The North-Carolina standard., 1847-02-17
OF MIR. FLEMING,

lutions approprIatIng Slu,oOo 10 tue Nollh
Carolina Volunteers
had not intended MIR. Speaker, to have infiict
ed speech upon the House at this late hour, be-
ing now near six o'clock bad it not have been for
the position assumed blythe advocates Of this reso-
luton and It's. (as l consider) MexlcaR or anti
American preamble But ST, tb Sc Iand'sub-
NIT To- hear positions assumed and advocated much
more conoeuiaI To the feelings of the advocates OF
Santa Anna, than to Amer iPan-crlzeps, Us more
than conceive ought io- be required [Dr North
Carolina legislator, unless he is composed OF ma,
leraIs very different from what hope has e1!e5s9 g
into nv composition .SH. :tbiS iSa:rme. waen 1
had hoped to have heard btd one-ssnmens upon
This floor: time when I had hoped that patriot
ism had by one common impulse inspired every
bosom TO beat high with enthusiasm for the IN
terest of our common country ana the prosperity
of our arms; time when The interest OF our
country is at stake, he that dalies is bastard,
and he that doubts should be damn'dl" Yes Mr.
Speaker, fear there is time not many years
hence. when posterity will stamp the present ene-
mics of their country with mark as indelible as
that by Omnipotence stamped upon the forehead
Of Cain. Sir, had hoped that | never should
have lived to have witnessed the corruption OF that
age in which an American legislator would have
risen in his seat in an assembly OF iehtened
statesmen, and publicly proclaimed that his own
Government was wrong, and that Mexico was
rioht after our flag had been insulted our citizens
piundered and murdered on the high seas, and
our soldiers defending frontier assasinatcd by
land l had hoped that the vlndctlVe demon oil
party would upon an occasion like the present,
have hid his envenomed head oehlnd Inc ioiuS OF
the country's flag and suffered the battle drum TO
have ceased and our common enemy taught to-
resnect our rights as a nation. before our own cltl-
zens are exhortcd 10 Inuny in the camp Sir,
within the last hour, we have not only heard the
tories of the revolution justified by the declaration
that "the poor tories were conscientious IN their
eouvctions" not only those of the late war Just-
ed who held out blue ghts TO the enemy, but our
ears have been grated by the odous moral treason
OF having been aggressors against weak and
beIoIess enemy who were acting in defence OF
their rights Sir we have heard it exultingly |
remarked that thank God it required an OccTt act
to constitute treason! Sir, it is strictly so, admit
bv the Constitution, and fortunately perhaps torj
some il is So as we can infer from the remark !
nothing else but that the fear of punishment res
trains the commission of that overt act But Mr..
Speaker, there is a species of moral treason more
dangerous than the " overt act" More dangerous,
because il insnuates itself in private; more dan
gerous because it assails the unsuspecting more
dangerous because it is more cowardly, and still
more dangerous because it acts under the specIouS
rarb of patriotisr. When tics TO party become |
stronger than ties to country, it becomes danger-
ous faction Open rebellion is unnecessary; there |
this foul rebelIious treason fuctious opposition
can eounteract the operations Of the Government, |
and render its best directed efforts feeble and nef
fective You may render aid and comfort to The
enemy without committing overt acts as gentlemen
congratulate themselves The treason OF the pres
ent opposition is treason of thought, treason of
SPEECH treason of council, always putting our
R he HG9 dny he fs S Rs
ainistration in time of war, vindcoting the course
Of Mexico, declaring that she is not he aggressor,
that she has been injured and assaied her territory
invaded by planning cannon on her soil, thus
Indirectly will not say indirectly, but openly,
avowing the injustice of our cause This is moral
treason of the most Infamous kind, because they /
are too cowardy to take the field in their defence
We need not 60 TO Mexico to fight the Mexicans
we have them in our midst. MIR. Speaker, they
had better raise the black cockade aud march 10
the battle field we would have much less to fear
from them. Yes, Mr.. Speaker, we find Mexican
hearts; there the gentleman from Chowan said,
Mr.. Speaker, if to submit to this clear the ;
galleries and turn all loose, in American bosoms
l accept the gentletnans proposition-agr if |
we must meet the Mexicans, we are ready We
not 10 be driven from the vindication of our
rights because we are ouLnumbered in this Hall I
Take the odds and meet you, our cause is iust ,
and thrice is he armed who hath his quarreliust.
But look gentlemen at the proposition; gentlemen {
with considerable majority proposing to clear c
The obbies and turn them loose Is such the areu-
menls by which we are to be convinced? You
mistaken if yon expect to drive me, al least I
from dcnouncing such conduct in its appropriate I
Terms. Here The gentleman from Chowan asked &.
leave to explain and stated that he wished to re- +
store order by his proposition l admit his ex- f
panatlon Sir, as was rather too savage propo- g
sitlon to be made in sincerity but why ask to be r
turned loose to restore order2 This is rather su6-
versiVe of order. Sir, the more reflect upon this
preamble the more Mexican its character assumes II
and when called on TO vote shall vote for the {
American resolution and against the Mexican e
preamble. But Mr. Speaker, the vote upon that r
Infamous preamble shall not by its cloud obscure
the canopy of Heaven on this brilliant day-the 3
anniversary of one of the brightest events in Ameri
can hIstory-'tIs the anniversary of the 9th. on n
which was achieved the battle of New Orleans :,
Shall The lustre Of that victory be taruished by
desecrating the anniversary of its achievement in
the passage Unreasonable resolutions. in the midst
OF our countrys war7 No Mr. Speaker, I will n
speak five hours-I will speak until after twelve n
o'clock, before this resolution shall pass on the o
9th of Januaryl This Sir, is day which our Il
children from the cradle taught 10 lisp with t.
veneration and must we be called upon to devote c
1t TO the sacrilegious desecraton of passing this
!nIamously false, FOUL and reasonable preamble n
we have been told by gentlemen of the majority tc
That we shall be forced 10 swallow the Mexican c
pill before we sleep. But Mr. Speaker, can do y
as long without sleep perhaps, as some of nv C.
wing friends, and should not entertain them. | d
VIII at least promise 10 detan them for the next D
four hours. BY the rules Of this House debate q
cannot be cut of, and although l have not been a
IN the habit OF imposing upon the patience Of The