Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1847-01-21
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IIos. lIEHRy nEDHEGER'
IIousF on REPRESENTATIVES,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WAsHso 1os, January 6. Iel7- :
n, .lp.ol.f;cn of Ar. lfnsunisop. under con
.;a.,.fia,. swkeuthe House adjourned On Tnesday,
!, 800 Ihc debate n tie bll for tbeprsease and
'h,tter organisation u ihs regular aFss, was ~
fen 81. snd NJ Roots motOn 10 lay oii t'e liable
sas nk1aftyef. !,
TIE s;Il W. shsr iekcn mp q. Cosn'niiies G, q
The Whole ~ the Sale Of IRE Un'cH, ana N Z.
.SnrrH. d Indians, asiressed me eo 81 -
epoosiiioa % The administration, and u Try !"
$40 a Ihe positi0ns assumed b. vi Pfesioia
K;nv. IA lis !. personal explanation on slavery
n .Testeraay. SIR Smith charged the i'ses'1enI
,vifh having. ID HE management # the wtr ioss
..hf ~ tksf decorusn which s.lDHll alwsys char
.cserise de acts Or the Chief M4gistrtIc with
- ef,n 10 silence al inquiries into the coiidict
OF The sds.nis,raiion-- having intrigued with
.Santa Ansa, who had tono more 10 disgrace The
Mexican name than any man ever At The head Oh
the Mexican government. lie deienced 1en.
Sect end his suggestions for drilling the troops
during the summer, and sending them tplhe seat
Of war III the fail-and declared that the sentI-
,nents Of Gen Sent, then expressed, notwith-
standing tie ridcule which il had been atthmpted
10 cast upon him and bis . hasty plate Of soup,
now commands the admiration Of even his Pols.i-
cal enemieE The wings on this fooT, Ire sad,
would desosve all the o2pfobrinm which had been
.ppu them BY their political opponents, they
did not staad up and resist the outtages which
had been perpetfated by the President and hls
supporters That manwas the truest patriot who
best endearnfed to guard the constitution IN It's
purity. The proper tins TO inquire into the Jus.
lice OF this war vas now, and he who does mol
discharge bis duties faithfully was no friend e
his country.
Mr.. BEDINGER then rose and said: lie was
not one Of those who had expressed regret a the
continuation or this debate, or ct the course y
lad taken, nor was be one Of those who votes
this morning against going into committee Of me
whole and ID hoped that at least for day or two
the debate might be continued, and that Il might
have wide latitude For, although he was well
aware that their time was limitedthere, and that
much business yet remained to be lone, ye, Of so
much consequences did ne regard thorough in
Yestiaatofl Of the causes which led to the present
war. and tho conduct Of the administration in con-
Quoting the same, that he siiould be willing al
most TO ofego everything else at least for short
time. He frjoiced at the continuation Of the de-
bate, becanse Of the zeal which had been mani
Tested on the part Of the democratic members OF
the House In defending their countryss honor and
their country s3cause against the recklessness Of
the opposition; and he rejoiced moreover, because
isgfofded to their friends so admirable an oppor
lunlty OF W thC WIN
and opinions which they entertain concerning the
present struggle OF their country with foreign
power. He would lay no great claim to a know
ledge Of the mysterious study Of human nature,
nor did he lay claim to any extraordinary know
ledge OF The American people but he .knsw
enough ofboth, u feel perfectly satisfied that the
eortamaSe BY the opposition there, were inbound
ed attecksupou the administration. The course
which they had chosen to pursue, would ultimate
" recoil with ten-fold violence upon their own
heads. Id fact, those sentiments were blows
aimed atthe very vitsls Of the party, whose adj
yocates bad 50 nnwisely promulgated them. In
this great etiss, when the country was waging 3
just war with msrciless and treacherous people
whom the eyes Of the world were upon them,
and foreign nations were ready TO find fault with
them, liz thanked Heaven thatthere was too much
Of the haven Of patriotism in the great mass Of
the American people to suffer gentlemen to pro-
lnulgats there or elsewhere, oTgumenis-or asser-
tons rathsr-going directly To sustain the course
and Justify the cause Of their enemies and against
that OF their common country. And although
gentlemen might disguise this matter as they
peased--althoagh they might pretend thai
they were willing to see the war vigorously pro-
secuted, while at the same time they choose to
hold the Executive responsible as the author Of
che war-althaugh they might assert that whilst
with III ths ski ability, ingenuity, and learning
they possessed, they were striving day siter gay
70 prove 20 the country and the world tnat their
country was engaged IN an unjust war-a war
begun wrengially, and without cause-that The
Executive, 10 bring neeout was compelled p
usurp powers Which did mol belong 10 him and
thst taey 1mericansl were the only miscreants,
ana tnas Msalco was me injured party-he SAD,
wniie. acting thus, they mght, with the same
gieate, ASSERT lheu PATRIOTISM, and declare tnat
tney were anxleus g see TINS unjust war s'goI-
oasiy prosecuted yet ist them marx their condi-
uon Inc amercan people would not pc salts
h2i With such special pleading, such. nice distinc-
tons, such paltry pretexts; but they would hold
those who endeaVored to para'yzs the strong arm
Oh me coantry, ey striving t. prove TO the word
that u had been raised IN an UNJUST cause, as re-
creani to the high trust which had been conided
10 them there, and worthy of the Indignation
which would inevitably % visited upon such cons
duct The reasons which he had heard had sat
ished him that such course, instead Of weaken
ING the hands o. the administration, would have
the eiiectto strengthen them, and To lead encour
agament to the democratic party and to convinced
the people over the whole land OF the justice Of
their country 8 cause, and Of the purity oil the |
man whoa they had called TO the executive chair.
Al The same tune, DO was perfectly willing to lis
Ten 70 the' opPesihen. There was not one reason
onerea oy them 70 winch he dad not listen with
a,tenuon ana interest, 4 not qualification and
pleasute, ~ .ae Same nms' ne thought their