr.. CALHOUN. Atlas like, he
supposed he was bearing on his shoulders The whole world
OF Locoiocoism. and Adantean shoulder, he must have
bad, TO bear such n world Of iniauity
Inc galleries were crowded IN anticipation Of a con-
hicL The lobbics too were thronrcd, noticed MIR
Buchanan. MIR. Cave Johnson. Mr.. Pakenham. and other
Ministers OF Foreign Courts. Mr.. Haywood. OF North
oaLonha' was also present, ON his return from New York
with his daughter. Mr.. Richie | noticed alonr.id. Of
"Richeheu" OF the n. Y. Tribune, in the Reporter,s cal.
lery.
Mr.. BkSroN proceeded but a short way in his remark.
before 1t was evident TO all that a fierce onslaught was in.
tended on MIR. CALHOUN.
1t may be important, hereafter, to trace tho progress Of
this Anti-Calhoun war step by step. Ia has been most
marked and evident, that the Administration intended TO
force MIR. CALHOUN into positions where they hoped 20
ruin him lie has breasted the storm, aud looks as proud
to-day as an eagle after a lofty flight with untiriny wing
Every thing Transporting makes il NOR, evident tbo, an,
Administration wished TO defeat his friends beior, the
did. ""
Ii is not for us to say anything in behalf of Mr. Cal
houn. lie worked hard TO elevate Mr.. Polk. He has been
amply punished for 1t, Us well as the country for his aud its
loiy' but though we need not stand up for him, we may
well feel grauied that chlcanery and ingrautude have becn
Frustrated together. Mr.. Calhoun's friends may well feel
proud OF INN to-day. For more Than two hours he sat and
looked like an eagle resting on his cyTie his eyes rolling
IN their sockets in calm defiance OF those who attacked
NM lie saw. Tor over two hours. the spiders OF party
weave Their hiusy ties around his strong pinons. and then
with one Hap OF his majestic wing he severed the cobweb
as easily as he crushed the spider. Never did | see such
an expression OF eountcnance, or such cleaning Of light
ming IN the eye. Isaw that he scomed aud iefed his enc
mes, as the ghost OF II lmIefa father lN MIA, D.. .,n,
mind eounselIed TO "slrske al it with n paJtyan." They
Did II wons being 50 maiesueal,
To Offer II the show OF violence:
For It IL, As the an, iRvuluerabie,
And their raII blows aahe4szs mockey."
Mr.. BENroN first attacked M. CALHOUN Tor his course
in approving Of the Florida treaty. This, he s,id. was the
cause OF the war. Tie said that was yielding away slave
territory TO become free territory; and that Mr.. CALHOUN. in
sanetioning this, aided Abolition. lie knew then. that ,hi.
sep "onld have to be tetIaced, and that Texas must be won
back to the valley OF the Mississippi. Had il not been for
schemes and deep plots, Texas would have come into our
Union as Eve rushed into tho bosom Of Adam, without con-
Jurauons, OF pouOns, or entertainments.
When the mischief was done, 1t did not lie in the month
OF any man, much less IN that OF the original MIscHEF-NA-
KER, now TO lecture those who then protested against IT,.
During the secret session ON the treaty offered by TYLER.
whose ADMINISTRATIONS called imbecile, he had said, though
II was not published in his speech, that II there wa. one
man IN Mexico, As large as Tom Thumb, he must and
would light on account Of the annexation.
He said that Mr. Calhoun himself had advocated or pro-
posed TO send an agent ~ Mexico with ten millions Of dol.
lars to prevent that war which his policy had plunged US
into.
He contended that Mr. Calhoun made the w,r-,b,, h.
issued an assHnprf Of the war, the very day he adopted
the House resolution Of annexation, in place of his VI R,sl
amendment. THE readers OF the Wing will remembcr
that the annexation resolutions could not pass till Mr. K. J.
Walker moved Mr. Benton's bill rs a rider TO the House
and with this, Mr. Benton's aud Mr. Bagby,s
votes were secured, and the resolutions passed. But sure
ly II does not lie m Mr. Benton's mouth TO blame President
Tyler or Mr. Calhoun for taking one Of the two alternatives.
offered freely TO them by Mr. Benion's own vote. 1t ap-
pears that Mr. Benton had no faith in Mr. Tyler, and 1t ap.
n . arS fhaf no had - lula in NJ r.f,,y, ". -
acknowledges that he knew that this choice he gave Mr.
Tyler, If taken, would be an act OF war! WHY. then. did
he give that choieel Was he not recreant TO his duty and
false TO his oath, TO put such dangerous power IN such dan
gerous handsll
Mr.. BESroS then went into classic his,ory-tothe wars of
Troy, Greece and Rome. The Senator from South Caro-.
lima, like Anthony, as described by Cicero, brought on the
war-buI he did not cthke Anthony. Like the paramour
OF Helen. he brought on the war and then ran away. NOT
only this, but he wished US all to run with him. Inexora-
Die history VIII "lIe with Ton pen on brazen iablets-the
boys shall read it--that as Anthony, Helen and Lord North
each brought on the Trojan, Roman and Revolutionary
wars, 50 did the Senator from South Carolina make this
war.
lie said that another Presideniial Election was approach
and new schemes might be expected. He had read n
:" strictly private mole addressed TO various TYLER off-
cials and organs, during IN. last canvass, to denounce Mr..
BENroS-tD q" harp upon this string" and 10 follow tho
OF the organ IN 'nis city. The then Madisonian)
Mr.. CALHOUN here denied all knowledge of those trans
acuonsl
Mr.. BENTON saw many notifications in the Resolutions
offered by Mr.. CALHOUN a few days since. lie said he had
spoken IN defence OF the President, aud closed as he be-
gan, and continued, with filings at Mr.. Calhoun.
| wIllnot attempt to give you 4 sketch or n report of his
speech. lie Is the most utterly miserable speaker | ever
heard. Not One-ienth part Of what he said could be heard.
lie has a kind OF Pedanuc, %mumbing way Of speaking,
winch completely prevents any body from following him.
As he reports his own speeches those who wish can COPY
from his own report. The above points were all | could
near Of importance.
Mr.. CALH8US made n short but complete yindication of
himself. ! hope you will give them in full from the In
ieIiigencer or Union, as soon as you can. will give you
two or three points
lie said he reJoieed that the Senator from Missouri had
spoken. HIS remarks showed that this war was an unpo-
pulsr war, or there would not be such an effort 10 out II
upon him. He rJ'ced, however, that tho war was show
ing itself 20 be unpopular, a. It would be the more speedi-
y brought 20 4 close. Its not SIX months, however, since
.he Executive organ claimed It for Mr.. Polk. Within SIX
months, the Annexation Of Texas had been claimed by the
same organ tor Mr.. Polk. Now 10 was thru I upon him.
He took It.. lie had seized the golden opportunity. lie
struck out the Senate amendment and chose the House Re
solution. Every one knew that amendment was stuck on
20 catch votes. He was proud o. tile act. The Sc
nate amendment would rs certainly have led TO war a the
House resolution, which was adopted. Mexico, in his
opinion, even now did not know the difference.
lie had expected this attack. lie was glad il had come.
OF all inconcIusiyo arguments no ever heard, this Of Mr..
BESToN's was the most inconclusive. Ii consisted Of ar
gIments founded IN error with forced conclusions on false
They were stale, and had been before refuted.
The verdict OF the country was against them, and they
could not now alter that verdict
The Flonda treaty had been condemned, and yet every
Senator present voted for It's ratification. He Ind Z on
high authority, which he was not at liberty to name. that
hr. MOSEDL could not have done otherwise than make the
Treaty as he did. The charges now made were made two
years ago, and better put then than now. Il was the pride
of his life that he had acted rs he did with regard To- Tex
a., and Of which the Senator could not now deprive him
When dr. Polk came IN oil was done. No war would have
followed with ordinary sagacity aud prudence. Mexico
clustered, but tie weak and injured should always be al
lowed to complain.
Had we left them to talk, complain a while, we would
nov have been a. peace. When war was talked Of, and
the bill to recognize It was introduced, he femonsuated.-
10 dropped a curtain over the future which his eye could
not penetrate. Ho considered IL the close Of the first vo-
lumc oi our history under the Constitution. Ills words had
been fulfilled o. IT they were prophecy. lie stood alone.
Eyon he colleague deserted him, but he was not moved -
Tie had since been attacked on all Isides-he fotbOro. lie
had helped elect Mr.. Polk, and did not wish 20 attack him;
but he was forced into seif-defence. Longer silence would
be d%crogatory. f. was not Of his will that he was compel.
led to speak buth e would now soy that tho great error 10y
10 opening the Oregon and Mexican negotiation 10 seihor.
MeXic, should have been permitted 70 talk ul the Oregon
niu was settled. Had the settlement Of Oregon been de-
laycd even Tor another Steamer, zen 20 one it would not
have been settled now. Fortunately, the Oregon Treaty
he'd been sent out before the outbreak on the Rio Grsndc.
The Army should have remained at Corpus Christi. The